- Trills on a Tuesday
- Jun 4
- 3 min read
…..it is the In Flagrante Choir Summer Gala Concert!
One Night Only!
As it is our 10th Anniversary, this year’s concert will be special in so many ways.
The ticket price remains the same at £10 each (non-returnable and non-transferrable). This includes a free glass of champagne for our guests on arrival. All being well and the weather is kind to us, they can take their drinks into the sunken garden from 19:00 where they will be entertained until the start of the concert at 20:00.
Please order your tickets (up to your 4 ticket allocation) by 14 June by sending your guests names to janmharvey@icloud.com and paying the funds into the choir bank account with your name as a reference. After 14 June we will know how many spare tickets will be available and those who wish to buy extra tickets will be contacted and can then purchase the extra allocation as above.
We will stand out from the crowd in our all black outfits (with black sparkles, if you wish), so we can easily be gathered up a quarter of an hour before the concert commences to get ourselves in readiness.
Now we have set the scene, we need to make this a concert to remember from our performance and singing. Look as if you are enjoying it.
Remember to ask yourself, “Am I pleasure to watch?”
Your energy and enthusiasm will infiltrate the audience and lift the performance even more than you thought possible!
With that in mind, we do have to sing as a choir – that means singing together in harmony as directed by our great leader!
The only way that can be done is to LOOK UP and watch Eamonn who will guide every step of the way.
You may be thinking, “How can I look up when I need to have my head in my music?”
Well, the answer is simple; learn the words as much as possible.
If you can’t learn all of them, learn the parts you know are critical with dunce holes and important cut offs.
Hold your music (folders or iPads) at waist height and keep your head up and just let your eyes look down every now and then but mostly have them looking at Eamonn.
It is critical that you look up and watch at the end of the songs. You do not want to be the one who stands out and is still holding that last note or singing in a dunce hole!
You will not only let yourself down, but the whole choir. No pressure!!!
Thank you for the Days will be our encore so it must be exquisite. Love the long notes right to the end. ‘..let it wait’ is gentle and ‘believe me’ is tender with extended vowels which sound more choral.
Trillers on The Perch, a bit of self publicity from two of the Steepled Finger Ladies and no it isn't, Jan.
The Range (the RMS House band) are performing at Ham Fair on 13 June around midday. The venue is on Ham Common. Come along as see Amy, Catherine W, Karen & Pauline as the Rangettes.
Savage House goes on general release from 5th June. Filmed at Montacute House and Syon House, and set in the early eighteenth century, it is a tale for today: slightly bawdy, not always laugh-out-loud funny, but beautifully shot. Richard E. Grant and Claire Foy are outstanding in Peter Glanz's darkly satirical comedy-drama.
Awarded ★★★★★ by The Times, which called it "tragic, moving and quite brilliant."
- Trills on a Tuesday
- May 30
- 2 min read
We have reached the stage where we have sung and basically learnt all the songs for the concert, although someone had managed to miss the learning of The Rhythm of Life!
The “rhythm of life” refers to the biological, emotional, and social changes in how we experience time. Physically, circadian rhythms often shift earlier, turning many older adults into “early birds,” while sleep becomes lighter and more easily broken. Emotionally, a steady, balanced routine can become essential, helping support cognitive health, emotional stability, and overall wellbeing.
We are now coming down to finessing the songs to give them shape and character with light and dark, soft and loud and everything in between. This will engage the audience, some of whom will have heard these songs before, so we need to keep their interest and tell them the stories.
Generally, there are a lot of different and tricky rhythms and sometimes many words to fit in, not to mention the Dunce holes! Mark your music scores with the pitfalls in a way that is meaningful to you.
Learn the words as much as possible, especially in the sections Eamonn has pointed out.
For example:
The Rhythm of Life, Sops learn ‘Daddy was a new sensation…..’ section as there are too many words to read!
Crossing the Bar learn the final page so you can all look up and watch Eamonn with the critical timing at the end.
Also remember to add the consonants onto the next word in the phrases to prevent the hissing tyre sounds of ‘s’ and too many ‘t’ sounds like in Here Comes the Flood; ‘….we cannot even choo-oo saside…’
A few pointers to remember when doing your homework:
The House of the Rising Sun – Make the ‘oohs’ angelic.
Altos come in strongly on ‘Oh Mother tell your ‘chil – dren’ remembering that ‘Chil’ is long. Don’t rush it!
Tenors and Basses – ‘…she sewed my new blue jeans’ ‘my’ & ‘new’ are like one word.
The last notes are on an ‘Ng’ sound, not a hum as written.
The Rhythm of Life is relentless; you need to know what’s coming. If you fall off the train, you’ll never get back on.
Homework is needed on this one!
Keep on top of Crossing the Bar as Eamonn wants you in the palm of his hand!
Here Comes the Flood – don’t let the long phrases sag. The verses are quite robotic and the chorus is smoother.
Homework on this one too!
Tom's the Voice, You’re the Voice – another relentless one needing lots of energy.
Sops watch out for the different ‘down the barrel of a gun’ near the end.
The Impossible Dream – Altos sing out so you can be heard!
By now you know where the pitfalls are, so mark them and learn them
Add The Logical Song, The Rainbow Connection and California Dreaming to your homework list.
- Trills on a Tuesday
- May 21
- 1 min read
Slightly shorter blog this week as Pauline has gone on a well earned break.
Whatever we song we sing, make sure to sing the notes right through to the end. This keeps the energy and interest going, ensuring it is sounding bright and interesting and we sound as if we are enjoying singing it!
Just a reminder that the dress code for the concert is All Black with black sparkles, if necessary.
iPads will be permitted, but only if they have a black cover! Come Tom, black cover read your call sheet.
We went through The Sound of Silence, The Rainbow Connection, Make Your own Kind of Music and Crossing the Bar all of which are in very good shape. Please make yourself aware of when the long gaps of silence are in The Sound of Silence.
In All My Trials, make sure the ‘d’ can be heard on ‘… money could buy…’
‘Hush little baby….’ Should be tender
Tenors don’t be lured on to the Sop line at the end.
You’ll Never Walk Alone is such a well known song, but it needs to be warm, meaningful and intense so it sends shivers down the spines of our audience when we sing it. Make it moving!
Remember to keep the notes active to the end. It transforms the song and keeps it alive.
If we fail to do this, we are DOOMED!
Keep up the good work and learn the words as much as possible so you can look up and watch Eamonn’s direction.
