We started off our year with the great big personality of Eamonn O’Dwyer back as our Musical Director to lead and teach us his wonderful arrangements, which will culminate in a summer concert on 31 July 2024.
It sounds a long way away, but with an Easter break in the middle, time will soon fly. Keep the date in mind and book your summer holidays accordingly!
From Eamonn’s point of view, he was facing a greatly increased choir from when he saw us last.
With so many newbies, a lot of the old songs will be new to a large majority of the choir.
Our treasured Treasurer (aka Mrs Moneybags) wanted to ensure everyone was happy with her position in the choir, along with her side kicks, Carol and Pauline, as we’ve never been officially elected.
This was duly announced and greatly approved by the choir and the In Flagrante Committee is now officially elected.
With so many numbers, it will take time to get to know everyone and patience will be needed to get everyone in place and we will now probably need up to four rows of chairs for each section.
With the different voices in blocks, rather than long lines, this will help to concentrate the sound and bring out the best in us.
We started our warm up with the painful tongue circles. Get used to it as it will be happening every week!
Steal Away is a classic American Negro Spiritual, and was composed by Wallace Willis, a slave, sometime before 1862. Alexander Reid, a minister, heard Willis singing it, transcribed the words and melody, and sent the music to the Jubilee Singers of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. The Fisk Jubilee Singers were formed in 1871 at a school for freed slaves in order to help save the school from being closed. The choir toured America in order to raise money, and even came to Europe where they performed for Queen Victoria.
It is believed that songs like Steal Away and Wade in The Water had double meanings for the slaves who sang them. Not only did the words reflect their faith and that they would one day “steal away to Jesus” but also acted as code to their fellow workers that they were going to seek to escape their slave-owners, that they would “steal away” via the secret network called the Underground Railroad that would help them reach the northern U.S. states or Canada where they would be free.
One academic has suggested other lines in the song have this double meaning too. “He calls me by the thunder”, for example, refers to the fact that stealing away during a storm was safer because the rains washed away clues that might lead the trackers and their dogs to find the fleeing slave.
Steal Away has been recorded by gospel, rock, country, folk, classical and soul singers and now in Flagrante sings Eamonn’s arrangement with a beautiful underlying piano part.
Don’t rush this song; it has long, slow phrases, so give it plenty of space.
We run through to the end of the first verse and start at the back at the beginning and then sing the lines underneath for the second verse.
The Sop 1s have a harmony the second time ‘The Trumpets sound…’
The House of the Rising Sun was next. This is such a well-known song and everyone will want to sing it in their own way. However, it is not karaoke!
It is important to get the rhythm right so we are all singing the same thing. Keep it clean!
Basses have the stage with singing the first two verses. They can really let themselves go and sing out loud.
The rest of us start with Oohs! Not unusual for Altos and Tenors, but Sopranos (who usually get the tune) really struggle. Eamonn is determined that Sops ‘Ooh’ with harmony in his new songs.
It doesn’t help when they are told they sound like a chorus of owls! Smile and keep it in the cheekbones and that should do the trick!
We all sing the verse ‘Now the only thing….’ Again, the rhythm is important. It is a short ‘suit’ and a long ‘case’ on the word ‘suitcase’
Emphasise the ‘k’ at the end of ‘trunk’ and ‘drunk’
Altos have their quiet moment ‘Oh, mother tell your children …’ keeping ‘children’ short
We all join in ‘spend your life in sin’ – make ‘sin’ short’ and listen for the chord underneath, before coming in with ‘and misery’ with a short gap before singing ‘at the House of the Rising Sun’.
Remember all the individual parts as well as the full versions are in Dropbox.
Listen, sing along and practise at home.
We will be going over them again next week and then starting the other songs in Dropbox, so print your music and be prepared!
Trillers on the Perch
Haydn Nelson Mass
Date: 3 February
Venue: All Saints church by Putney Bridge
Come and sing Haydn Nelson Mass. There will be copies to rent of the Mass.
The Fulham and Hammersmith Choral Society always has a ‘come and sing’ in February ahead of their Spring Concert. I sang with FHCS for over 20 years and they are a friendly bunch of people. It’s a non audition choir. I left when I found the journey too much. Alright when you go there but too many times I found myself at Hammersmith at 9.45 waiting for a non existent Richmond train having sung my heart out for two hours. You all know the feeling! We rehearse during the day \ break for lunch and at 5.00 we sing a ‘performance’ for anyone who turns up. I will send anyone who thinks they’d like to come more details, time it begins and the cost of a ticket. My email is: sarahedington11@gmail.com.
A great start to the year!
From Ms Moneybags and the Management
Last night at the World Premiere of In Flagrante's Winter Concert 2023 we saw and heard ourselves on the big screen.
Although it was the bleak mid-winter, some choir members braved it out in the cold dressed in their finery, glitz and glamour, while others took the option of wearing warmer clothes!
It was a great gathering in a small informal room with easy chairs and sofas with wine flowing or hot tea and nibbles to hand.
All was ready and we were soon all seated and watching the first half, complete with interviews from choir members and the audience. Unfortunately, the sound quality wasn’t great as it was coming through the computer speakers. However, it was still good to see.
During the interval, while everyone was mingling and imbibing and getting their own special memory sticks, Alan did an amazing job with his technical skills along with his assistant, Carol. They discovered if you plug the memory stick into the TV USB socket, the sound was incredible when we watched the second half as it came through the TV speakers.
Remember to try this at home – plug your stick into the back of your TV. For those who were not there on the night, you can collect your memory sticks on Tuesday.
Watching our performance, as if we were sitting in the audience, was an amazing experience and it highlights how all the hard work of just nine weeks culminated in such a wonderful sound and we can be very proud of ourselves.
Of course, watching the concert as a whole from a distance, you can also be your own critic and spot areas where we can improve, not just from the singing point of view, but from the performance angle too.
The term leading up to the summer concert near the end of July (date to be announced soon) will be longer than the preparation time for the Winter Concert, so we’ll have more time to perfect our performance.
The starter songs are already in the Dropbox, so please print off your music scores and listen to the tracks, so we can be ready to hit the ground running on 16 January.
As a little taster, The House of the Rising Sun, an old classic, is a new song for all of us.
This song is a traditional folk song, sometimes called "Rising Sun Blues". It tells of a person's life gone wrong in the city of New Orleans.
Many versions also urge a sibling or parents and children to avoid the same fate.
The most successful commercial version, recorded in 1964 by the British rock band The Animals, was a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart and in the US and Canada. As a traditional folk song recorded by an electric rock band, it has been described as the "first folk rock hit".
An interview with Eric Burdon revealed that he first heard the song in a club in Newcastle, England, where it was sung by the Northumbrian folk singer Johnny Handle. The Animals were on tour with Chuck Berry and chose it because they wanted something distinctive to sing.
Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and check out our new On the Trillers Perch, a special area for members to share their visits to: The Theatre, Opera, Ballet, Cinema or any Exhibitions you may have been to. Perhaps give stars * out of 5. Just email a paragraph to Pauline. This was inspired by our own Michael Lowe who has started us off with a poem.
Our Winter Concert
We began in September,
dazzling evening sun slanting across our song sheets,
snatched smiles about summer in the Algarve, Boston, or Corfu,
some golfers still finishing their game outside,
and some in the choir looked out longingly.
We finished in December,
Only 14 weeks later….. but a world apart now:
a new king so a new queen,
and an old war not that distant----no choir concerts there.
Wet and cold here now, but we, warm with our singing.
Lyrics by Sammy Kahn, Franz Gruber, John and Paul, Don McLean
Music by Mumford and Sons, Irving Berlin, the Turtles, Jeff Lynne
With new arrangements by Eamonn and Elliot,
some difficult.
As we edge towards our Concert,
much improved from only 3 weeks ago,
Elliot urges, corrects us, repeats, sighs, smiles--wanly at times.
Then we sing.
We smile when our audience shows their pleasure,
we are delighted that Elliot is happy, proud and content.
Michael Lowe
7 December2023
See you all in good voice on Tuesday
This was our last practice session as next week we have our dress rehearsal, which will be more about the interaction with the Musical Director, the pianist and In Flagrante, as we perform the whole concert, preferably without having to fine tune anything!
It was a very good run through with us in our concert formation. A few mistakes and it is just these little things that need attention which will make the difference to it being an alright concert or an absolutely fabulous one!
In General (please take note even if you’ve probably heard it all before!)
Look up from your music – everyone wants to see your faces, not the top of your heads!
Watch Elliot for entrances and cut offs and the dynamics – he is there to give you reassurance and guidance.
Engage with the audience – sing to the back of the room.
Look as if you are enjoying yourselves (that will be infectious and the audience will enjoy it too)
Tell the story of each song; we have such a variety of styles, so embrace each one and get that emotion across and change the tempo of the room
Keep up the energy, not only with the fast songs, but the slow ones too, like Silent Night, so they don’t sound dirge-like
Turn the pages of your music quietly, so no one can hear you
Do NOT turn the pages at the end of song until the last note of the piano is played. Remember some songs have longer instrumental endings, so stand perfectly still.
Lets do it our way and enjoy!
The Little Things
The Rainbow Connection – the ending – after ‘ ..lovers and dreamers’ pause and wait until you hear the high notes and then, ‘and me’
Vincent - do NOT slow down at the end. As the piano fades, keep that metronome going in your head so ‘perhaps they never will’ is the same tempo as the rest of the song.
Eleanor Rigby is clipped and mechanical sounding.
Altos watch your entrances and Sops finish singing ‘…they all belong’ before the Altos, who end the singing followed by a long instrumental ending where we all stay perfectly still!
Autumn Leaves – extend the vowels, especially on ‘miss’. Sound both ‘ts’ on ‘Start to fall’
Happy Together – keep the energy going to the end. Keep verses short and staccato
What’ll I Do – Fabulous ‘Dms’ from Altos and Sops.
Altos ‘What’ll I do’ on page 2 is a little flat, so practise getting the first note and the rest will fall into place.
Tenors/Basses sing the verses as a long smooth line and not jumpy. Be prepared for the quick entry of ‘When I’m alone..’
Lean on Me – Pleaze (with a ‘z’) with a long ‘ea’ – extend that vowel and place the ‘z’.
Tenors/basses don’t be too late coming in with ‘I just might…’
Winter Winds – again elongate the vowels.
During the long introduction to the duet, everyone else turn over your page ready to join in. If you forget to turn the page, do NOT do it while the duet is singing.
Mr Blue Sky – this was very good. Send it to the audience and let them hear all the different aspects of this song before we send them off to the bar for a drink
Carol of the Bells – we welcome the audience back, so keep it bright and full of energy.
There is no time to breathe, so take a breath when you can,preferably not at the same time as everyone else, and then no one will notice.
Don’t get caught up with the words going on and on so the ending comes as a surprise; be ready for it. There is a little chord placed just before the last Ding, dong ding dong’.
Mr Grinch – this is the best we have sung it so far – but it can still get better with a few little things!
At the end take a big breath ready for a very long ‘knots’. Don’t rush this song, give it a lazy swing type tempo
A New Year Carol – very simple, just listen to each other
When a Child is Born – in the humming section, really build up to the last ‘Mmmm’ as we go into the key change and feel that energy from the piano part.
Altos and Tenors/bases don’t rush the echo,’ this come to pass’
In the Bleak Mid Winter – the ending on heart is very quiet and gentle with a soft ‘t’ at the end of heart.
Somewhere in My Memory – at the end, Sops sing ‘with me’; don’t come in too early with the ‘bom. Bom’, boms’
The Parting Glass – this is our brave end of concert song. It is slow, unaccompanied and full of emotion.
We are very exposed with no piano, but we do have the talent and can pull this off if we all play our part and watch Elliot as much as possible who will guide us through the highs and lows of this beautiful song.
Audience participation songs – although there is less pressure to get everything right, we still need to be leading the singing and engaging with the audience so they can really feel a part of our concert.
We have worked so hard and it is only the little things we need to concentrate on now, but ironing out these mistakes will make a huge difference to our performance.
From our past concerts, we have set the bar high, so practise, practise, practise for one more week.
If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.
