- Trills on a Tuesday
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
This seemed a very long term and now time appears to be running out with only two more Tuesday rehearsals.
Along with all the excitement of the fast approaching concert, we unexpectedly had our Maestro back in the saddle. It was great to see him so well with his knees showing, walking well and able to wave both hands! Although one arm is strapped in a sling, he was still able to put us through our paces.
We also voted in new Committee members; Amy, as Treasurer and Alan representing the large male section of the choir. The Committee may have to become the Steeple Fingered People now!
With very little time, there is a lot to learn as Eamonn is keen for some sections to learn songs, or parts of songs, off book.
Basses, the first page of The Impossible Dream needs to be learned. It is our first song and will set the tone of the concert, so needs to be spot on. Once you know the words, you can look up and watch Eamonn for every cut off.
Altos make yourself known when you come in with your Oohs.
Here Comes the Flood, needs to be intense. Like a lot of our songs, we are singing about big topics so they need to be sung in a meaningful way, emphasising the importance of the words and making them inspiring to our audience.
Remember, the ‘up’ in ‘Drink up’ is short. Make sure you don’t hold onto that ‘up’ note too long as it spoils the effect.
The Rhythm of Life needs to be fun as it’s all about life’s force. Make ‘life’ and beat’ short and emphatic.
Be aware of what is going on around you. When you’re not singing, engage with the audience and don’t stare into your folders looking bored. However, be prepared for when you come in with your part.
Don’t let it be a surprise!
This is last song in Act One, so we want to send the audience out on high and wanting to come back for more in Act Two.
Irish Blessing is simple song, unlike The Rhythm of Life. Cherish it and make it tender and loving.
Matthew & Son is a fun and silly song, so keep your eyes up and show you are enjoying it.
You’ll Never Walk Alone – Sops be careful with your Oohs and don’t go flat with the major to minor change. Get that one note wrong and it all goes wrong. Get it right, it will be magnificent!
You’re the Voice is the last song in the concert. It is energetic and relentless, but has lots of repetitions so you can keep your heads up!
Thank you for the Days will be our encore, should one be requested! It needs intensity with warmth and tenderness, but give it vocal attack!
California Dreaming – well this had homework set to get your performance right.
Take a hairbrush and stand in front of a mirror and sing it in a loosey goosey manner as if your having a good time while smoking a spliff! No hairbrushes or spliffs on Tuesday, please!
We are in a really good place and just need to polish up our performance with clean cut offs, light and shade and make sure we are a pleasure to watch. This is so much easier on the concert day when you have your adoring fans to sing to.
Just a reminder of off book learning:
All My Trials – everyone
Irish Blessing (1st verse) – Sops
The Impossible Dream (page 1) – Basses
The Rhythm of Life (Daddy was a new sensation part) – Sops
The Rhythm of Life (last section from Flip your wings) - everyone
The House of the Rising Sun (1st page) – Tenors
The Logical Song (page 1) – Altos & Sops
Vincent (1st verse) – Basses & Tenors
You’ll Never Walk Alone (page 1) – Altos
Matthew & Son (do, do, do ) – Altos
Crossing the Bar (as much as you can) – everyone
Remember upon the conduct of each depends on the fate of all.
- Trills on a Tuesday
- Jun 27
- 3 min read
We welcomed back Elliot as our guest MD this week, who, under Eamonn’s instructions, guided us through four songs and fine tuning them.
Before we started the forensic rehearsal, there was an announcement that our treasured Treasurer is standing down at the end of this term after taking on this role for the past 6 years, although she will remain on the Committee. She has done an amazing job and will be a hard act to follow!
However, she still has work to do; anyone requiring extra tickets, please email janmharvey@icloud.com with your guests’ names and pay the money into the usual account.
You will have also noted that the barrier at the golf club is now in action.
Entering:
If you are driving, the barrier will automatically raise as you drive closer to it.
If you are cycling or walking, stand in the central part in front of the barrier on the slightly darker tarmac oblong, as this is the sensor point, and the barrier will raise
Leaving:
Golf club members will have their number plates registered so the barrier will open on number plate recognition.
Anyone else, enter the code 2016 (easy to remember as that is the year In Flagrante started) on the keypad on the right hand side approaching the barrier.
Once the barrier is raised, cars behind can just follow.
Now down to the nitty gritty and fine tuning.
The Rhythm of Life was first for scrutiny.
With the ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Man’ at the end, Sops ensure you hit the high notes (they were a little flat!). Try smiling and using your diaphragm for support.
Think of a different intention for each ‘Yeah’ so you really concentrate on every one of them.
After the key change in Bar 80 from ‘…. down below’ into an intense and confident ‘And the rhythm of life is a powerful beat…’
Be precise at all the cut offs as this makes such a difference to the sound. This can only be accurate if you watch the director!
Crossing the Bar will have very little support from the piano, so make sure you breathe in the right places and have the intention and expectation of when you start to sing so every single word can be heard.
The vowels should be long. The light and shade are so important in this song to tell this story.
The Impossible Dream needs a strong start by the Gents making sure ‘To’ is heard in ‘To dream the impossible dream…’ Do not slide, for example in ‘to bear with unbearable sorrow…’ Keep it clean and notes separate.
In the section ‘….to be willing to march into hell…’ don’t be tempted to emphasise ‘march’ and ‘hell’ just keep the whole phrase intense and smooth even though the underlying music has a military sound.
‘Hopeless’ needs a longer vowel sound as in ‘Ho -peless’
Basses practise your James Bond sounding ‘Oohs’ at Bar 30.
Thank you for the Days – feel the pulse of this song all the way through.
Be ready to come in on ‘Days’. Sound as if you’re ready for it and it is not a surprise.
In the ‘Aah’ section, each of the three notes start loud and get quieter until the very last note which finishes quiet and then crescendos into ‘You took my life….’
Again this song has contrast of soft and loud to make it interesting.
Next week we have Tim as our guest MD.
Please remember to learn the words of All My Trials as we will be singing this ‘off book’ – no folders open or iPads to be held down and out of sight.
Watching Eamonn for every cut off will make this song absolutely magical.
We are in a very good place where Eamonn is pleased with us so far and Elliot can see the hard work we’ve done and hear it in voices.
Keep up the good work!
- Trills on a Tuesday
- Jun 12
- 3 min read
Eamonn explained to us that he will be having a long-awaited operation on his shoulder, and although the timing is not great, he has put a plan into action to enable to keep continue to build on our excellent progress with Elliot stepping for two weeks while he recovers. He will then have Tim, our pianist, to play on his return and he will be able to conduct and direct us with one arm, as his shoulder will be strapped up.
He will be like this for the concert too, but that will not deter him from getting the best out of us.
We are gradually working our way through the programme, so we started with All My Trials. This needs a full sound from the Basses and should have an earnest and heartfelt feel to it.
It is not doom and gloom!
When Eamonn asked us to close our folders and sing without the music scores, we all surprised ourselves and actually looked up and sang it all the way through. There was just a little confusion with order of ‘Brothers’ and Sisters’; just remember brothers always comes before sisters and you’ll be fine.
We will be singing this song with no music opened, so be prepared!
You’ll Never Walk Alone; Altos you set the tone for this as you start with intensity as if you are geeing people to get them going.
Sop 1s, be prepared for that high note in ‘You’ll never walk alone’. Use your bodies and stretch your mouth wide on ‘never’ and you’ll easily hit that top note!
Vincent needs to be carefully watched for the cut offs. Some of them are much shorter than you expect. Tenors & Basses are carrying the tune for most of the time (unusual, I know!), so make sure you tell the story and look up at the audience as you do so and keep them engaged.
Sops, you have a difficult task to keep your ‘Oohs’ bright. Try keeping a rictus grin the whole way through them.
The last ‘will’ in ‘Perhaps they never will’ should have more of a ‘weel’ sound.
The Logical Song is to be sung with elation and revolution and by the time you get to the last page look up and sing out your do, do, dos and feel the seven ‘ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba’ at the end.
Here Comes the Flood has long toffee like phrases. It is spiky and weird on page 6 ‘When the flood calls….’ Right up to ..’minds.. then it becomes warm and lush with ‘Don’t be afraid to cry ….’
Tenors, please mark the change of notes on ‘it’ll be those who gave their island…’ at the end, so it is the same as you have previously sung.
You’re the Voice to be sung as if it’s like a party.
Start the ‘Ooohs’ at the beginning with intensity, looking up and getting everyone’s attention.
The first ‘gun’ is not as long as you expect it to be.
Use the ‘w’ of ‘Woah’ to spring from to get the energy going. The ‘Woah’ should sound more like an ‘ah’ sound.
‘Woah’ is sometimes on the same note, but come off it and back on again to give it emphasis. This is called a dinge.
Please do your homework on Here Comes the Flood and let’s really nail this.
Make sure you know all the words to All My Trials.
Look over Crossing the Bar, The House of the Rising Sun, Matthew & Son and The Rhythm of Life.
Let’s make Eamonn proud of us next week and send him on his way to being a one armed bandit with a smile on his face.
