An energy-packed evening enjoyed by all.
Elliot went through all the songs he has arranged for us, selecting the parts that need some extra work so we can park these songs and move onto some new arrangements from next week.
This allows us to know what parts we are unsure of and concentrate on them in our own time to get it right.
Anyone Who Had a Heart is probably the one that needs the most work. The arrangement of notes is fairly simple, but it has intricate rhythm and timing.
This song needs lots of energy as it is relentless.
Altos, Tenors and Basses work on your: ‘Any ‘- ‘one who had’ – ‘’a – ‘heart any’ – ‘one who had’ – ‘a’ (don’t sing ‘heart’ before ‘take me in his arms.....’
Ultimately, don’t sound like a train running out of control. Keep it structured with a slow, dramatic ending.
Try to look at this at least once a week to keep it fresh in your mind.
Peace in the Valley is in good shape but needs work on the dynamics.
The first ‘Oohs’ need to swell while keeping them bright. Gradually increase the volume and then bring it back to where you started.
It should have the feeling of a tide ebbing and flowing.
Basses, keep your vowels long as you sing under the ‘Oohs’. Make ‘Oh yes,’ dip slightly in volume.
After ‘trouble I see. There will be peace…. ‘ keep the energy going.
In the ‘beast from the wild’ section, Sops, Altos and Tenors gradually build up the volume as if you are an army approaching and keep up the energy and volume until a very quiet, ‘Oh yes’.
‘There will be’ should be fairly loud and then surprise your audience with a very quiet ‘peace in the valley….’
Down By the Riverside is in good shape. The Basses excel themselves with ‘Tell me where!’ It was spine-tingling!
Near the end, after ‘war no more’ ‘Well’ comes in very quickly, so be prepared. ‘Well. I ain’t gonna study...’ Be strong and confident. Get your ‘Stu – dy’ right!
The ending has an Eamonn-style dunce hole – don’t fall into it. Watch for the timing.
…’study’ is a long note, then a gap ready for ‘war no-oh’, which is very loud with another gap until ‘more’. ‘More will gradually swell and get louder until the end.
Again, this song needs lots of energy.
Any Dream Will Do is the one we have done the least work.
The ‘Oohs’ need to crescendo up until ‘I close my eyes’
Sop 1s, don’t miss that first note on your ‘Oohs’
Altos, Tenors and Basses give your ‘wonderful and new’ lots of energy and make it sound exciting and bright.
Sop1s and basses, your ‘new’ is long and grows in loudness, whereas the Sop 2s, altos and Tenors, your ‘new’ is short.
‘I was left alone’ crescendo this to the end even though the piano stops. Keep up the volume!
Work on the ‘crash of drums’ section, followed by a duet with me and Flo.
Look at the ending with missing words, and resist the temptation to put them in.
Remember the warm-up with the numbers singing and the number four missing!
Having run through all the songs from start to finish in our mini-concert at the end, you know the parts you need to work on. Don’t forget to practise them now and then.
It is important to keep all these songs fresh in our minds, so when Eamonn returns on 01 April, we can showcase all we have learned in his absence and make Elliot and us look good!
Elliot will be taking us until the end of March, and he will send us some new songs, so check Dropbox and print them off. Just in case, bringing all the music each week is always wise!
Beware of the Maestro
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