Sunday 2nd April
|
Bridge Over Troubled Water
|
Good opening - first phrase, "like a bridge". Men you need to be sure of your entry. However, interesting harmonies on the first "I will lay me down" - basses? altos? check your parts.
Soloists - good; Barbara you could afford to be a little louder, Susan could you balance with Barbara ?
BUT the whole thing got faster as soon as the solos had finished. We must try not to rush it. It loses the sense of gravitas when too fast.
Great entry Men - verse 2 - really good. However we need to check the last half of this verse for accuracy. There are some unsure pitches.
Again, this got faster in the main chorus! SLOW DOWN!
Second Sops - please make sure you know your parts as I don't want to sing them with you :) It was noticeable that I was singing all of your part by the end.
Overall - this is SORT OF there. It needs to SLOW DOWN and ALL of you need to be more sure on your parts. Please listen to the guidetracks online. The Soprano (lower) part has now been recorded. Not bad for a mid-term recording. Still needs a lot of polishing!
Soloists - good; Barbara you could afford to be a little louder, Susan could you balance with Barbara ?
BUT the whole thing got faster as soon as the solos had finished. We must try not to rush it. It loses the sense of gravitas when too fast.
Great entry Men - verse 2 - really good. However we need to check the last half of this verse for accuracy. There are some unsure pitches.
Again, this got faster in the main chorus! SLOW DOWN!
Second Sops - please make sure you know your parts as I don't want to sing them with you :) It was noticeable that I was singing all of your part by the end.
Overall - this is SORT OF there. It needs to SLOW DOWN and ALL of you need to be more sure on your parts. Please listen to the guidetracks online. The Soprano (lower) part has now been recorded. Not bad for a mid-term recording. Still needs a lot of polishing!
|
A Farewell Blessing
|
Lovely opening, beautiful first verse ladies - excellent.
Lovely solo by David.
Second verse .... oh my goodness. Lovely melody from the sopranos. Well done.
However, throughout the rest of the piece the alto and bass parts were really not secure. These lines are not overly tricky so please put some time into ensuring that you know them well.
This piece will sound really, really effective if we can nail the harmonies. If they sound even a little "off" the effect will be ruined somewhat. And, as I'd like to finish the concert with this piece, it'd be good if we could leave the audience wanting more :)
Please work hard at your harmonies. I am sorry I've not finished the guidetracks (just noticed) - I will do these as a matter of priority over the next week or so.
Lovely solo by David.
Second verse .... oh my goodness. Lovely melody from the sopranos. Well done.
However, throughout the rest of the piece the alto and bass parts were really not secure. These lines are not overly tricky so please put some time into ensuring that you know them well.
This piece will sound really, really effective if we can nail the harmonies. If they sound even a little "off" the effect will be ruined somewhat. And, as I'd like to finish the concert with this piece, it'd be good if we could leave the audience wanting more :)
Please work hard at your harmonies. I am sorry I've not finished the guidetracks (just noticed) - I will do these as a matter of priority over the next week or so.
Sunday 19th March
|
Sing!
|
Opening verses - All solos/duets need to sing their parts a little more confidently. There are a few interesting tunings! This will be fine, no problem.
Chorus 1 - Really good, strong chorus. I think it might be a little faster, but this was a good start!
Verse 2 - Be confident coming in! Altos & Tenors - "waits" could be a little louder, as could the "celebrate" bits, too; Also, Good tuning Sopranos! We need to work on the harmonies at the end of the verse though - the music should build to the chorus and it kind of .. doesn't.
Chorus 2 - excellent, again. This time it had a little more zip.
Verse 3 - Good start, girls. good harmonies into the chorus everyone else!
Final Choruses - This works well, well done! Descants - you must know when to come in with your counter melody! When you did come in, it worked really well!
Ending - Erui you were flat :/ also "Love" needs to start MUCH MUCH quieter so that the swell to end the piece is really effective.
OVERALL - this is promising to be an excellent piece. Good job by all! :)
Chorus 1 - Really good, strong chorus. I think it might be a little faster, but this was a good start!
Verse 2 - Be confident coming in! Altos & Tenors - "waits" could be a little louder, as could the "celebrate" bits, too; Also, Good tuning Sopranos! We need to work on the harmonies at the end of the verse though - the music should build to the chorus and it kind of .. doesn't.
Chorus 2 - excellent, again. This time it had a little more zip.
Verse 3 - Good start, girls. good harmonies into the chorus everyone else!
Final Choruses - This works well, well done! Descants - you must know when to come in with your counter melody! When you did come in, it worked really well!
Ending - Erui you were flat :/ also "Love" needs to start MUCH MUCH quieter so that the swell to end the piece is really effective.
OVERALL - this is promising to be an excellent piece. Good job by all! :)
|
Great Is The Lord
|
CHORUS - Basses - you could be louder. Don't rely on me - I'll probably be singing Tenor.
VERSE 1 - Sops and Altos - you must get the first bit of the tune correct! Some of you are getting it right, many are not and it sounds rather awful! The verse is written in UNISON - i.e. ONE sound... the beginning was more polyphonic than desired.. :)
CHORUS 2 - This was better, Basses, but you are still too soft - we should be belting out that line! I think you need to be more confident on the actual notes - please do listen to the guidetrack to allow you to look up a little more.
VERSE 2 - Basses - some good sound, here; but you need to keep the words moving at the same beat. Its fast - so get your tongue round the syllables!
CHORUS 3 - with every repeat of the chorus there was more confidence in the sound. Well done.
BRIDGE - First phrase could be even quieter... please sing the bridge with a sense of "barely constrained excitement!". The bridge is split into two sections: "All you who breathe"... and "Praise the Lord, Praise The Lord". By the time "praise the Lord" comes, the volume should be MUCH louder than the first "All you who breathe". Also, I'd say the individual "sentences" are a little clunky at the moment; you need to deliver these with excitement and fluidity; SHOUT FOR JOY ALL THE EARTH!! - this should be "shouted" - i.e. fortissimo! Sing with JOY! Unfortunately,this was a little damp so be more sure of your lines and just belt it out! Its joyful! Make it sound that way :)
CHORUS 4 - Good! BUT .... be sure of the repeat at the end, when to come in. We need to do some remedial work on the last four bars or so. This is the last statement of the piece and should be a confident and brash ending. It sounded, here, that you were all a little unsure. Top note (Susan) was sharp - but delivered well.
OVERALL - with a little more surety of the notes and a little more zip in performance this piece has the potential to be sung really, really well. Just be more sure on getting the words "in". This is a fast piece and the words are important!
VERSE 1 - Sops and Altos - you must get the first bit of the tune correct! Some of you are getting it right, many are not and it sounds rather awful! The verse is written in UNISON - i.e. ONE sound... the beginning was more polyphonic than desired.. :)
CHORUS 2 - This was better, Basses, but you are still too soft - we should be belting out that line! I think you need to be more confident on the actual notes - please do listen to the guidetrack to allow you to look up a little more.
VERSE 2 - Basses - some good sound, here; but you need to keep the words moving at the same beat. Its fast - so get your tongue round the syllables!
CHORUS 3 - with every repeat of the chorus there was more confidence in the sound. Well done.
BRIDGE - First phrase could be even quieter... please sing the bridge with a sense of "barely constrained excitement!". The bridge is split into two sections: "All you who breathe"... and "Praise the Lord, Praise The Lord". By the time "praise the Lord" comes, the volume should be MUCH louder than the first "All you who breathe". Also, I'd say the individual "sentences" are a little clunky at the moment; you need to deliver these with excitement and fluidity; SHOUT FOR JOY ALL THE EARTH!! - this should be "shouted" - i.e. fortissimo! Sing with JOY! Unfortunately,this was a little damp so be more sure of your lines and just belt it out! Its joyful! Make it sound that way :)
CHORUS 4 - Good! BUT .... be sure of the repeat at the end, when to come in. We need to do some remedial work on the last four bars or so. This is the last statement of the piece and should be a confident and brash ending. It sounded, here, that you were all a little unsure. Top note (Susan) was sharp - but delivered well.
OVERALL - with a little more surety of the notes and a little more zip in performance this piece has the potential to be sung really, really well. Just be more sure on getting the words "in". This is a fast piece and the words are important!
|
Hey, Mr Miller!
|
Mr Miller is a good little ditty! Just make sure you keep it going with lots of good words! I think we'll start the second half with this and get some audience participation... Well done!
|
This Little Light of Mine
|
Effective opening, well done. Basses - your part works very well. Just be careful of your tuning on the odd word. We can check it through easily enough. In general, the energy is there but there are some issues with some of the tuning in the harmony parts. We will have to check these through on Sunday. Please try to learn this piece off by heart because then you get your eyes up to me and follow the dynamics - we need some more variety.And apart from the ending (which we sorted out at the end of this recording) - this was a good effort. And I think it will be a very good addition to our programme.
|
River
|
These comments are based on the second runthrough of this song:
Opening - You all need make sure you are really confident with the words and the rhythm.
Chorus - Lovely harmonies here, we need to have a few more swells, to make it more interesting.
Verse 2 - Please make the words much more smoothly delivered. Good harmonies, again, just check some of the timings.
Chorus 2 - This is better louder, I think, but does need more in terms of swells. ALSO, some interesting harmonies at points, please check them, Altos/Basses.
Bridge - Oops - get the words right in the correct rhythm, Sopranos. Basses - you must know when to come in, don't rely on me! We need to be more secure on the harmony before the key change. But the key change was excellent. Well done. Basses - please check your parts, there are some interesting variations in your part.
Ending - Lovely Alison - well done. Well done, too, Rachel - well controlled. "I'll never be hard to find" (all) - needs to much quieter. Good ending, Erui.
Opening - You all need make sure you are really confident with the words and the rhythm.
Chorus - Lovely harmonies here, we need to have a few more swells, to make it more interesting.
Verse 2 - Please make the words much more smoothly delivered. Good harmonies, again, just check some of the timings.
Chorus 2 - This is better louder, I think, but does need more in terms of swells. ALSO, some interesting harmonies at points, please check them, Altos/Basses.
Bridge - Oops - get the words right in the correct rhythm, Sopranos. Basses - you must know when to come in, don't rely on me! We need to be more secure on the harmony before the key change. But the key change was excellent. Well done. Basses - please check your parts, there are some interesting variations in your part.
Ending - Lovely Alison - well done. Well done, too, Rachel - well controlled. "I'll never be hard to find" (all) - needs to much quieter. Good ending, Erui.
|
Be Still, For The Presence
|
This is the first rehearsal and run-through of the semichorus number, "Be Still, For The Presence Of The Lord".
Semichorus - this is a good first run-through. We will need to have a couple more rehearsals to make us a tight ensemble. Sopranos, please check your opening notes - you were too high, twice, I believe, and also the descant at the end - you'll have to get your words round the rhythm. Very promising - we'll sound great with the string accompaniment.
Semichorus - this is a good first run-through. We will need to have a couple more rehearsals to make us a tight ensemble. Sopranos, please check your opening notes - you were too high, twice, I believe, and also the descant at the end - you'll have to get your words round the rhythm. Very promising - we'll sound great with the string accompaniment.
Sunday 5th March
|
Bridge Over Troubled Water
|
|
Sunday 19th February
|
A Farewell Blessing
|
This Little Light Of Mine
|
|
Great Is The Lord, Our Redeemer
|
River
|
Sunday 5th February
|
Great Is The Lord Our Redeemer.
|
This Little Light Of Mine
|
|
Adiemus
|
Bridge Over Troubled Water
|
|
Dear Lord I Thank Thee
|
