As In Flagrante is growing in numbers, so are the expectations from Eamonn by arranging more challenging pieces for us to perform.
We now have a very balanced choir with enough voices in each section to make a wonderful sound. However, once we have learned the right notes to sing, it is the timing that is critical and putting some rhythm into it too.
Eamonn is keen to have some jazzy moments and recommends imagining shoulder dips etc to get the sound, but we will NEVER, EVER be a choir with choreography!!!!
Matthew and Son need some Disney silliness in the do dn dos to give contrast to the plodding going to work train rhythm in the opening verse and then frenetic working each day.
It is a demanding song where the words don’t quite fit the music and needs to have rhythm in the spaces too.
Building with excitement is essential. Eamonn was so enthusiastic he had to check his metronome to get his timing right!
Vincent was our next challenge a song by Don McLean written as a tribute to Vincent van Gogh. It is often erroneously titled after its opening refrain, "Starry, Starry Night", a reference to Van Gogh's 1889 painting The Starry Night.
Again, timing is important and it is such a well known song it can lead to karaoke tendencies. It needs to be more choral in its sound so everyone is singing at the same rhythm.
Altos and sopranos with their Oohs to sound like a choir of angels.
It didn’t quite make the cut for our last concert, however, we will ensure it is included in our next one on 14 July.
Mr Blue Sky and Those Were the Days were also run through. Again, both full or energy and storytelling with techniques to get the different moods of the verses and to make them sound interesting so our audience is enraptured.
We do have backing tracks to listen to and it is recommended that we listen to them each day to embed the timings and rhythms in our heads over the next couple of weeks so we will be perfect when we meet again on 10 May.
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