We started as usual with warm up exercises. We also welcomed our new drummer, Ethan, from Gateacre School.

We managed to revisit almost all the pieces for the upcoming concerts – to check notes, rhythms, dynamics, entries, groups and where to stand, articulation of words. Phew – what a lot to think about !

Importantly Mary reminded us to keep our copies and our heads up, to smile and to WATCH Mary.  Prepare well and enjoy the concerts.

We practised the following pieces:

This is Me

• We sang through the entire piece with the drum as in concert style, capturing the rhythms and style of the song.
• Br prompt and confident about entries even if they are p

Let love shine through

• Be sure to be in position with your correct group – Melody, Backing 1, 2 or 3 
• Check the ‘geography’ of piece and mark up score for your own part
• Be alert for Bridge section Bar 36 and count the rhythms carefully for ‘Let love, let love shone through’
• Be sure to finish crisply together on last Bar ‘Yeah’

Celebrate

• Try to learn the words of each verse, the geography of the piece and the clapping rhythm before the concert. To be performed from memory. Do not clap if you are unsure.
• Bar 20b, observe the crochet rest after ‘music’ but pick up ‘Ah’ promptly on the last crotchet of the Bar.

The beat of a different drum

• Tenors and Basses – listen for starting notes from Mary on piano
• Keep beat steady throughout – do not rush
• Watch dynamics eg decrescendo to mp at the top of p7 ready for f on p 8
• Final page, sing f, keep together andwatch for increasing tempo and crisp crotchet finish together in last Bar.

God so loved the world

• Be careful to extend vowels, and shorten consonants putting them as gently and quietly as possible throughout. This is a beautiful spiritual piece – quite a different style from other pieces in the concert.
• Sing with meaning and expression eg emphasise the first syllable of ‘PERish’ when it occurs and last syllable of ‘conDEMN’ in Bar 28,
• Observe dynamics carefully as marked eg cresc to f from Bar 20 to Bar 23. Back to p for Bar 24
• Observe the ‘breathing’ marks carefully, and also places where the phrase continues eg Bar 20 to Bar 21. No break in Bar 66 after ‘everlasting’
• Finish the piece on rall and ppp
• Hold up your copy and watch Mary – watch for dynamics, for phrasing and for singing TOGETHER. 

Love Call Me Home

• Keep vowels long and consonants short throughout. Keep ‘s’ and ‘t’ at end of words as late and quiet as possible
• 5 verses – Sop solo start to v1 with under voices accompanying
• Observe different dynamics for each pf other 4 verses
• In Chorus, avoid a ‘whining’ start to words ‘Time’ and ‘life’ at beginning of lines
• Observe the rests

Gypsy Rover

• Observe the dynamics very carefully
• Sing entries and parts confidently especially when they are against the dynamics, notes and rhythms of other parts.

West Side Story

III America (p 45 and p50)

• p42 – we practised the two verses of Puerto Rico – v1 solo and v2 altos – and then the smooth link for sops into Bar 193 

      IV Somewhere (p53)

• Basses practised their notes from Bar 20 onwards

III Maria, One Hand One Heart (p21)

• Watch the page turn p24/25 for a prompt, confident but p start at Bar 34

Les Miserables (Do you hear the people sing? p17)

• Final Bars – in Bars 283/284/285, sing ff and break/breathe after each ‘Ah’. Watch for final phrase together.

Speed your journey

• Sing this piece gently and with passion, p to begin with crescendo from Bar 24
• Back to pp and staccato at Bar 30
• Start to decrescendo at Bar 41 to end at pp
• Observe rests – do not sing through them