Thoughts on recording Rutter Reflections

A soprano on the loose in the recording studio

It was a wet Saturday morning in June as we set off to Falmer to take part in Rutter Reflections, the choir's debut CD. After a short journey down the M23 we were soon in the University of Sussex's Meeting House Chapel, which was to act as our studio.

The day began just like an ordinary rehearsal, with physical and vocal warm-ups - except that on Tuesday evenings there are no microphones or cables. We were then introduced to Katherine (our soloist), to the orchestra, and to the recording team, after which we rehearsed the first movement we were to record. Before we knew it, the red light was on, and our voices were recorded for posterity.

What followed soon became a familiar pattern. We recorded, and the recording team piled superlatives on us ("a vision of heaven" was my favourite)... then our spirits were dashed as the recording team told us where we'd gone wrong. What seems to be in time and in tune can be anything but when it's played back! Each movement was recorded in full, then short passages re-recorded for patching. By the end of Saturday we had recorded the Requiem in its entirity.

We were only recording in the afternoon on Sunday, but that didn't mean we didn't work as hard. This session was dedicated to recording five of Rutter's anthems, this time with organ accompaniment. Saturday's pattern of rehearse, record, repair soon re-emerged, yet three hours later we had recorded all the anthems, before heading back up the M23 to relax with a well-earned glass of wine, and to remember the new friendships forged in the studio in the latest part of the RRCS Choral Development Initiative.

Rutter Reflections is now available, priced at just £10 (plus postage and packaging). To order your copy, simply print out the order form (available as a Word document or a pdf file), then send it to us with your payment. Your copy will be sent to you as soon as we receive your order. Remember, copies are limited to the first 500 orders, so order now to avoid disappointment.

To open the order form as a pdf file, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer; this can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website. If you are unable to open the order form either as a Word document or pdf file, please e-mail us for information on how to order your CD.

Report by Deborah Salmon, one of the Society's first sopranos, with thanks to Richard Salmon for the photo

For further information: call 01737 772811 or email info@rrcs.org.uk
	Reigate & Redhill Choral Society is affiliated to Making Music: The National Federation of Music Societies and gratefully acknowledges support received from the Borough of Reigate & Banstead Arts Council. Registered Charity No 280195

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