Still several members suffering with coughs and colds and some taking half term holidays. But the rest carried on singing!

After our usual warm up activities we looked at the following pieces.

Let love shine through

• We started by a reminder of the singing parts (Melody, Backing 1,2 3) and sitting positions. We also revised the ‘geography’ of the piece. For reference this is:
  • Sing Bar 1 to Bar 35 (1^st time), back to Bar 8 and sing 9 (2) to Bar 35 (2^nd time)
  • All sing the bridge section Bar 36 to Bar 52
  • From p9 Bar 52 to end – first time backing groups sing Harmony 1,2 3. At Bar 59, all go back to Bar 52.
  • From Bar 52 second time, Backing groups sing Backing 1,2,3. Harmony in top line sung by sops and tenors 1&2. 
  • NB. After Bar 58 second time, cut to second time Bar 59 and finish together on ‘Yeah’.
• Backing groups to sing their parts accurately (be careful of rests and rhythms) but keep volume down to allow the melody line to come through

This is Me   

• Bar 71 – this may be a solo for the concert
• Bar 77 – note this is a 2/4 bar so move on quicker than expected.
• Note at Bar 81 to end there is a ‘descant’ part sung by a small group
• Bar 5 to Bar 16 – to be sung as a solo for the concert
• Note Bar 16 is a 6/4 bar but Bar 17 is a 4/4 bar
• Choir in 2 parts start mp at Bar 17

West Side Story

IV Somewhere

• Bar 10 – starting mp
• Bar 18-23 (pp) & Bar 34 to end (ff) – practise the 3 part harmony on top line
• Bar 26 – men, note that this is not the tune – mark it up

III America

• Maybe solos from Bar 178. All in at Bar 208 – be ready after page turn pp44/45
• From Bar 220, solos sung by sops or altos – mark them up. They are:
• Bar 220 alto, Bar 222, sops, Bar 225 sops, Bar 227 alto
• Bar 276 alto, Bar 278 sops, Bar 281 sops, Bar 283 alto
• At Bar 241, cut to Bar 264
• Bar 286 – 292, clapping and spoken ‘Aye’ are all off the beat
• At Bar 230 onwards men to sing accompanying ‘Ah’ with staccato/glottal stop
• Men breathe after Bar 235, ready for last phrase

The beat of a different drum

• We sang the piece through to practise the transition sections eg at Bar 54, Bar 94 and Bar 106

Speed your journey

• Write in the English words for your own part
• Remember to elongate vowels and shorten consonants and sustain long flowing phrases
• From beginning Bar 12, all voices sing in unison. Sing smoothly and p
• From B, Bar 28, sops and tenors sing same tune and in 2 part harmony.
• At Bar 46, do not sing staccato. From Bar 48 to end sing pp

Gypsy Rover

• We sang from Bar 24 to end. At Bar 34, sing staccato