Helen Fields is a member of the 2011 Christmas Revels adult chorus. Her posts will give you an insider’s view into this year’s show.
Cast Member’s Blog
Widening the Circle
by Helen Fields November 21, 2011 » Add more comments.
At the beginning of most rehearsals, and before every performance, we all stand in a circle for something we call – wait, the clever name will amaze you – “circle.” Some people find this a bit off-putting. Yeah, there’s a certain amount of hand-holding. But it’s part of what brings Read more »
Eight Hours Beneath the Basketball Hoops
by Helen Fields November 20, 2011 » Add more comments.
As the fall goes on, rehearsal starts taking up more time and more space. This weekend we have two all-day rehearsals at a school in Bethesda. Saturday there were props. Today there will be costumes. There are musicians wielding brass instruments. There are musicians wielding every other kind of instrument, Read more »
Ocho Kandelas Para Mi
by Helen Fields November 18, 2011 » Add the first comment.
Last night at the Trio Sefardi concert we had the privilege of hearing Flory Jagoda sing her song “Ocho Kandelikas.” Trio Sefardi are playing in this year’s Christmas Revels; they’re the specialists in Sephardic music. The members of Trio Sefardi all learned from Flory, a wonderfully talented musician who lives Read more »
The Future Has Arrived
by Helen Fields November 17, 2011 » Add the first comment.
Tuesday’s InterFaith Concert was lovely – there was such a delightful variety of performances, from traditional choirs in formal wear to barefoot dancers in shiny costumes. But this may be the thing that amazed me the most that night… See that thing on the piano? Ramon Bryant Braxton, the accompanist Read more »
A Night in the Cathedral
by Helen Fields November 16, 2011 » Add the first comment.
Yesterday afternoon I had an exciting trip: A fellow member of the Christmas Revels chorus picked me up at Dulles – I’d just flown in from a weekend in Ontario – and rushed me to the Washington National Cathedral. We were headed there to perform in the InterFaith Concert, which is Read more »
Welcome to the Blog!
by Helen Fields November 12, 2011 » Add more comments.
At last, the blog is launched. Welcome, dear readers! I hope you’ll read along with me through the Christmas Revels in December. If you want to catch up, you can read my introduction. (Short version: I’m a veteran chorus member.) I’ve already blogged about trying on my costume, a truly Read more »
A Visit from Trio Sefardi
by Helen Fields November 2, 2011 » Add more comments.
Here’s an instruction I haven’t gotten before: “I need you to channel your inner Fiddler on the Roof.” Tonight was our first time practicing with all three of the members of Trio Sefardi – Susan Gaeta, Howard Bass, and Tina Chancey. They’re a local group that plays Sephardic music. When Read more »
Happy Halloween
Every year, Reveler Barry Galef brings us a special treat: One of his carved pumpkins. These aren’t the jack-o-lanterns you’re used to, with the triangles for eyes and the half-moon for a mouth. He treats the pumpkin as a work of art, carving a detailed scene into their orange skin. Read more »
Dress Parade
by Helen Fields October 26, 2011 » Add the first comment.
It’s a time to wait, to memorize lyrics, to wait some more, to do homework, to keep waiting, and to discover the occasional threaded needle stuck in your clothes. It’s dress parade, and it’s part of the reason why we all look so great on stage. The costume team has Read more »
Hello Revels World!
by Helen Fields October 25, 2011 » Add the first comment.
Hi! I’m Helen Fields and I’m the brand-new Washington Revels blogger. Yay! I’m so excited! I’m a member of the Christmas Revels chorus. This is my seventh time in the Christmas show, which means I more or less know how it works now. For example, I can tell the new Read more »