Last night Eamonn was back with us and put us through a challenging warm up with a rather amusing sounding tongue twister:
‘Happy fluffy sock cutters, happily cutting socks!’
Needless to say, it didn’t quite sound like it should!
However, after great amusement, we started working our way through the songs alphabetically.
Eamonn was pleasantly surprised at how well we were singing, even with the dynamics too.
The main focus is now performance and not just singing the right notes.
The big question of the night was, ‘Am I pleasure to watch?’
The visual is as important as the sound. Our friends and families (and maybe the odd talent spotter) are coming to see and hear us and want to be entertained.
If we look as if we are enjoying ourselves, they will enjoy it all the more.
Performance Tips
Like one of the songs we are singing: SMILE.
It not only looks as we are having a good time, but it also brightens the notes as we lift our cheekbones and change the sound.
Give it a try at home; sing the word ‘love’ without smiling and then try it again with a big smile and you can hear the difference.
If you want to take it step further, you can look in a mirror while you do this and see the effect as well!
Learn your music, especially the ends of the songs (which are usually repetitive, so this is quite easy) and the ends of phrases.
This will enable you to look at Eamonn and watch his direction on the cut offs.
It is so important for us all to finish our endings at the same time which gives us that professional sound.
It helps to hold your music folder just above waist height and slightly away from your body, so you can just move your eyes up to see Eamonn without having to move your whole head.
The bonus is having your airways unrestricted as your neck is not bent down.
After the last note is sung stay completely still; DO NOT MOVE (including turning pages) until the piano has played its last note.
Mark your music scores at the end when it is not necessary to turn to the last page, especially on the repetitive endings, which you will have learned!
Next week and the week after, we have a pianist and Eamonn will be able to direct us with both hands and his head!
If you are watching him, you cannot go wrong.
Homework
Practise, practise, practise!
Work on the parts that need the extra effort; only you will know which parts you need to concentrate on
Tenors: learn your part as your tune (not the actual tune), especially in Try to Remember (an apt title!) and Those Were the Days.
Sopranos: usually just three little notes like an Ooh or Sha la la
Altos: Starting the songs bravely and confidently.
Learn Asteroid as this will be performed without the music in front of you.
Ask the question, ‘Am I pleasure to watch?’ Make sure you are by practising and it will become second nature.
Also, Eamonn will be sending the running order by email. Please, please, please, put your music in a purple folder in concert order before next week.
A small tip: I usually use two purple folders for Part One and Part Two. Just remember to bring the right part out with you when at the concert!
We will be running through Part One next week and Part Two the following week (bring all music as we might sing songs from any part) and don’t want to have to waste time while people are finding the scores.
These last two rehearsals are intense and it is up to each one of us to have done our homework and make sure we are a pleasure to watch!
I can feel the concert getting closer and I’m sure you can too.
The excitement of learning new songs has now gone and we are left with the new challenge of polishing up our current repertoire.
Ricardo, this week, went through seven songs. That, in itself, shows how well we are doing as usually three is the most we achieve!
Even though the songs we sang; Waterloo Sunset, Smile, Daydream Believer, Monday, Monday, The Rhythm of Life, Bridge OverTroubled Water and Blowing in the Wind are different styles, there are recurring nuances that need our attention.
Dynamics:
All the songs must have a distinct change from a soft, delicate sound, to a medium range as well as a full, volume loudness.
However, just because it is soft and quiet, there needs to be delicacy and sweetness and at other times a quiet intensity.
We appear to do quiet and loud very well, but need to work on the medium quiet as this is like the filling in the sandwich which makes the whole thing interesting.
No Hissing:
Placing the endings of words carefully, especially an ‘s’, but also ‘t’s. Hold that last consonant to the rest sign, if there is one, or connect it to the next word.
The easiest thing to do on these critical endings is to look up from your music and watch Eamonn as he will give you a very clear cut off direction.
Practice
There is no substitute for practising at home.
A little each day is best rather than one big blast on a Monday evening or Tuesday afternoon!
Don’t forget the backing tracks to sing against.
If there is part of a song you are unsure of (e.g. for me, Sha la las and some Ohhs. I’m a Soprano, so there’s no surprise there!); go over it with your voice part track and once you’ve mastered it, sing with the full track and it usually falls into place.
The more you go over the songs, the more you will become confident and sing boldly.
If everyone sings out it will make a glorious, harmonious sound.
Once you’ve done your homework and you know the songs so well, you could always utilize your time when walking in the park, or down the road (probably best when here aren’t any other people about), just to keep things fresh in your mind.
The clock is ticking. Keep up the good work.
There were less of us present last night due to illness etc. Wishing everyone a full recovery.
Eamonn sent Ricardo to take us through our paces this week. Oops!, wrong Ricardo
There were less Altos than usual, but Ricardo wanted more volume from them.
He went through their parts and checked that they were singing the right notes, which they were!
They need to believe in themselves and sing out and give more volume.
Altos you CAN do it!
Less is more. The Basses and Tenors, make more sound and need to be a little more delicate in their renditions, especially at the beginning of Daydream Believer
Sopranos & Altos build up the ‘do do dos’ to a crescendo before the louder ‘Cheer up sleepy Jean’
1st Sopranos note that the first note of the ‘Do….’ Harmony on verse two is the same note as ‘home’ in ‘homecoming queen’. Once you get that first note, you’ll be fine!
Tenors – you are NOT on the tune when you get to, ‘Oh and our good times start and end…’
The Basses also need to learn the right notes as they seem to make up their own version on page 6!
We all need to sing what is written, even if you don’t read music, you can more or less follow the notes and listen too the tracks at home and learn your parts by ear. Eamonn’s arrangements are very specific and the harmonies work if sung as composed.
Monday Monday: Tenors and Basses need to come in strongly on their first note and practice the ‘Every other day section’.
Blowing in the Wind: The Sopranos and Altos need to be aware of the contrast between soft, medium and loud.
Start with less and build up gradually to more.
More delicacy for the Tenors when they join in.
Bridge over Troubled Water: Altos give more volume
Hints & Tips
Learn your part and you WILL gain confidence
With confidence you can sing out more and be heard
More stronger voices use less volume and a more delicate sound when needed
Mark your music score in a way that is meaningful to you:
e.g. your part, when you’re not singing the tune, dunce holes, smiley faces etc
The concert is only 4 weeks away!
