With the Winter concert approaching we are getting a new tongue twister into our heads:
To begin to toboggan first buy a toboggan,
but don’t buy too big a toboggan.
Too big a toboggan is too big a toboggan
to buy to begin to toboggan in
Then we moved on to Winter Winds. This is the second single by the London folk quartet Mumford & Sons, released from their debut album, Sigh No More. It was released in the UK on 6 December 2009
Fraser McAlpine of the BBC Chart Blog gave the song a positive 5-star review stating that it would serve as an "amazing Christmas carol equivalent" for a 'winterval' type holiday, as "it's quietly optimistic, pleased without being smug, melancholy but uplifting" and "sure of itself, but only because all the lessons learned have been hard-won, and generally reflective of times gone by"
The Altos and Sop 2s start us off with a light and airy sound with a one and a two tempo.
This tempo needs to keep going in your head like a metronome to keep the timing right. You just need to feel it.
Keep your heads and your hearts in the right place.
It can get confusing.
A New Year Carol was composed by Benjamin Britten in 1934. He set to music a lyric that had been circulating among folk song collectors for some decades, and which had been sung long before that: “Levy Dew”. As with many carols that are sung around Christmas and New Year, its origins and meaning were, and remain, a mystery.
It was from a collection of songs composed by him for the pupils of the school in Prestatyn, Wales, where his brother, Robert, was headmaster. He used the verses that had been published in poet and novelist Walter de la Mare’s book of collected children’s poems, Tom Tiddler’s Ground, in 1931; this in turn was largely the same as the “standard” version that had been in print since 1850.
By composing the song for a school in Wales, Britten was taking it back to its roots: “Levy Dew” describes a ceremony that used to be performed in parts of Wales. Very early in the morning on New Year’s Day, children and youngsters would gather evergreen foliage, draw fresh water from the well, and go from house to house sprinkling water over the inhabitants or on their doors, sometimes in return for a few coins. As they did this, they would sing “Levy Dew”; it’s not known what tune they were using.
Our version keeps the simplistic style with the Sops starting with verse 1, Altos verse 2 and Sops & Altos verse 3 with everyone, including the Tenors, joining in each chorus.
It should be very quiet throughout and at some points, very, very quiet!
When I listened to the video, Killing me softly with her words comes to mind.
In the Bleak Midwinter is from a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti, commonly performed as a Christmas carol. In 1906, the composer Gustav Holst composed a setting of Rossetti's words (titled "Cranham") in The English Hymnal which is sung throughout the world.
The Sops begin this with the first verse where they are very exposed with hardly any piano underneath them.
Storytelling is important in this, so extend the vowels and emphasis ‘bleak’ and ‘frosty’.
Altos are challenged with a split between Alto 1 and Alto 2 – remember which part you are!
At Bar 46 change the Mmmmm to an ‘Ahhhhh’
The last ‘heart’ of the song was joyous with a clean crisp ‘T’. It’s amazing what we can do when we not only use our heads and hearts but our eyes too!
Please remember to print off your own music and it bring with you each week. You must have your own copy so you can mark it in a way you will understand.
Bring everything each week from now on as we will be going over past songs as well as the new ones.
It seems to be the trend these days that Christmas preparations start in October. The shops begin to display Christmas goods and Christmas songs are played non-stop until December!
In Flagrante is no different. However, our excuse is we have a concert to prepare and must be at our best by the 06 December.
Zooming from Spain in temperatures of 23 degrees, is not the best setting for Christmas songs, however, the next door neighbours seemed to appreciate my solo renditions!
Chatting with another chorister they said they were unsure about what The Parting Glass was about. It is a great example of that special quality found in the best farewell songs – being able to combine joy and sorrow in a way that is both sad yet uplifting at the same time.
The Parting Glass was revisited first. The timing of this song is critical and it is important to watch Elliot for the cut offs (sound familiar?)
As we have been through the first verse so often, the voice parts must be well known.
The challenge is to look up and the best way to do this is keep practising and feel the music and learn the words, so you don’t have to refer to your music scores.
Keep the energy going and this will prevent it from going flat.
Learn the lyrics + Look up = Perfect cut offs
Then on to Christmas.
A general rule for all the Christmas songs is that the word ‘Christmas’ is not crisp with a ChriSTmas sound, but an elongated vowel as in ‘ChrIIIIsmas’ without a ‘t’ sound.
When A Child is Born is a popular Christmas song although it makes no mention of Christmas. The English lyrics were written a few years later by Fred Jay (Friedrich Alex Jacobson who wrote many hits for Boney M.
Fred Jay's lyrics have been sung by many artists, first version by Michael Holm in 1974 but most successfully by Johnny Mathis in 1976, whose version was the Christmas number one of that year in the UK.
Elliot has made a beautiful arrangement of this song for In Flagrante.
Do not be indulgent and slow down when singing ‘When a child is born’. This will only happen at the end as directed.
Altos echo, ‘.. this comes to pass’ after the Sops, but come in very quickly with ‘When a child is born’ (no time to take a breath!)
Tenors can sing the tune on ‘A rosy hue….’ But once you get to ‘.. for a spell or two’ you are harmonising!
Sops, when singing your ‘Ahs’, please sound angelic!
A soft hum for everyone until the key change into the last verse.
Carol of the Bells is a popular Christmas carol which is based on the Ukrainian song called "Shchedryk".
It was adapted as an English Christmas carol, Carol of the Bells, by Peter J Wilhousky of NBC Radio, following a performance of the original song by the Ukrainian National Chorus at Carnegie Hall on October 5, 1922.
Carol of the Bells has been recorded into over 150 versions and re-arrangements for varying vocal and instrumental compositions.
The In Flagrante version only has two pages, which are repeated. The challenge is for the Sops to find somewhere to breathe! Preferably at the end of phrases!
Ding, Dong.
Remember, no crisp ‘Christmas’ and keep ‘Ding Dongs’ with a short vowel and accentuate the consonants ‘d’ and ‘ng’ to sound bell like
Altos in bar 28 remember two ‘dings’
It is best to practise your own voice parts by listening to Dropbox tracks and embed them in your memory and then listen to and sing against the other parts.
Again, watch Elliot for the timings.
Silent Night, a much-loved carol was first performed on Christmas Eve, 1818.
Originally it was sung to a simple guitar accompaniment.
The carol began life as a poem, written in 1816 by Father Joseph Mohr. Two years later, his friend Franz Gruber set the poem to music and the pair first sang the carol at midnight mass on Christmas Eve.
Silent Night had been translated into over 300 languages and was a worldwide Christmas phenomenon.
Our version, arranged by Eamonn, is in slow three time.
Do NOT be tempted to slide – keep it clean.
The bass notes stay the same and don’t change with the chords.
Hints and Tips
Be prepared for each rehearsal by practising at home.
Elliot has a good ear and can hear if you’ve done your homework (or not)!
Listen to the Maestro and watch him carefully, then you can’t go wrong!
Being in the Artisan Clubhouse is quite a challenge. We are very fortunate to have everything set up for us with refreshments as usual, but the space available makes it very cosy with rows stretching to the back wall. After a bit of chaotic furniture moving, we were able to sit everyone in some way or another and start on time.
As we have now gone through all of the Act One songs, we revisited the trickier ones to refine them, starting with Mr Blue Sky.
We tightened up the rhythm on the verses ensuring that ‘sight’ is at the end of the bar.
Silences are golden and also important, especially in pop songs, so make sure that there
is a slight gap between ‘today’ and ‘Hey, hey’.
‘City’ is slightly longer when singing ‘…in the city’, whereas ‘pity’ is short as in ‘ … once was pity’
The Ba bas are sung straight the first time, and although the written notes are exactly the same, they are sung in a swing tempo the second time.
Straight time is very even; swing time is bouncier when the ‘ba bas’ are sung as a couplet.
Autumn Leaves followed. This is all about story telling.
Tenors tend to sing the same note for a period of time, so give it shape and make it melodic and not sounding boring like it does in Dropbox!
‘..yet’ is a moving note for Altos and Tenors, but Sops just hold their note, so watch Elliot for the note change and then the cut off so we all finish together.
Gradually get softer and quieter after ‘missed you most of all…’ and don’t slow down on ‘… start to fall’ at first time round. Second time round, at the very end of the song, it is only Sops that sing that phrase.
Eleanor Rigby was next. A very chaotic sounding song with a chain reaction. Keep calm and watch Elliot and once you come in at the right time, all will be well.
The Ahs should be given shape. Sops work on your first note as it is a little flat! It is the same note as the last one you sang on ‘care’.
It was at a church fete in 1957 that John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met. Just yards away lay the grave of scullery maid Eleanor Rigby, who had died, aged 44, in 1939. Nine years later, McCartney would pen the lyrics for what became one of the band's most celebrated songs.
Often described as a lament for the lonely, or a commentary on life in post-war Britain. But the reality is few knew of the grave's existence until the early 1980s, and McCartney himself has denied it was the inspiration behind the song.
Finishing with The Rainbow Connection. The music and lyrics written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher.
Paul Williams has said that his favorite lyrics in the song are "Who said that every wish/ Would be heard and answered/ When wished on the morning star?/ Somebody thought of that/ And someone believed it/ Look what it's done so far", because they imply that "there's power in your thoughts"
Elliot said all the notes are correct, it just needs the dynamics.
Crescendo into the’ Oh, so we’ve been told….’ and also on ‘… see’ making it get louder as the note finishes. It is not easy. Getting your breathing right is critical for this.
Crescendo on the ‘Ah’ into ‘What’s so amazing’ Get quieter leading into ‘… the lovers, the dreamers…’
The crescendos and decrescendos will make this song sound amazing.
Next week we start Act Two with three Christmas songs. They will be in Dropbox, so print them out and be ready.
We have done amazingly well in such a short space of time.
Keep up the good work.
