Why Don't You

It’s always a little disconcerting to rehearse in a different room, which sometimes means sitting next to someone who may be singing a different voice part from you.  However, it is beneficial to listen and adjust.

That seemed to be Eamonn’s theme of the night as he was going through the parts of our songs.  We were so enthusiastic we just wanted to sing along straight away, but were told in no uncertain terms to ‘Shut up and just listen!

We revisited Side by Side, which has the last ‘side’ pushed.  You are allowed to take a quick breath after, ‘just as long as we’re together,’ and before, ‘it doesn’t matter at all.’ Keep ‘all’ short, so you can go straight into ‘When we’ve all had our quarrels…’

Altos as you start your solo part, ‘Through all kinds of weather….’ ‘Through’ is the same note you’ve just finished on with ‘side’.

In the ‘doo dah doo dah’ section, feel it rather than trying to read the music (and especially if you can’t read music!).  Learn it by heart, and then you can watch Eamonn, and he will guide you.

There should be absolute silence between the doo – dah - doos so it is crisp and clean.

Altos after your ‘do dah doo’ go straight into ‘We all forget about moonlight….’

Watch Eamonn for the ending, and he will direct you on the length of the notes.

Next, we tackled the relentless Matthew and Son.

Matthew and Son is a song written and released by singer-songwriter Cat Stevens in 1966. Matthew and Son had been inspired by one of Cat Stevens's girlfriends at the time, who, according to him, worked for a large firm, and he didn't like that she had to spend so much of her time working. In a later interview, Cat Stevens recalled that this was a form of "social commentary" about "people being slaves to other people".

Lyrically, Matthew and Son acts as a criticism of employers of the working class. The titular Matthew and Son aren't characters but a business that provides their employees with a substandard work environment.

It is among the few songs from his early career that Cat Stevens still performs; notably, it was performed in a surprise set at the 2023 Glastonbury Festival.

The Altos start us off with the refrain ‘can’t be late’, he won’t wait’, and are syncopated.

The end of ‘Matthew’ is long like, ‘Mathyoooo and Son’, quick breath, ‘he won’t wait’

Altos on your ‘Oohs’, you only have two notes, but you do have permission to slide!

Again, with the ‘Do do do’s. Feel them, keep them light and get in the groove.

When everyone else is singing ‘Matthew and Son’, altos are grooving with their ‘do do’s, which are in pairs, and the first pair is on the beat of ‘Matthew and Son’.

Remember, 'And So It Goes' is a tender song of heartbreak, not a heartbreak of a tender song!

Homework is especially needed on "With or Without You," "Only You," and "I Got Rhythm."