Indeed, where has the time gone? Does social media make time go faster?
Research has found that time spent on social media speeds up time. Users need to pay more attention to the amount of time they spend. What they feel like 10 minutes can easily be 30 or 40.
We welcome our four new members with a big welcome. We all have the challenge to produce another outstanding performance for our Winter Concert on 28 November.
Only twelve more rehearsals to go! Let's keep up the good work!
We started with our usual warm-up of tongue circles and tongue twisters before tackling the night's songs.
The Salley Gardens is based on William Butler Yeats's poem Down By The Salley Gardens, published in 1889. He indicated it was an attempt to reconstruct an old song from three lines imperfectly remembered by an old peasant woman in Ballisodare, County Sligo, who often sings them to herself.
"Salley" or "sally" is a form of the Standard English word "sallow", i.e. a willow tree of the genus Salix. It is close in sound to the Irish phrase saileach, which also means willow.
Eamonn’s version has the Tenors and Basses singing together.
Altos although your notes aren’t very exciting, think of them as the most beautiful melody instead.
This song needs to be kept moving along and not an indulgence of wallowing and slowing it down.
Do not breathe in the phrase, ‘with her did not agree.’
Please note: For those new to the choir and a reminder for those not so new, not breathing becomes a regular occurrence with In Flagrante.
Beware of the Dunce Hole (another regular occurrence of Eamonn’s arrangements) near the end. Please do not fall into it! Make a note on your music score as a reminder!
At the end of this song, we were rewarded with the comment, ‘A good return to form’ from Eamonn. Praise indeed!
All My Trials 2024. This is a new arrangement with Basses and Tenors having new parts.
It is always wise to check if the title in Dropbox has 2024 after the name, as this indicates the original version has been changed.
The term Rubato (Italian for 'stolen time) is a musical term referring to expressive and rhythmic freedom by a slight speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo of a piece at the discretion of the soloist or the conductor. Rubato is an expressive shaping of music that is a part of phrasing. To keep it simple, watch Eamonn and be guided by him.
Basses do not be seduced onto the tune. Get your first note right, and all will be well.
Some of your notes are very deep. Don’t be tempted to put your chin down as this restricts the throat; keep your chin up.
‘If religion was a thing that money could buy’ – buy is long, so give it lots of love until the end of the bar.
Clearly state the ‘ds’ on ‘could’, and also in the phrase ‘the rich would live, and the poor would die.’
Make ‘Too late my brothers’ operatic, dramatic, and a total contrast to the gentle start.
After a well-earned break, we came back to Time After Time. Eamonn’s arrangement’s timing is different from Cyndi Lauper’s version, so beware.
Tenors and Bass are moving with the tune but not singing the tune (nothing new there!)
Tenors get their karaoke moment in this song with ‘I will be waiting’. This is such a rare occurrence, so enjoy it!
Next week we will finish the songs we haven’t completed this week. Watch out for Eamonn’s email with the songs we will be covering next week.
Trillers Perch
Leisure. WH Davis
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
Time goes quickly, so keep practising and see you all next week.
After a month of rest following our outstanding Summer Concert, we are now preparing to work towards our Winter Concert.
We have a lot to live up to and a short term to achieve it,
Time after time, we have managed to up our game, and this time will be no different. I know we can do it.
Time After Time is a song written by Cyndi Lauper and Rob Hyman, who also provided backing vocals.
The inspiration for the song came from the fact that both songwriters were going through similar challenges in their respective romantic relationships; Rob Hyman was coming out of a relationship, and Cyndi Lauper was having difficulties with her boyfriend/manager, David Wolff.
One of the early lines Rob wrote was "suitcase of memories," which, according to Cyndi, "struck her," claiming it was a "wonderful line. " Other lines came from Cyndi's life experiences.
The song's title was borrowed from a TV Guide listing for the 1979 movie Time After Time, which Cyndi had intended to use only as a temporary placeholder during the writing process. Although she later tried to change the song's name, she said that at some point, Time After Time had become so fundamental to the song that it would fall apart with a different title.
No doubt there will be a few trials on the way.
All My Trials is a folk song popular during the late 1950s and 1960s social protest movements.
In its first commercial release on the 1956 album Offbeat Folksongs, Gibson did not mention the song's history.
The following two artists to release it, Cynthia Gooding (as All My Trials in 1957) and Billy Faier (as Bahaman Lullaby in 1959), wrote in their album liner notes that they each learned the song from Erik Darling. Gooding explained it was "supposed to be a white spiritual that went to the British West Indies and returned with the lovely rhythm of the Islands," presumably as Darling told her.
Faier wrote that he heard Darling sing the song "four or five times in spring 1954," when Darling would have been performing with his folk group The Tarriers. However, bibliographic folk song indexes, such as the Traditional Ballad Index, do not mention the Bahamas as an origin, listing it as unknown.
The Joan Baez Songbook (published in 1964; Baez released the song All My Trials in 1960) suggests it began as a pre–Civil War era American Southern gospel song. It was introduced to the Bahamas, where it became a lullaby. It was forgotten in the US until it was brought back from the Bahamas and popularised during the roots revival.
We are also singing The Salley Gardens and Fields of Gold, and next week’s blog will discuss these songs in more detail.
The Steeple-fingered ladies have returned and will meet with everyone on September 3rd. Hopefully, we will all be in good voice, as it has been a long, hot summer, and we have required plenty of cold, refreshing beverages!
Updated: Aug 3
Thanks, Tyler.
It never ceases to amaze me how we can go from a group of people who meet and enjoy singing together each week, culminating in the most glorious concert where Eamonn has the capacity to encourage, cajole and threaten us to another level!
God Only Nows You must feel that energy and buzz from our performance last night. I certainly do!
The audience's response to our performance was overwhelmingly positive, serving as a testament to our hard work and dedication. We should all be proud of what we've achieved.
What the World Needs Now
Those who had never been before and were uncertain about what to expect were amazed, and there was great praise for the continuous improvement of the stalwarts who came each time.
Our trust in Eamonn was well-placed, and his pride in our performance was unmistakable. He has brought out the best and more in each of us. Did you know you had it in you? Thank you all for your support, whether it's through viewing our pictures, audio recordings, or videos, and for being such a great choir. Your appreciation is deeply valued.
Have a great summer, and let's eagerly anticipate our next gathering on 03 September, with the 28 November Winter Concert in mind. We can't wait to see what we'll achieve next!
We just wanted to let you know that the Steeple Fingered Ladies are signing off for the summer. Take care, and have a great summer!