All Things New

 A new year with a big welcome back to Eamonn who will be our guiding light and inspiration in this our 10^th anniversary year.

Welcome too, to lots of newbies who came along to give us a try and sign up for this exciting year.

As the new formation of lower voices in the middle was great success in the Winter concert, we are trialing this at rehearsals to see how it goes.  It is bound to seem strange at first, but please preserve and see how it goes.

We started with an old song (to some of us), The Impossible Dream, which really showcases the lower voices.

The Impossible Dream is a popular song composed by Mitch Leigh, with lyrics written by Joe Darion. It was written for the 1965 Broadway musical Man of La Mancha and is also featured in the 1972 film of the same name starring Peter O'Toole.

The complete song is first sung by Don Quixote as he stands vigil over his armor, in response to Aldonza (Dulcinea)'s question about what he means by "following the quest". It is reprised partially three more times – the last by prisoners in a dungeon as Miguel de Cervantes and his manservant mount the drawbridge-like prison staircase to face trial by the Spanish Inquisition.

This song is all about a quest so keep the sense of excitement and journeying on the adventure even though the piano is chugging away underneath the voices.

Altos & Sop 2s, keep your ‘Oohs’ bright and smiley.

Basses remember you are not on the tune when it comes to ‘this is my quest’

No one, without exception, is allowed to breathe after ‘hopeless’ on pain of death!  Take a big breath before singing, ‘No matter how hopeless, no matter how far’ and you will make Eamonn happy!

As you are singing the phrases, think of them in pairs, so don’t breathe after each phrase, but after each pair of phrases.

There is a rare occasion you are permitted to breathe which is just after, ‘That one man….’ So you can snatch a quick breath and really emphasise the word ‘scorned’

Watch out for Eamonn’s indulgence at the end.  He will direct you when to sing and when to leave a gap, so it is important to watch him closely.  And remember to put a short crisp ‘z’ sound on ‘Starz’

A new song for everyone was next.  You’re the Voice is a song recorded by Australian singer John Farnham released in 1986. In the United States, the song is perhaps best known for a charting version issued in 1991 by the band Heart.

You're the Voice was composed by British songwriters Chris Thompson, Andy Qunta and Maggie Ryder in response to an anti-nuclear demonstration in London's Hyde Park in 1985. More than 100,000 people attended the rally, but Thompson overslept. As an act of penance he decided to express his remorse by composing a song that emphasised the importance of invoking personal agency when it comes to effecting political change.

Keith Reid confirmed in June 2008 that You're the Voice started life with Thompson, who had the musical idea and wanted to have a lyricist involved. It was another of his projects where the music essentially preceded the words, which are all Reid's.

At the beginning, there are the dreaded ‘Oohs’ (well for Sops anyway!).  Make them swell with the sense of impending excitement and joy.

‘We have’ should be swung and make sure you sing the song with commitment that it is going to change the world.

Listen to the original song and get the feel of it and then listen to your individual parts on Dropbox.  We will be revisiting this next week, along with the other songs we were asked to bring.

It is such a great feeling to be back