Challenges

“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful”

In Flagrante has certainly been given great challenges with Eamonn’s and Ricardo’s current song selections. Through hard work and determination, we will conquer these songs.

It wasn’t that long ago we all complained about The Leprechaun, now that seems like a piece of cake!

Ricardo is very encouraging and although he has a different style of teaching, we will surprise ourselves, and him, and conquer The Rhythm of Life and Fascinating Rhythm with the complexities of tricky rhythms and lots of words.

There is a pattern to the music and once we have conquered the first few pages, it will repeat, but with different words, until we reach the harmonious endings!

We also have the Christmas Lullaby, a popular sacred choral composition by John Rutter written in 1989 as a four-part harmony. However, Ricardo has arranged it for us with a six-part harmony. He obviously has great faith in us!

He did say that any future songs will be much easier. He wants the time available to perfect these difficult ones.

To help us with the challenges, Jan started her heaving breathing and vocal projection sessions before the start of choir.

They really do help to build up stamina and technique and urge anyone who can arrive early to do so and join in. You will not regret it and it will bring great benefits to you.

Listen to Dropbox tracks.

Practice a little each day.

We will sound absolutely wonderful!

'Right Snoopy'

'That's right Charlie'

A Fascinating Evening

Ricardo and In Flagrante met for the first time. We had a big turn out to welcome him.

Ricardo has vast experience, including leading choirs, but he is not used to having lady tenors and will try and stop calling them gentlemen!

We did a warm up with a fascinating singing up and down the scales with, “Chicken tikka, mango chutney and a pint of lager; naan and pilau rice!”

Ricardo then heard us really sing for the first time with our rendition of Time After Time, which was reasonably well received. This was followed by The Rhythm of Life, which, as Ricardo said, “We got to the end!” Definitely a little more work on this one next week!

Monday Monday was next. It is a 1966 song written by John Phillips (he said that he wrote the song quickly, in about 20 minutes) and recorded by the Mamas & the Papas, using background instruments played by members of the Wrecking Crew.

It was the first time in history a song by a mixed gender group reached the top of the charts.

On March 2, 1967, the Mamas & the Papas won a Grammy Award for this song, in the category Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

This song has a tricky rhythm and lots of syncopation. And yes, sopranos have the dreaded ‘Ooohs’ and there is no easy way to get the first note!

Sing loud and proud, even if you’re wrong. That way you will learn to sing it correctly!

We’re getting there and it will be ok!

After the break we attempted a classical musical theatre song, Fascinating Rhythm a popular song written by George Gershwin in 1924 with lyrics by Ira Gershwin.

It was first introduced by Cliff Edwards, Fred Astaire and Adele Astaire in the Broadway musical Lady Be Good.

Many recorded versions exist. One of the rarest recordings is by Joe Bari (a pseudonym of Anthony Dominick Benedetto, later better known as Tony Bennett) for Leslie Records in 1949.

Fascinating Rhythm inspired the riff to the 1974 Deep Purple song, Burn.

We all started singing the same tune as it is identical for the first 12 bars, then we split into our different voices. It does have a fascinating rhythm and once we learn the first sections, it will be repeated throughout.

The tracks are in Dropbox, so now we are familiar with the fascinating rhythm we can practice at home ready to impress next week.

In Flagrante is Growing

From a small handful of singers in 2016 we have grown to a substantial choir of over 30 members. Our first public appearance at the Kew Fayre 2016.

During lockdown our numbers increased and since we have returned this term we have grown even more. It is a wonderful sound with so many voices!

Eamonn recapped Time After Time and the tenors still had the tendency to sing the tune. However, the advice was, “If is feels easy you are probably wrong!”

The lady tenors and altos were encouraged to sing out loudly, “If you fall, I will catch you, I will be waiting” so it will sound as if Cyndi Lauper is in the room. They did it beautifully!

He did feel this song is “not at all shabby”! Praise indeed😊

Then The Rhythm of Life was tackled from the tricky part at the top of page 7 where the first sopranos start the fast, tongue twisting part quickly followed by the second sopranos.

This song is multi layered with all the parts passing from one voice to the next and then the different voices singing different things at the same time it should have the sound of the many voices of Babel!

Just one more little challenge added is the change of key in a couple of places to keep us on our toes!

Once we have mastered this intricate, complicated piece it will sound magnificent!

Eammon in New York

Eammon has left us with a good basis for our new Musical Director, Ricardo Fernandes to take us forward to our end of year concert.

Practice at home and we will be ready to impress Ricardo next week.