Check Dropbox regularly for new additions, and beware, Your Song is a new version, so make sure you bring this one with you and not the previous version you may already have.
This week was a full-on learning experience, and from now on, we will be learning some new songs to sing at our concert in July.
Eamonn is making more complex arrangements for us from now on.
Don’t panic! He believes we can do it.
If we believe it too, we will make an absolutely wonderful sound.
After last week’s disastrous Crossing the Bar, Eamonn gently guided us through it again.
We seem to be singing the right notes (well, mostly), but the strange timing and elongated phrases are challenging.
The secret to this? Watch Eamonn, and he will steer us through.
Each verse has its own character, which will be explained to us in future weeks when we start polishing things up for the concert.
It is an exquisitely beautiful song that needs to be felt within us and felt together.
We successfully sang some of it to the end, and we sounded like a choir! The aim is to sing a capella unaccompanied for the concert.
Next up was finishing What’s Up. A song sung with attitude. Don’t be polite and scream out the high notes!
As we near the end of the song with the ‘Hey, yeah, yeah eh, eh’, it gradually gets quieter until the last time. Sop 1s sing the very last time as usual, but everyone else has long ‘Heys’ with a definite ‘y’ at the end.
Timing is critical, so, you guessed it, watch Eamonn!
You will certainly know the words without looking by then as we will have sung it so many times!
After a glass of wine or cup of tea, we started the top thumper of a song, From Now On.
From Now On is a musical number from the film The Greatest Showman. The character P. T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) performs the song as he faces a crucial stage in his life and career.
The Greatest Showman is a 2017 American biographical musical drama film directed by Michael Gracey ; the film is a heavily fictionalised depiction of the life of P. T. Barnum, a showman and entertainer, and his creation of the Barnum & Bailey Circus and the lives of its star attractions.
The film grossed $435 million worldwide, making it the fifth-highest-grossing live-action musical film of all time.
In early 2016, the cast performed a read-through before producers to green-light the film. Pasek and Paul approached Jeremy Jordan to sing the part of Carlyle since Jordan recorded demos for the film in 2015. The day before the read-through, Jackman underwent nasal surgery and was ordered by his doctor not to sing. Pasek and Paul asked Jordan to sing the part of Barnum while Jackman acted out the scenes, to which Jordan agreed. While the cast performed "From Now On", Jackman disobeyed orders and began singing along with Jordan. This brought the read-through to an emotional end, which resulted in the film being greenlit.
Having watched the performance, it is a hard act to follow.
We made a good start with the Basses and Tenors joining together to make beautiful music.
It is very spacious and slow at the beginning, and Gents, beware of Eamonn’s famous Dunce Hole in part, ‘..lead me back ………to you.’
Lady Tenors, you have long, spacious bars.
Then we come to the ‘Ooohs’ (always a mental block for the Sops!). Keep smiling!
It is like the string section underneath and will sound like an angel choir.
We then skipped to the chorus, which gradually builds with everyone singing in unison to begin with. The harmonies split as the chorus grows to a crescendo.
Next week we will do some more work on this as well as look as some of the other new songs.
From now on, please do your homework so we are prepared, but also listen to the songs we have previously sung to keep them fresh in your mind and keep that memory muscle working.
Eamonn believes in us. Believe in yourselves.
Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.
Trillers on a Perch
NYE at the National Theatre
Still, time to catch Nye at the National Theatre with Michael Sheen. I thoroughly enjoyed it but found it slightly too long. This life story begins at the end, with Aneurin “Nye” Bevan in a hospital bed, befittingly for the visionary political colossus who created Britain’s National Health Service in 1948. In a production written by Tim Price and directed by Rufus Norris, there is some inspired stagecraft as the hospital curtains of Vicki Mortimer’s ingenious set swish to reveal debating chambers and libraries. Nye is still a vital play because Bevan is a vital man in British history. It succeeds in showing us just how high the hurdles he faced were. When he describes pre-war healthcare – one service for the rich, one for the poor – it rings of today’s two-tiered system. “I want to give you your dignity,” he says as the NHS launches. It is a rousing moment yet contains a terrible, tragic irony, given what is coming to pass with his precious legacy.
Until next week.
We had the perfect setting with the sun sinking behind the trees lighting up the clouds with beautiful colours as we started singing Crossing the Bar.
Last week we had impressed Eamonn with our rendition and showed off how we had done our homework.
What a difference a week makes!
Only one week into the new term and we have made Eamonn cross already!
Probably a surprise to those who are reasonably new to In Flagrante.
It usually happens much later on when we are nearing the concert date!
Maybe it was a combination of us not having cemented what we have learned last week and Eamonn having had a bad day!
Anyway, it is not irreparable and going over the long phrases and subtle changes of timing through the different verses, we started to get the sound our maestro wanted.
Only breathe when there are rests so the phrases flow and are serene and don’t sound as if we are on choppy waters.
Tenors are on the fifth of the chord (don’t be lured on to the tune). If you feel it is too easy, you’ve probably gone wrong!
Let’s do some homework and embed it in our minds, so Eamonn is not so cross and sad next week!
To cheer everyone up we tackled Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat.
Remember, ‘Sid’ features throughout this song! Stubby Kaye and Frank
Although the chorus is very well known, the verses are probably less so making it important to enunciate the words and tell the story as the verses are slow with very elongated phrases.
This will get the audience engaged!
Watch Eamonn for the entry into the chorus, ‘And the people all said…’ and remember there is no ‘and’ when it is repeated.
The ‘Oooh’ section is a little weird sounding, especially for the altos.
Remember to smile on ‘resist, and watch Eamo0nn for timing to come in on the next chorus.
Be emphatic and muscular on ‘..the fancy tie round your wicked throat’
By the time we reach Page 8, the Ooohs have become ‘Oh’ sounding like waves washing everyone overboard!
A well-deserved break (or not, as Eamonn would say) and back to What’s Up.
A little Pink!
Again, lots of words, but long phrases so only breathe where marked so it doesn’t break it up too much.
More Oohs which they change to ‘Ohs’. Smile as you sing them so you don’t sound as if you are straining for a poo!
Really sing out loudly and strongly with the chorus even though the music underneath is different. It is a protest song! Hey, yeah, yeah, eh, eh. Hey, yeah, yeah!
Have a listen to the original 4 Non Blondes version and to get the attitude needed.
Next week we will learn this properly all the way to the end and also go over Crossing the Bar, so needless to say, please do your homework! Eamonn is determined to make us love it!
Take a look at the Greatest Showman as next Tuesday we will be getting into Muscal Theatre with From Now On. More information on this in next week’s Blog.
Trillers on a perch
‘No more will I go to Blandford Forum and Mortehoe On the slow train.’ I flew from my perch last week to go on a quest, a quest to find a missing station. In Flagrante’s last concert included that deeply moving song ‘Slow Train’, a lament about Dr Beeching’s savage assault on British rail. So when I found myself in Mortehoe, I could not rest until the station was found. Although it meant missing choir practice, this search was too important. Alas, it ended in failure. All that could be found were photos in a museum and a sign. There’s no station, but there is a station road! So, since ‘we won’t be meeting again on the slow train’ to Mortehoe, we’ll have to be content meeting at Deer Park golf club.
Cathy H. Soprano
After a long two-week break, it was good to meet up again and sit down and sing together.
This is the term where we have the light evenings and the wonderful views of the golf courses and the stunning sunsets.
This will be a long term of challenges culminating the glorious Summer Concert on 31 July. Enjoy the journey and for those of you who are unable to make the destination, make sure you let our Treasured Treasurer know, so we have an idea of numbers.
We were straight in with a brand new song, What’s Up with a tricky melody of notes going up and down in quick succession! It is a song by American rock group 4 Non Blondes, released in March 1993
4 Non Blondes was an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1989. The group was formed by bassist Christa Hillhouse, guitarist Shaunna Hall, drummer Wanda Day, and vocalist and guitarist Linda Perry. Prior to the release of their first album, Roger Rocha replaced Hall on guitar, and Dawn Richardson replaced Day on drums.
They hit the charts in 1993 with "What's Up?", their only major hit single.
Linda Perry left the band in 1994 to begin a solo career, and the remaining members disbanded shortly after.
The song had its origins well before 4 Non Blondes were formed. Third Eye Blind frontman, Stephan Jenkins recalled sitting in a room with Linda Perry, who worked as a waitress down the street, performing their original compositions to one another when the two were struggling musicians in San Francisco. The two played each other early versions of Semi-Charmed Life and What's Up?,both of which would become massive hits for their respective bands.
It would be decades later that Jenkins realized the songs performed in that private session would sell a combined 17 million records.
The title does not appear in the song's lyrics, but the phrase "what's going on?" is prominently included in the chorus.
Linda Perry turned Pink into a global sensation, found Christina Aguilera’s sensitive side – and hit Grammy territory with Dolly Parton.
Eamonn’s version is true to Linda Perry’s version with lots of syncopation. The piano is like a machine running underneath and there will be lots of squeezing oranges under the arms for the top notes!
Although the phrases are long, it doesn’t make it a slow song. Keep the momentum up!
The Altos and Tenors start us off with the Sops & Basses joining in on ‘brotherhood of man’.
Listen closely to the Altos and Tenors so it is all sung in perfect harmony!
Breathing, of course is critical and Sops do not breathe during the phrase ‘and I’m feeling a little peculiar’.
Basses have a rather boring, mainly one note, but they are allowed to breathe where indicated.
The chorus needs to sound angry and with attitude.
‘Hey, yeah, yeah, eh, eh, Hey yeah yeah. I said Hey, What’s going on?’ Make it funky sounding!
Then we moved across to Crossing the Bar. A little test to see who had done their homework.
Again, long phrases, but this should sound like a cross between and hymn and sea shanty with the second and fourth verse sounding choral.
Eamonn was pleasantly surprised and we all passed with flying colours, even down to the verse we sang acapella.
The cast of Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre. After a well-earned break we returned to another new song, Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat.
This is a song written by Frank Loesser and published in 1950. The song was introduced in the Broadway musical, Guys and Dolls, which opened at the 46th Street Theatre on November 24, 1950.
In the context of the show, gambler Nicely-Nicely Johnson invents a dream about being saved from hell in order to bring together the members of the prayer meeting.
It was performed on stage by Stubby Kaye who later reprised his role as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the 1953 London production, as well as the 1955 film version of the play.
The song is generally considered to be the 11 o'clock number in Guys and Dolls
The song does seem to wander around aimlessly until the memorable, rousing chorus when we are all on the tune for a short period.
However, let me introduce Sid. He has a major role in this number.
Don’t be too polite! - ‘Sid down, you’re rocking the boat’
Basses start us off and need to squeeze the oranges.
There are lot of words to fit in and the verses, although it is the same tune, have different lyrics. Make them like a jazzy backing group sound.
Check out various versions and hear how it can sound..
Next week we will get down to the Oohs, and finish What’s Up.
Watch out for new songs dropping into Dropbox!
Get down to your homework, and get up to scratch!
Triilers on a Perch
Working on our latest song Sit Down YRT Boat brings me back to my most recent visit to the Bridge Theatre. Guys and Dolls is, in my opinion, one of the most perfect musicals ever written, and this production is absolutely joyous. Please don’t miss it.
Have a good week, your Treasured Treasurer
Evan, one of out male basses has a one man show which opens on 29th of April. It is on for two and a half weeks. All in inflagrante are invited. The “special” night being the 29th.
This is my third one man show at Questors theatre in Ealing. W5 5BQ. The bar is open from 7pm (closed on Sundays). The award winning bar has some quality real ales and decent wine selection and is cheap!
The exhibition will have about 20 watercolours from a cruise to the Caribbean and is in the bar. There is no show that night so there will some parking, possibly on site, but in mattock lane as well. It’s a short walk from the 65 bus stop in Bond Street.