Indeed, where has the time gone? Does social media make time go faster?
Research has found that time spent on social media speeds up time. Users need to pay more attention to the amount of time they spend. What they feel like 10 minutes can easily be 30 or 40.
We welcome our four new members with a big welcome. We all have the challenge to produce another outstanding performance for our Winter Concert on 28 November.
Only twelve more rehearsals to go! Let's keep up the good work!
We started with our usual warm-up of tongue circles and tongue twisters before tackling the night's songs.
The Salley Gardens is based on William Butler Yeats's poem Down By The Salley Gardens, published in 1889. He indicated it was an attempt to reconstruct an old song from three lines imperfectly remembered by an old peasant woman in Ballisodare, County Sligo, who often sings them to herself.
"Salley" or "sally" is a form of the Standard English word "sallow", i.e. a willow tree of the genus Salix. It is close in sound to the Irish phrase saileach, which also means willow.
Eamonn’s version has the Tenors and Basses singing together.
Altos although your notes aren’t very exciting, think of them as the most beautiful melody instead.
This song needs to be kept moving along and not an indulgence of wallowing and slowing it down.
Do not breathe in the phrase, ‘with her did not agree.’
Please note: For those new to the choir and a reminder for those not so new, not breathing becomes a regular occurrence with In Flagrante.
Beware of the Dunce Hole (another regular occurrence of Eamonn’s arrangements) near the end. Please do not fall into it! Make a note on your music score as a reminder!
At the end of this song, we were rewarded with the comment, ‘A good return to form’ from Eamonn. Praise indeed!
All My Trials 2024. This is a new arrangement with Basses and Tenors having new parts.
It is always wise to check if the title in Dropbox has 2024 after the name, as this indicates the original version has been changed.
The term Rubato (Italian for 'stolen time) is a musical term referring to expressive and rhythmic freedom by a slight speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo of a piece at the discretion of the soloist or the conductor. Rubato is an expressive shaping of music that is a part of phrasing. To keep it simple, watch Eamonn and be guided by him.
Basses do not be seduced onto the tune. Get your first note right, and all will be well.
Some of your notes are very deep. Don’t be tempted to put your chin down as this restricts the throat; keep your chin up.
‘If religion was a thing that money could buy’ – buy is long, so give it lots of love until the end of the bar.
Clearly state the ‘ds’ on ‘could’, and also in the phrase ‘the rich would live, and the poor would die.’
Make ‘Too late my brothers’ operatic, dramatic, and a total contrast to the gentle start.
After a well-earned break, we came back to Time After Time. Eamonn’s arrangement’s timing is different from Cyndi Lauper’s version, so beware.
Tenors and Bass are moving with the tune but not singing the tune (nothing new there!)
Tenors get their karaoke moment in this song with ‘I will be waiting’. This is such a rare occurrence, so enjoy it!
Next week we will finish the songs we haven’t completed this week. Watch out for Eamonn’s email with the songs we will be covering next week.
Trillers Perch
Leisure. WH Davis
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
Time goes quickly, so keep practising and see you all next week.
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