Be Energised and Be Prepared

We welcomed Elliot back as our guest Musical Director this week. He was pleased to meet our new members since he was last with us.  The name badges were very helpful for him too.

Even though we were short on attendees due to illness etc. he thought the new set up of voices with the Tenors and Basses in the middle was a positive and was very impressed with the overall sound we made which he thought had greatly improved. Praise indeed for someone who knows us well!

During the warm up he explained how we can sing the high notes without strain and to relax the throat and jaw and control your breathing and not to force out the sound. Also with high notes, be prepared for when you know one is coming and don’t let it be a surprise.

We sang through the first part of You’re the Voice, which we had only covered once before, so this is still fairly new to us. There is very tricky timing in this song which needs to be precise.  It is important to work hard on your diction.

You need to feel the pulse of the music in the piano part.

The Oohs need to be bright, so smile within your mouth at the back of your throat otherwise they can sound very dark with a tendency to go flat.

At the start, the second part of the oohs should crescendo before the singing starts. You have one beat after the oohs and then come in with. ‘We have…..’

With the phrase, ‘….the chance to turn the pages over’ ‘over’ is very long, so Sops, Tenors and Basses hold it for 8 beats, keeping the energy going and don’t let it tail off and go flat at the end.

Sop 2s and Altos sing, ‘….the chance to turn the pages ooh’ as one complete phrase without a breath.

In the part, ‘….we gotta make ends meet before we get much older’ ‘older’ is sung in different ways by all the voice parts, but they all stitch together and finish at the same time. Sops, Tenor and Basses hold on to your last note until the Altos have sung their twiddly notes.

Sop 2s, Altos, Tenors and Basses make it very clear there are two whoas, with the second one coming in after a very short gap.

‘How long’ – keep your mouth open to emphasise the vowels.

‘..down the barrel of a gun’ pronounce it more like ‘garn’ and be ready to take a very quick breath before going into the energetic chorus.

With all the ‘Whoa, whoas’ keep the energy going and driving forward. They should be more like a football chant than a moaning wind.  Each voice part has their own rhythm, so practice your part at home, as they are quite challenging.

Although we haven’t completed this song yet, we have secured the main parts which will be repeated as we move on. We will then be able to sing the next part of the song with confidence as we’ve already done the hard part.

Remember this is a protest song. Another little less well known protest song is, The March of the Women. In 1912, composer Ethel Smyth was imprisoned in Holloway Prison for militant suffrage activism. While incarcerated, she led fellow suffragettes in singing her anthem “The March of the Women,” famously conducting from her cell window with a toothbrush, a scene witnessed by Thomas Beecham, who called it “one of the most moving and impressive sights I have ever seen. It also featured in the TV series, Shoulder to Shoulder sung by Georgia Brown.

After a well earned break, we came back to the Irish Blessing.  A totally different tempo and feel.

Sops there is a great big leap of 6 notes from ‘ meet’ and  ‘again’.  As in our warm up, preempt the high note of ‘again’ and think about as you are singing the lower notes as if they are high and you will land on it cleanly.

As you sing, ‘May God hold you’ for the second part, sing through ‘you’ right to end of the bar, so it doesn’t just fall off the end.

Keep your vowels long, especially with ‘sun shine warm…’ – the Basses led the way on this. However, they need to keep up the tempo when they join in with ‘May the road rise to meet you…’ and not drag everyone down

Crossing the Bar is in a very good place and there wasn’t really anything to pick on other than the occasional trick timing at the end with last ‘.. I hope to see my Pilot face to face….

Next week our Maestro will be back, so do your homework and check out all the music in Dropbox and impress him with our singing. Have a listen, Rhythm of Life from Sweet Charity.

"Crossing to the Bar"

Use your voice

We welcomed back some old trillers as we as new ones which really added to the sound and atmosphere

Richard, who had previously sung with us in our concerts, was in a new position in front of us leading the way in Eamonn’s absence.

We had an interesting warm up and he really challenged us with the days of the week!

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Friday, Thursday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Monday,

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Saturday, Friday, Thursday, Wednesday, Tuesday

Wednesday, Thursday …….etc

Chest or head . No not talking about a cold. Richard also explained the difference between our chest voice and head voice, which was put into practice during the rehearsal with great effect.

Chest voice is the fuller, stronger sound you use when speaking, often felt lower in the chest or throat, while head voice is lighter and more floaty, with vibrations felt higher in the mouth or head—and you are probably already using both without realising it. Transitioning between them is about blending, not switching: as notes go higher, effort and volume decrease, chest voice gradually thins, and head voice gently joins in so the change feels like a smooth slide. A helpful exercise is to start low on “oo” or “ng,” slide up slowly like a siren, then slide back down, focusing on no pushing, no volume jumps, and a smooth glide even if the tone changes; if it cracks, that’s good because you’re learning coordination. Another effective bridge exercise is using “gee” or “nay” in a slightly bratty, playful tone by singing “gee-gee-gee-gee” up a scale, keeping it light and stopping before any strain.

The first song we tackled was Irish Blessing which has been passed down through generations. It is a traditional way of wishing someone good luck and fortune on their life's journey. This blessing carries a simple yet powerful message that has resonated with people worldwide.

The origin of the Irish Blessing is not entirely clear, but it is believed to have its roots in Ireland. The Irish are known for their love of language and poetry, and this blessing is a perfect example of that. It is a beautiful and meaningful way to express good wishes to someone.

Originally written in the Irish language, the prayer, the author of which is unknown, features three main images: wind, sun, and rain. Fittingly for something written so long ago, the ancient Irish’s deep connection to nature and Ireland’s ever-changing elements shine through.

The reference to the wind is thought to be a reference to the Holy Spirit, who came as a “mighty wind” at Pentecost.

The sun’s warmth alludes to God’s mercy, which the New Testament (Luke 1:78, NIV) tells us, “by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven.”

The mention of rain is thought to be symbolic of God’s provision – nothing will grow without rain.

In Irish, the first line “Go n-éirí an bóthar leat” more literally usually translates as “May you succeed on the road,” the French equivalent of which is “bon voyage.”

The Sops start this song singing the first verse and when reaching the high note in ‘until we meet again’ ensure you keep the top half of your face lively as if you are smiling, but keep your mouth from a wide grin!

‘hand’ is a very long note in ‘ever in the palm of his hand’.  Also ensure you put a soft sounding ‘d’ on ‘hand’ and not a hard ‘t’ sound.

When the Tenors and Basses join in, watch out for the specs in the music score, so you are ready for the double word ‘your’ in ‘…soft upon your, your fields’

Keep all the low notes gentle and don’t boom them out loudly.

Altos, with your low notes, use your chest voice which was explained in our warm up. 

Everything we are taught is useful, so pay attention!

Next was Make Your Own Kind of Music.  Another song from our back catalogue, but new to some. 

It is a song by American singer Cass Elliot released in September 1969 by Dunhill Records. It was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, with production by Steve Barri. Largely viewed as a commercial disappointment despite strong airplay on U.S. Top 40 radio stations in November 1969, the song found new life in the 2000s thanks to its use in TV shows such as "Lost" and feature film "Free Guy." Another film featuring actor Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool & Wolverine, featured Paloma Faith's remake of Cass Elliot's single in an official promotional trailer.

It became a top 30 hit in the United Kingdom in 2018 via a cover version by Paloma Faith. It was announced on 1 February 2018 that Škoda Auto had commissioned Faith to record a version of Make Your Own Kind of Music to serve as jingle for an ad campaign to launch the Karoq, Škoda's new compact crossover SUV. Paloma Faith said: "The reality of Škoda is it was the car people took the piss out of you for having...That's how they enticed me in really, it was like that thing or person who people tease for being who they are but is now celebrated for being who they are."

Paloma Faith subsequently introduced Make Your Own Kind of Music in concert, with the statement that she "doesn't usually approve of celebrity endorsements for products, but felt that Škoda was a brand worth celebrating due to how it's gradually become more respected over the years."

When singing this, make use of the rests and make a definite break to give it a legato sound rather than just a smooth, boring one.

This song needs building up, so ensure you have enough energy to keep building to the big crescendo with the last chorus before the contrast of the last lines.

As we had all sung Crossing the Bar last week, we were able to impress Richard with our rendition.

Some Altos, Tenors and Basses went off piste and sang their own notes, which did harmonise beautifully, but be warned, Eamonn will pick you up on this, so it might be best to learn the written notes!

He went through all the individual parts telling the Altos to use their head voice for this song rather than their chest voice.

The Lady Tenors sing in their voice range whereas the Male Tenors sing at their high range, so harder for them.

Don’t overthink the timing of ‘no sadness of farewell’ just watch the director and you will be fine.

See you all next week.  Please remember to wear your name badges.  Keep them with your music folder and you won’t forget to bring them!.

Challenging Times

With so many newbies it seemed a good idea to have name badges so we can get to know each other.  Please keep them with your music folders and bring them with you for the next weeks until we are all acquainted.

A gentle to reminder to everyone to not only bring your music (and name badge), but also a pencil or highlighter so you can mark your music scores with Eamonn’s instructions in a way that is meaningful to you.

Eamonn has set a challenge for everyone (especially a big one for the Basses and Tenors) to learn The Impossible Dream by heart. I have every confidence you can achieve this and you will benefit from looking up and following Eamonn’s directions with the bonus of your voices being heard as the sound will be coming out and not down into your folders!

The Impossible Dream is challenging as it has long phrases where you do NOT breathe between them.

Keep the oohs bright so they don’t sound sad!

‘This is my quest….’ Should be passionate; you are on a journey

Ensure the is a strong hard ‘c’ on ‘cause’

‘Still….’ has two notes in ‘Still strove with his last ounce of courage’

The next song, Crossing the Bar, is a total contrast and has a more choral sound.  The aim an challenge is to sing this acapella, which we are more than capable of achieving.

Three things you may not have known about Alfred, Lord Tennyson the poet who wrote Crossing the Bar.

He recorded his own voice in the 19th century. When sound recording was brand new, Alfred, Lord Tennyson became one of the earliest poets to have his voice preserved. Thomas Edison recorded Tennyson reading “The Charge of the Light Brigade” on a phonograph—giving us a rare, haunting glimpse of how a Victorian poet actually sounded from eye-witness reports from newspapers during the Crimean War, considered the first media war. Tennyson wrote the poem to commemorate the bravery of the soldiers, with the goal of shaming the British public into offering financial assistance to the veterans who were suffering in old age.

He invented the phrase “airy-fairy.”

The term airy-fairy, now used to describe something unrealistic or impractical, originated in the opening line of Tennyson’s early poem “Lilian” (1830):

“Airy, fairy Lilian …”It’s a small example of how deeply his language has shaped everyday English.

He was so famous he had to hide from fans.

Tennyson was a true Victorian celebrity. Sightseers regularly travelled just to stare into his windows, forcing him to seek privacy in a secluded house in Sussex—though he kept his main home on the Isle of Wight. Fame, it turns out, was exhausting even before social media.

Crossing the Bar is an 1889 elegiac poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The narrator uses an extended metaphor to compare death with crossing the "sandbar" between the river of life, with its outgoing "flood", and the ocean that lies beyond death, the "boundless deep", to which we return.

The background to the poem's composition is not entirely clear. One suggestion is that Tennyson composed it while crossing the Solent from Aldworth to Farringford on the Isle of Wight, after suffering a serious illness; alternatively, that he wrote it on a yacht anchored in Salcombe, where there is a moaning sandbar. "The words", he said, "came in a moment". Shortly before he died, Tennyson told his son Hallam to "put Crossing the Bar at the end of all editions of my poems".

The poem contains four stanzas that generally alternate between long and short lines. Tennyson employs a traditional ABAB rhyme scheme. Scholars have noted that the form of the poem follows the content: the wavelike quality of the long-then-short lines parallels the narrative thread of the poem.

The extended metaphor of "crossing the bar" represents travelling serenely and securely from life into death. The Pilot is a metaphor for God, whom the speaker hopes to meet face to face. Tennyson explained, "The Pilot has been on board all the while, but in the dark I have not seen him…[He is] that Divine and Unseen Who is always guiding us."

The Basses had to be very patient as they don’t join in until the second verse.

The timing is critical in this song and although the voice parts have different notes the rhythm is the same. 

‘Sunset’, ‘call’, ‘I’ and ‘out’ are long notes.

‘Sound and foam’ with ‘Sound’ and ‘foam’ being long with a very short ‘and’ in between.

Be aware of how your voices blend in this piece so the balance of sound is good and not dominated by the Sops who are plentiful and can be loud!

Altos, you are the lynchpin to this song and your notes are very important for the harmony.

Enjoy the stateliness and sanctity of the music and don’t rush it.

Our number was small but our voices were mighty. In Flagrante Choir's first concert at Kew Gardensin 2016 with Ginny, Carol and Esher tucked away at the back.

We revisited, You’re the Voice which drives forward all the time.  We will be doomed if this drags!

Even with the oohs make them swell and give them direction.

Basses are the lynchpin in this song, even though they are mainly singing on one note!

Make the Woah, woahs strong and loud

After’ …can we look at each other’ there is a very small gap before singing ‘down the barrel of a gun’

Eamonn is busy with the production of Mrs. President for the next two weeks, so we will have Richard, who has sung Bass with us on a few occasions, next week.  The following week we welcome back the lovely Elliot, who is well known to many of us.

Bring all your music and your pencil and name badge!

Too much?