Disneyland Candlelight Processional 2009 (VIDEOS)
It was a long weekend and I was glad to hear that “3catowner” recorded the 2009 Disneyland Candlelight Processional again! Candlelight is a long process from audition to months of practicing ending with long 9 hr day at Disneyland to present two shows at 5:30 and 8:00 PM the first weekend of December.
This set of videos was recorded on Saturday at the 8:00 PM show. I believe that this was the better performance of the two if you were lucky to see this one. I was in Section 6, Row P, Seat 17 which was very row top stage left (City Hall side), 5th from the end.
Candlelight Preprocession Video
This is the pre-procession arrangement which Nancy is directing the Candlelight Orchestra. Just prior to this, the Candlelight Choirs which are participating are announced. The Choir is singing carols during this time starting from Mickey’s Toontown (at 5:00 PM) or from Tomorrowland (at 7:55 PM) and ending up at the start of Main Street.
Candlelight Processional Video 2
In this video, we’re processing from the top of Main Street out of the exit by the Plaza Inn resturant after about an hour rest between shows. We carefully wind ourselfs through a maze trying not to trip over something. You can barely see me at about 1:50 in the video, but you can clearly hear Jim Wilber who is about 6 in front of me. Jim is the Candlelight Employee Director who also a member of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Choir.
The very second we all get into the risers, Nancy kicks off the show with Sing Praise to Him Our Lord. Jon Voight is narrator.
Candlelight Video: The First Noel
This is a very beautiful arrangement the the First Noel by Don Neufeld of Azusa Pacific University. (I was glad to see and hear that APU was part of Candlelight Choir this year!)
Candlelight Carol Video
I believe that a Tenor from the Dapper Dans did the male soloist. I didn’t catch who sang the female solo.
Beautiful, but our section simply could do better…
Candlelight Videos: He is Born (Il Est Ne) / Angels We Have Heard On High.
Nancy crack a big grin after we finished singing Il Est Ne and Angels We Have Heard On High. This was much better than the grimace she gave us at the 5:30 performance.
Candlelight Videos: What Child is This/We Three Kings
Candlelight Videos: Sing Noel/Joy To The World
Candlelight Silent Night Video
I thought something was weird at the end …the soloist was off a measure and had to cut off his high b-flat a measure early.
Candlelight Let Us Adore Him/Hallelujah Chorus Videos
Thank you Alan “3catowner” for shooting the Candlelight Videos!
Alabama Wins!
My wife is mad, but Alabama remains undefeated by winning 26 – 21 over Auburn. Next week she’ll simmer down an route for BAMA #2 as they take on the #1 Gators. (She better find my other Ala sock, cause we’re going to need it.
GO BAMA!
The Lucky Sock Scores 2 BAMA Field Goals
All we need is the right sock to kick a field goal
Yeah! The lucky sock helped us score two field goals and now were within striking distance. Auburn still leads by 1 or 21-20 in this neck-to-neck Auburn vs Alabama game. My wife hid my left sock so it looks like BAMA will have to do it on their own.
Auburn vs. Alabama
The Lucky BAMA t-shirt worn in extreme emergency
Sigh. My wife likes Auburn. It’s even worse now that AUB is leading 21-14 in the 3rd quarter. I’m happy for her but I now put on my lucky BAMA shirt so were going to catch up and win this game. If that doesn’t work, the socks are going on next…
Disneyland Employee Choir is Awesome
Last Monday, I rehearsed Candlelight with the awesome Disneyland Employee Choir from the Burbank area. I was surprised that I knew the majority of the arrangements by heart and only circled a few places where I missed a rest or a note.
I was seated in the 2nd Tenor section so I had to double check the music several times to make sure that I was on pitch when the 1st and 2nd Tenors split and I was reading 1st.
I know I was on pitch but I seemed to confuse one of the rookie 2nds who was in the process of learning the music until I told him I was singing 1st. I need to learn the second part since those notes a much easier to hit without squeaking them out.
They went over with the Choir what you can and can’t wear. Turn of your cell phone. What day to sign up. Can you sing two at two performances? (We have to sing at both.) Etc.
One hundred sixty singers make up the “Christmas Tree” and you have to be under 5′ (or was it over?) if you want to be the star at the top of the tree.
The intermission between performances is usually in the Mr. Lincoln attraction, but it is moved this year to “Honey I shrunk the Kid,” or “It’s a Bug Life.” This is good since the Mr. Lincoln attraction is somewhat cramped for 500 Choir members.
Disneyland is not offering the Candlelight Dinner Package though their Hotel Restaurants this year to get the reserved seating, but you can get reserved seats if you’re a D23 member.
Jon Voight is the Candlelight Narrator this year.
Next Monday, I’ll get to practice with the entire 250 Employee Choir combined from both Orange, LA and other surrounding counties. The whole room will be filled but not segregated into SATB sections as in normal rehearsals. It should be as close to real thing without the orchastra.
One Month Until Candlelight 2009
There’s just one short month left for practicing for Disney’s Candlelight Procession. If you don’t have the arrangements memorized by now, you need to work extra hard and get some extra practice in.
Last night we practiced the last two arrangements along with Sing Noel. I have about 95% of the music committed to memory and it’s always fun missing those notes watching the expression on our Choir Director’s face.
The last two arrangements are hard on my voice (especially the Hallelujah Chorus) since they were written for a First Tenor and my top range is about a F# or perhaps an A-Natural on a good night. Forget anything above an E-flat early in the morning and I’m usually referring to the piano keyboard layout to find the middle-C until the coffee kicks in.
We’re extending choir practice an extra 1/2 hour so that we can read the whole Processional and get enough time in to practice our anthems and Christmas program.
We’re also fortunate to have Jim Wibur, the Disney Employee Choir Director, as a member of our Choir since he knows all four parts by heart. Perhaps we’ll have a rehearsal with his Choir…
With only one month to go, there’s very little time left. Four or five rehearsals left then the Regional Rehearsal at Holy Trinity. The Candlelight recording sure do help but the rehearsals is where the fine tuning takes place.
Keep rehearsing for the Big Day!
Regional Candlelight Rehearsal Scheduled at Holy Trinity
Holy Trinity will be hosting the Candlelight Regional Rehearsal on Wednesday December 2, 2009 at 6:30 PM.
We’re Going to Disneyland Candlelight
Our Choir Director, George Swanson, announced at practice last night that we were one of the lucky choirs that were chosen to participate in the 2009 Candlelight Processional on December 5, 2009!
I wasn’t too surprised because of the impressive Candlelight audition tape that we submitted and I was asked to the practice down in Anaheim this week two days earlier.
If you are participating in Candlelight this year, please write a comment below.
2009 Disneyland Candlelight Audition Tape
Thursday we heard the Disneyland candlelight audition tape that was submitted for the 2009 Processional. It sounded very good indeed! Of course, we participated in the 2008 Candlelight, so we knew the music by heart. There is a high probability that we’re heading back to Disneyland for a second time. But you never know since Disney tends to rotate new Choirs in for better area participation.
Regardless, we’re going to watch the Sunday Night 2009 Candlelight since our Disneyland Annual Passport is not blocked out that for that day. If we do make it this year, we’ll probably sing in the mass choir on Saturday and spend the night down in Anaheim either at the Grand Hotel or another hotel in the park.
It was a very tiring day spending 3 hours in the backlot plus 2 hours of singing. By the time we got out of the park it was nearly 9:30 PM and had enough time to go back to the car and re-enter for a few rides and fireworks. Next time, I’m going to be prepared, relaxed and enjoy it.
Candlelight Audition Tape
The Disneyland Candlelight Processional 2009 audition process is fairly simple: Submit two recordings, one which your Choir or School has recently recorded and one that Disney provides the arrangement. Both demonstrate the SATB capabilities of your singing group.
With the audition tapes due Oct. 1, our Choir decided to audition at the last minute by recording Sunday’s Anthem and Disney’s arrangement of What Child is This. The women sing the solo parts, then SATB per what is arranged in the Candlelight, back to the men singing the solo parts. The we finish the arrangement as written except where the Choir normally “Ohhs” the Choir sings the solo parts.
I’m sure both or our recordings went pretty well (except where I did an Ohh instead of the solo part ;) and we should hear back from Disney in a few weeks if we were accepted.
