After our usual warm up with a near impossible tongue twister (the sixth sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick) we finished off Those were the Days.
The Tenors just need to find their first note, which is in the base line, and then they will be fine.
If they can’t find it, they tend to sing the tune!
Each chorus must more be joyful as it goes along, giving a different sound each time and making it more interesting.
Do not breathe into the last chorus when singing ‘Those were the days, my friend…’ Keep it going as one phrase.
And remember, the days are short before the ‘Hey’!
The Rhythm of Life was next. It was fairly fresh in our minds from having sung it at our last concert. However, Eamonn was not leading us then and had only been through a part of it with us. I don't think you can ever have too much of Sammy and The Rhythm of Life
We sang it through and he was very impressed with the sopranos (for a change) who did well on the ‘Daddy was a new sensation’ section.
He loved the Tenors enthusiasm, although the key change sounded a bit strange.
Going through it bit by bit at a slightly slower pace, gave the opportunity to recap the notes and words, especially for those who had not sung it before.
‘The voice said, Daddy there’s a million pigeons’ prompted Eamonn to remind us to use our pigeon wings to hit the high notes or was it our bingo wings or maybe both?
Bella Signora!
This song is full of light and shade with a bit of sass and we need to sound like cool cats (when we’re not being pigeons!)
Smile on ‘down below’ to keep the note bright.
At the end the feet get bigger and bigger – the coolest the Tenors have ever been.
Sing a meticulous ‘of life, of life, of life’ before Yeah Man!
Asteroid will be performed from memory either at the beginning of the first half of the concert or just after interval. That way it not only looks impressive, but no one will have any excuse not to have their heads up be looking at Eamonn for direction.
Monday Monday was not at all bad and that was followed by Here Comes the Sun.
This cover is by the Petersens a Bluegrass family band consisting of siblings Katie, Ellen, Matt, Karen, and Julianne, their mom, and dear friend, Emmett Franz. The four siblings grew up playing music together throughout their childhood.
Tenors were slightly behind the Sopranos on ‘and I say’, but the solution for them was not to breathe before the phrase. It worked!
Talking of not breathing, don’t do it between the Doo, doo, doos’ either!
Timing again is important with a long ‘lonely’ on ‘long lonely winter’
Streets of London was in good shape. This has a long introduction and a long instrumental ending.
It cannot be emphasised strongly enough that you keep your heads up and watch Eamonn for cut offs and timings, especially at the end of songs.
You will know them well enough, especially as most phrases are repeated, so you don’t need to look at your music score and turn pages.
Look up and stay still until the last note has been played. Anyone who moves or shuffles their music do so at their own peril. You can be guaranteed a famous Eamonn glare!
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