We started as usual with warm up exercises. These included:

1. How to phrase words more carefully eg RIVer and OVer.

2. how to decrescendo more smoothly using a full dynamic range.

Mary checked out our memory for Halima pakashola. We looked at the following pieces:

Love Call Me Home

• v1 sung as a soprano solo with other 3 parts singing harmony with words below. Sopranos join all for the chorus. Bar 14/15, sustain the music over the bar line.  
• Remaining verses all sing – v2 is p, v3 is mp, v4 is mf and v5 is f and unaccompanied
• In v5, rallentando in Bar 43 and mf at Bar 45, decrescendo smoothly to last bar
• In v5, in final bar hold the chord on ‘home’ and then move smoothly to sing an additional bar on sound of ‘mm’ of ‘home’ and a new chord – sops move up to ‘A’, altos to ‘F’, tenors stay on ‘C’, basses move up to ‘F’

The beat of a different drum

• Note introduction with drum beat, one bar of piano introduction and tenors and basses in at Bar 9
• Follow the score carefully for which part is singing what and when. Highlight in the score and observe the dynamics carefully – there are many changes of dynamics in each part!
• From p8 sing out the ‘loo’ section, count carefully, decrescendo to Bar 104
• From bottom of p9, crescendo gradually to the end of the piece.

Celebrate

• We revised Celebrate performed at a previous concert. We sang through the 3 verses to check words, notes and dynamics
• We practised the clapping sections using memory/music /crib sheet provided by Mary – introduction and ending
• In v1- all sing together mf start, in v 17/18 p to mf to p
• In v2 – sops and tenors begin the round, alto and basses start after 2 bars.
• Straight into v3 to continue the round. End of v3, sops and altos add extra Bar 19 and 20b ‘music, our music’ to allow altos and basses to catch up.
• Then, all move on to the ‘Ah’ and clapping section together. Finish on fff in Bars 37/38 with harmony.

A Place to Call Home

• We revised this piece having performed it before. Watch out for the occasional  harmony parts for altos and basses.
• Note men start at Bar 8, sops and altos join at Bar 21, all in at Bar 39, men at Bar 93, all in at Bar 109, men only at Bar 140
• Sing through Bar 31/32, sing through Bar 49/50, breath after Bar 78
• Crescendo through Bar 67/68, All sing the 2X Bflat notes in Bar 65/66

Speed your journey

• See the detailed notes from previous weeks.
• We sang the piece through. Remember to start and sustain p from beginning to end of p4. Crescendo to f on p4, and to ff at B on p5
• Remember from bottom p10, decrescendo to p and then to pp, singing smoothly (NOT staccato here)

West Side Story

II Maria (p21)

• Solo from beginning to Bar 8.
• Next section from Bar 9 sung by altos, tenors and basses (mf)
• From Bar 18, no basses – altos and tenors only (f). Bar 23, altos also drop out and tenors sing alone (pp).  Soloist picks up again at Bar 30