Everything you need for Tales of the Old North: East of the Sun and West of the Moon

REMEMBER:

• You should be reviewing the music you’ve learned and memorized for Bell Sisters at least a couple of times a week so you don’t forget it. Once Tales of the Old North is over, we will expect this material to still be solid!

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PROLOGUE

Hey Ho!

Scene: The village is struggling. Know your characters and your buds! You should be walking with an intention and a direction: look around, pick up items, warm your hands by the fire, interact with others, etc. Make sure you're using your peripheral vision to check in with Christina so you don't slow down.

Blocking

• Beginning: You will be on a platform or spilling down on the floor (TBD when we get in the space). You'll be mixed with XCTE and the men so if it's helpful to be near your part, make sure you have an XYE bud.

• Letter A: Stay still on the platform/back of the stage.

• Letter B: Stay still at the back but the lights will come up.

• Measure 31: Walk off the risers and onto the floor - there are two sets of stairs on each side. **Don't forget to sing the Ooos.

• Letter C: you're walking through the village using the whole stage space. Remember!! At "Please good misses a soal cake" stop walking, and make a sharp turn to face and sing at the audience. Continue walking after that line.

• Letter D: Go off to the sides (unless you're singing a solo verse at centre stage).

• Going in to Letter E: stand still in a mixed formation and face forward (by someone your bud). Note: Some XCTE members will be singing a descant so make sure you're solid on your part.

***After Hey Ho! 

Know your cue lines

• "Once upon a time way up north..." Mill around the centre with your bud silently
• "There was a poor husbandman..." Rory and Rhian, end up stage right ("...there was no end to her loveliness." The two of you exit stage right). Everyone else gradually exits off stage.

SCENE 4

Wind Song

Scene: Ariana meets a new character - the fierce and monstrous Wind. You will be providing the soundscape of The Wind with bottles, whistles and your voices, clumped on either side of the stage in your sections.

CLICK HERE for an audio recording of Wind Song from letter B to the end

***Bottle blowers: Rory, Claire, Antoinette 

***Whistler: Rhian


Alto side, stage left: Claire, Patricia, Riel, Rowan, Rhian.

Soprano side, stage right: Rylee, Shalini, Rory, Teagan, Sarah, Sophie, Antoinette.














First page of music only:

• Soprano: Sophie, Antoinette, Sarah. CLICK HERE to hear your part.
• ***Don't sing past "gulls" as it helps you get your next note. 
• Alto: Rory, Rhian CLICK HERE to hear your part.
• Everyone else sings the second soprano line. CLICK HERE to hear your part.

Gathering Wind

• The third cue from Christina is for ff/ss/shh, bottles, and whistles.
• Ignore the Fourth cue, it is for XCTE.
• The fifth cue is the sudden silence
• The sixth cue is the loudest ff/ss/sh you can manage.

Living Wind

• "Blast you what do you want!" Crescendo and decrescendo ff/ss/sh like breathing. No bottles.

Travelling Wind

• Letter E & G: ff/ss/sh, bottles, and whistles 
• First cue: forte with long pulses
• Second cue: mezzo-forte with shorter pulses
• Third cue: piano with shortest pulses. 

***Exit after Wind Song: "He had to rest many days..." Those on STAGE RIGHT exit down stage right (end of the stage closest to Christina) as XCTE are spinning off up stage right. 

***The following video is Christina conducting all of the cues for Wind Song:

SCENE 6

Hanget Soi

Scene: Ariana and Lucy have gone on this great journey, defeated the Evil Queen, and have returned to their village, which is prosperous again! At the beginning of the scene you're milling about, happily interacting with one another, then you become very excited when you see the two girls arrive.

CLICK HERE for the audio recording of XCTE singing Hanget Soi.

Blocking

• XCTE exits after The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun, and Rowan and Rhian will come on stage with their bundles of wood. They will place the wood down into the fire then their playful brother will sneak onstage to chase them.
• Rest of XYE enters and Jenny will start playing the opening of Hanget Soi
• Letter A: Walk around and mingle with others. Make sure you're not just walking in a circle. Big Xara (XCTE) will be standing still.
• Letter B: Stand along the sides and the back. XCTE will be walking.
• Letter C: Join XCTE walking around.
• Letter D: Listen for the glissando. Everyone stands still and faces the front of the stage.
• Letter E: Everyone walks around.
• Letter F: Continue walking around (XCTE stays still). When you see Ariana and Lucy on stage left, you become excited and greet them.
• Letter G: Stand along the sides and the back. XCTE will be walking.
• Three bars before H join XCTE in the middle of the stage.
• Letter H: Everyone stands facing the front of the stage.

***After Hanget Soi

• Rowan, Rhian, along with Lucy, Ariana, and the family walk to downstage centre stage, everyone else backs up to give them room.
• "...and that year and every year after..." Rowan/Rhian go to stage right, rest of XYE move to the edges of the stage.

Jul, jul

Scene: A tradition has begun - the youngest daughter in the village brings firewood to light the Central Fire. Together the village remembers the strength of the two girls who brought light and peace to the village.

Blocking

• Rory walks forward during the introduction, and the small group moves forward. ***Standing order: Sophie, Sarah, Rory, Teagan, Rylee.

• Bar 7: "Darkness and shadows" is everyone else's cue to walk forward. 

• Bar 9: You should be close to the front of the stage in a sectional scattered formation. Sop 1 stage right, Sop 2 centre, Altos stage left.

• Bar 17-20: This is the time to transition to one line, facing straight ahead, with a slight curve. The middle of the curve should be closest to Christina.

• Bar 21: Splitting down the middle of the line, face each other.

• Bar 22: Everyone on stage left take a small step to their right (this is to make room to pass each other).

• Bar 23: Cross sides. Starting with your right foot, step forward on the beat, hold for a beat, step, hold, step, hold, etc. Your feet never come together while walking.

• Use the instrumental part before the last verse to face the audience. Those on stage right use your left shouder, those on stage left use the right shoulder. Stay here for the rest of the piece! 

Additional Links

CLICK HERE to view the XCTE blocking videos

CLICK HERE for the link to the costume master Matt's Pinterest board. Practice those braids!

CLICK HERE for a surprise!