We had a huge turnout of singers last night which gives an indication to the wonderful sound will make at the concert if all 49 committed singers turn up.
Dress code: All black with a corsage which will be provided on the night. Anyone wearing earrings, please make sure they are red and black or gold and silver.
Music is your responsibility. Each singer will be given two black folders next week. Please ensure you put Act One in folder and Act Two in the second folder with the music in the right order as per Elliot’s last email. Just remember on the night to take the right folder out with you.
Now onto the serious business of singing and getting concert ready for our sell out concert with 180 members of the audience to entertain and inspire as we reap the rewards of all our hard work!
Going through Act Two we identified the areas of concern
Carol of the Bells is a Ukranian carol.
Pay attention to the ending. The second time round Sops sing ‘to ev’ry home’ and they will stop singing. You will then hear a chord played before the final ‘‘Ding dong ding dongs’
Silent Night; although gentle and quiet, it still needs to have energy put into it and keep it going until the end. Work on the harmonies of ‘Christ the Saviour is here’ at the end
Mr Grinch; Sops and Altos learn from the Tenors and come in on your ‘Do baa do be’ confidently and, Sops, get your first note right! Make the ending, ‘ tangled up knots’ a triumphant sound.
Audience particpation.
Let it Snow, Winter Wonderland and Merry Christmas Everyone
We don't want this. Lets get them joining in -all 180!
There are only a few harmonies for the choir, but remember we are leading the audience and want to encourage them and feel the enjoyment for all.
A New Year Carol; very quiet and subdued. Tenors only join in the chorus.
In the Bleak Mid Winter; Altos and Tenors come in confidently on your ‘Oohs and Ahs’
When a Child is Born: it is important to listen to everyone else singing as there are lot of syncopated notes and it would be great if we all sang them to the same rhythm. With the ‘Mmmmm’ section, build it up to the last ‘mmmm’ into the chord change and it will sound magnificent.
Next week we will go through Act One, including Winter Winds and The Parting Glass, in the same way, just Identifying the areas of concern. If we work hard during the week, we can surprise Elliot and there won’t be too many areas to tweak!
From now on bring ALL your music with you as we will be revisiting the ones that need that little bit extra work from both Acts
If everyone is moving forward together then success takes care of itself!
Singing through a couple of new easy, audience participation songs, we went through Act Two and all of us were caught out. Mr Grinchwas the only song that we had obviously done our homework on and the rest were appalling!
There were mitigating circumstances, you could claim, as we were in our alternative rehearsal space, which is very challenging from an acoustic point of view as well as the seating arrangements, but that is no reason not to know the right notes to sing!
We basically only have two more rehearsals until Leigh, the pianist joins us. By then we need to be concert ready with just a little polishing up which can be easily done with Elliot being able to conduct us with both hands, directing us when to come in, the clean cut offs and the variation in volume and intensity.
However, you know all this and just need to put it into practise.
It is up to ALL of us to put in the work at home these coming last few weeks.
Learn your parts
Concentrate of the bits you are unsure of
Do a little each day (not one last run through on a Monday night or Tuesday morning). Small bite size practice will help embed it in your brain.
Try singing as you go about your daily chores, either aloud, or even in your head. Keep these songs fresh and the muscle memory will kick in.
A few pointers:
Audience participation songs – look at the audience and engage with them as you sing.
Carol of the Bells – on the second time round wait for the chord on the piano to be played before the ending of ‘Ding, dong, ding dong’
Mr Grinch – Sops watch their timing on their entrances
Winter Winds – on page 3 Altos and Tenors/Basses stop singing their ‘Aahs’ before the Sops sing ‘No’
Silent Night – had moments of pure beauty, but also the opposite at times. Practise to make it all beautiful
In the Bleak Mid Winter – after the duet the Altos, Tenors/Basses sing ‘Aahs’ instead of ‘Hmms’. At the end the last ‘heart’ gets quieter to the last whispered ‘t’ at the end of the word.
Act One is in a fairly good place, even though we haven’t revisited very often. This is due partly to muscle memory as we have sung the songs to concert level a few times before. Look at them as well during the week and keep them fresh in your mind
In Act Two. This is what we need to achieve. In the words of In a Bleak Mid Winter – ‘I will do my part’
It can only be done by each and every one us working on the songs at home and being confident in ourselves.
Bring this with you next week and when we all sing together In Flagrante will have the professional sound our sell out audiences have come to expect and we can be proud of ourselves.
Sing Loud, Sing Proud
Appropriately on Halloween, we had a scary rehearsal with the shock of going through the whole of Act One; songs we haven’t sung together for some time! Needless to say, some were frightful!
It did highlight elements we need to work on:
WATCH – look up from your music and watch Elliot (sound familiar from Eamonn’s rehearsals?)
It is so important to have crisp, clean endings
Knowing when your particular part starts and ends, especially in complicated numbers like Eleanor Rigby
If you need to crescendo or decrescendo
Singing softly, loudly or in between.
Keeping the correct tempo and only slow down when directed.
LISTEN – by now you all know which notes to sing, however it is essential to:
Listen to the other voices in the choir and know where your part fits into the piece.
Do not carry on singing regardless. We are a choir and sing in harmony.
This is a collective responsibility.
When practising at home, listen to another voice part in Dropbox and sing with that to hear how your voice blends and interacts
LEARN – as you practise at home, learn the words.
It doesn’t have to be word perfect, but it will give you confidence to look up from your music, especially at the critical times, and watch Elliot who is directing us.
This will so important in songs like The Parting Glass with no accompanying music which exposes us. This is a brave choice of ending Act One and we want to get it right to ensure our audience returns for Act Two!
Learn to tell the story of the songs in your own way, but still blending your voice and timing with the rest of the choir. If you feel the music and the story this will come across to the audience.
Now here are some pointers for the songs in Act One
Generally, the Tenors and Basses are too slow and always slightly behind the beat. They know the right notes, they just need to get them in the right tempo. They need to sense the beat and they will be fine.
This is essential in songs like The Rainbow Connection that starts the concert.
Vincent needs the tenors/basses to be ready to come in confidently on ‘Starry, starry night’.
Feel the beat and watch Elliot who’s conducting will be encouraging.
Sops and Altos DO NOT Ohh first time round!
When you do ‘Oooh’ keep it bright to stop the note going flat.
DO NOT slow down at the end. Just keep it matter of fact with the same timing.
The Parting Glass is a MUST WATCH. Sung acapella there is nowhere to hide. The dynamics of the second verse are different to the first. It is a simple song, so learn the words and you can watch the directions. Your folder will be just under your nose if you do need it.
What’ll I Do needed the most work. If the Altos come in strongly on their Dm, the Sops will follow off the beat with their ‘Dm’ remembering that the second part is on the beat.
The Tenors/Basses have the words to sing, so they need to feel the beat on this.
The ending is in a different tempo, so watch Elliot and finish cleanly on the last Ooh.
The Rainbow Connection where the key change comes, slow down on ‘Magic’ with the key change on the ‘gic’. DO NOT SLIDE! Then Sops, Tenors/Basses come in strongly on ‘Have you been half asleep’
There is no slowing down at the end. Keep the ‘La di dahs’ at the end carefree.
Eleanor Rigby has each voice part coming at different times, so be aware of when your entrance is as sometimes the Tenors lead in, sometimes the altos and then the sops. Watch Elliot and he will give you your entrances. If you get it wrong (only in rehearsals, of course,) listen to the other parts and correct yourself, don’t just carry on regardless!
Autumn Leaves was in fairly good shape, and was just lacking the storytelling.
Happy Together has us all singing at the same time, but somehow the Tenor/Basses found a way to sing at a different speed! Listen to those around you.
As we go into the chorus the ‘together’ needs somewhere to go so start the crescendo earlier in the word and build it up to the end.
It is long and repetitive, so find the motivation and desire to sing it again! Make the Bah, bahs’ playful.
Lean on Me – Tenors/basses feel where the note is. When Altos sing ‘tomorrow’ their last note is the Tenors next note.
Tenors keep ‘I just might’ on the beat.
Mr Blue Sky – on the bridge on page 8 ‘I’ll remember you’ Altos and Basses get back into the chorus confidently.
Make the ‘Do dos’ playful.
Next week we will go through Act Two, which should be fairly fresh in our minds.
Remember we are in the Artisan Clubhouse next week. Please be there and bring your music and patience as we only have four weeks left before we sing with our pianist, freeing Elliot up to direct us.
