Great Expectations

Our last forensic rehearsal covered numerous songs. Next week we will go through the music in concert order, so if you haven’t already done so, please have your music in the correct order as per Eamonn’s email last week.

I think we all know what we need to do now, which we have been working on for some time:

We all need to show our true colours

Know your music well; learn the sections with no words, or those that are repeated

This will lead you to be able to look up and watch Eamonn for his direction

It is very important to finish words crisply and simultaneously. Many of our songs have words ending with an ‘s’. It helps to make them sound more like a ‘z’. However, if you are unsure, don’t sing it! It is better to have the odd voice or a few missing it than to have just one voice singing it at the wrong time! If we get this right, we will sound very professional.

Do not breathe in the middle of phrases. Only breathe in the places you have permission to breathe; these should be marked on your music scores by now.

High notes, smile and squeeze those oranges (especially Sops).  The top note on ‘love’ sing it as ‘lave’ and this should help.

Hold your folders at waist height and look up to see Eamonn. 

Don’t have your chin and head facing down; this closes the throat and restricts the sound.

Ask yourself:  Are you a pleasure to watch? Smile and enjoy yourself (or at least look as if you are enjoying it), and the audience will enjoy it all the more!

Stillness has not been mentioned yet, but I can assure you it will.  At the end of each song, please don’t turn the page, don’t fidget, scratch your nose, etc, until the last note on the piano is played and Eamonn turns to accept the applause from our adoring audience. Some songs end at the bottom of a page; it is wise to mark ‘End’ so you know there is nothing on the next page and you are not tempted to turn it over just in case!

Please arrive as close to 19:00 on Tuesday, and we will sort ourselves into concert formation, ready to start promptly.

Isaac, our pianist, will be joining us so Eamonn can give us his full attention as we will be giving him ours. He has great expectations that once both his hands are free and he does not have to divide his brain between playing and directing, we will perform and obey his instructions implicitly.

The choir is where your mistakes are amplified and your successes are shared.

Life without music would B♭