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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Dear Singers,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I hope that you are well and have had an opportunity to get some rest and savor your work after an incredibly busy weekend of rehearsals and performances for The King David project. I have spent the last couple of days doing exactly that as well as trying to make the wood on top of my desk visible again by trimming the to do list. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am writing to congratulate you on what was truly an outstanding weekend of performances. Your work both in preparation and execution was the model of good music making. I know that for many of you, this was your first experience singing in one of our grand projects with The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. These projects require much from us in energy, time and commitment and you responded to that challenge in every way that I could have hoped. The Honegger score was well within our grasp but diverse enough to require a professional commitment in its preparation. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ira David Wood asked me to tell you that he thought that the quality of your work outstanding and that he was delighted to be part of such and outstanding production. His participation gave the narration the presence and stature to match up with the music and he was an absolute delight to work with. I was asked to convey high praise to you also from Joe Kitchen, the founding director of The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle when it was called the St. Stephen’s Chamber Orchestra and operated out of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Durham. Joe is still the organist there and he is one of the area’s most respected musicians.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I also want to share a conversation that I had with Rebecca Troxler that I had after the second concert. Rebecca is a Duke music faculty member and was one of our flutes in the orchestra. One of the musicology professors from Duke was in attendance and sent a message to us through Rebecca. He was very pleased with our performance on two levels. Firstly, he enjoyed the performance and thought that is was very well done. Secondly, he brought an unusually informed point of view to that opinion as his specialty is in the area of two composers, Benjamin Britten and Arthur Honegger. He had never heard the King David performed live until last weekend.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In case you didn’t have time to read the review in CVNC you can do here <a href="http://cvnc.org/article.cfm?articleId=6729">http://cvnc.org/article.cfm?articleId=6729</a> On the whole this was a reasonably positive review though over the years I’ve learned to not put much stock in them whether they be good or bad. What is worth noting though are Mr. Simon’s references to the vowel pronunciation and lyrical singing. It shows that these things are important and really are noticeable. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I look forward to the final program of our year on May 10 and hope to see you this Monday when Symphonic rehearsals resume.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Larry<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#984806'>Lawrence Speakman<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#984806'>Artistic Director and Conductor</span></b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#984806'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#984806'><img border=0 width=121 height=122 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CF490D.E1EF69C0" alt="CSC_final_logo"></span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#984806'>The Concert Singers of Cary<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#984806'><a href="http://www.concertsingers.org"><span style='color:blue'>www.concertsingers.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#984806'><a href="http://www.speakmanvocalarts.com"><span style='color:blue'>www.speakmanvocalarts.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#984806'>919-249-6421<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>