Recordings from Final Rehearsals:
Sunday 29th May 2016 : Ave Verum, On My Bended Knee, Dem Bones, Oh When The Saints, Eagle's Wings, Anthem
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Veer-gee-nay!!! Some of you still haven't got this right! Please work hard at remembering how to sing this very simple word! :)
Sopranos : opening - you need MORE breath and MORE open and relaxed posture to keep the tuning up! The second solo was much better - well done! This, in general, worked very well. I would like a little more smoothness in the delivery of the words, if possible, The ENDING is much better than it was and I think it just needs a little better control from the Sopranos, in two ways: 1. Bigger breath to make the last note last to the very end! 2. Please do not "scoop" up to the "li" note on "Fili" - make it a clean jump. I might take it a little slower to allow more time for bigger breaths BUT this would mean that you will all need to ensure that you take those breaths... Oh When The Saints etc - make sure we are confident starting! With this piece, you clearly know what you are doing. I will confirm a set way of performing this piece and let you know in plenty of time before the concert!
Dem Bones - this will work well at a lightly slower, laid back speed (I took it too fast!) Sopranos - make sure you don't overpower everyone. Its really important that you don't go over the top of the Altos. Now - when you are singing quietly, you have to work your diaphragms HARDER and take bigger breaths AND work harder on your mouthshapes. Don't forget to WATCH at the end when I slow down! |
Overall, this works very well - you all know what you are doing, well done! BUT, but but...
Sopranos - the FIRST four notes were very flat and obviously so. Unfortunately this continues for most of the piece - generally, not too badly, by any means, but it is noticeable and needs to be fixed, really. You must take bigger breaths, push more air out when you sing (sing through the notes, make each one important), open your mouths on ALL the vowels and support them using the pressure from your diaphragms. LONG NOTES - you must push more air through these - squeeze your bellies in! Keep the pressure up so that you can keep the note IN TUNE. The word "knee" comes to mind (remember to sing it like "ni") which started off more-or-less in tune and then deflated.... OVERALL - as said, lovely BUT it will sound less than great with a consistently flat melody. |
A reminder of the changes I've made to the performance of this hymn:
Erui & Lyra will open the piece. Sopranos and Altos join in on "my refuge"... in first verse. First chorus - Tenors & Basses sing the harmony line. Verse 2 - Sopranos and Altos; Sopranos - you are singing the melody *same as verse 1* - Altos your first note is the key to you getting the rest of the harmony for this verse, which is practically a third lower, for the most part. Chorus that follows is in full SATB harmony Verse 3 - Men: sing nice and loud, with a bit of welly! Chorus that follows is in SATB. Verse 4 - STARTS with EVERYONE in UNISON. Split into harmony on "upon their hands" - many parts start on an A on the "up" syllable. Last Chorus - Everyone sing the tune. THREE descants : Erui, Lyra and Joan. Ending - Erui & Lyra - "and hold you" - everyone join in on the repeat. Altos don't forget I've adjusted your last phrase. This will sound LOVELY with everyone singing. Keep breathing well, and all those things I've said before; in this piece, make the enunciation of the words crisp - but make the words smooth in delivery. |
On Eagle's Wings |
R&H Medley |
Wimoweh |
3rd April 2016
17th April 2016
1st May 2016
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Wimoweh
A full guidetrack will be available soon. When it is it will be on the Resources Page of the website. |
15th May 2016
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Anthem
Sopranos - lots of breath for that first note (top E); please make sure you know the tune of "And Gave Him A Name" as it needs to be louder and more confident. Don't forget the last few notes are the same note! In general, you must make sure you are IN TUNE - listen; keep the breath supporting your notes. The B (the last few notes) are particularly flat - keep them bright.
Altos - "God Raised Him High" top of page 7, your C# was not sharp enough... I'll say the same thing to you girls as I did the Sops. The higher notes in your ranges need more support from your diaphragms and you need to make sure they are bright in tone and in pitch. The usual techniques apply - open mouths more, more breath, raise eyebrows, keep everything relaxed and loose. Basses - you need more confidence - your notes were fine but I need to hear more of you.... Overall, good job in learning section in a relatively short amount of time. Please build on it - listen to the guides in RESOURCES (click the word Resources) and get the parts secure. Well done! |
R & H Medley
Opening - Joan : a good confident start but I would like to do some work with you to secure the notes and timing. The opening "oohs" needs to be FAR more secure. Sopranos are fine coming in - be a touch more confident - Altos you were a little vague with your entry. Don't forget you are singing the same notes as the Sops and then moving down the scale. Keep the beat moving regardless. Men - be more confident with your first note of "O What A Beautiful Morning"; good ending of this first section - well done!
Surrey - good confident start, well done. Full of rhythm and energy! Men, be a little louder when you add your harmonies. We must make sure we don''t speed this up...; the energy in the key change is GOOD but we need to have the LINK cleaner. Sopranos, you must practice going from your notes on the second "weather" and then finding the first note in the next verse really well. The ending of this song was also good BUT.... Wash Man - Girls - you need to be really sure of the entry to the next song. It was a bit messy. I'll slow up the accompaniment a little up but please be sure of your first note. "Go, Yea Sister" - altos I think it might be a safer bit to rejoin you and not divide you for those chords. We want to have a good performance of the song so we will get rid of the bottom notes and ask all the altos to sing the middle line. I think it'll work better. For "And Send Him On His Way" - this was good - lower altos please sing louder to balance with the middle crew! June - excellent link, everyone, into this song. I will slow it up just a little before launching into the actual song though, to give you a breather! Don't forget its a little slower. Try not to speed up as we go through it. It needs to sit back a little more. I think this is why this recordings harmonies are a little messy. ALSO I think this section of the medley needs to be less loud at the start so we have somewhere to build to for Oklahoma! We need to look over the last four bars of this song for the harmonies... they were... inventive... :) Oklahoma! - again, a nice strong start with a good speed - well done. HOWEVER "Waving wheaT" - please put the T on the end of wheat and join it to "can"... and on the word "sweeT" - it really is important to do these tiny things to make us understood! Next - please make "And when we say" really clear in both parts - especially the upper part (Sops & Altos) - thank you. "We're only saying" was also swallowed and the chords at the "you're doin' fine" need tidying up. Whistle - Mary solo - good notes - but we need to go through it with Audrey and myself to get the timing really good. Doe - Erui and Lyra will have this opening nailed so we know we don't have to worry about this. However on your "Do-Re-MI" please keep "MI" in TUNE :) ARRGGHHH - the OOHS under the two girls - yes we need them quieter but we also need to find the right notes. Look at the note that the girls sing in the bars prior to your entry. Sopranos, you first Ooh is the same note as the girls sing for "Sew". Altos, your note is the note below "Far" - so listen and keep that in your head whilst that phrase is being sung. Men, your note is the key note of the chord underneath. Just pay attention and don't be surprised! When you got into it, it sounded fine. The rest was very good - but we need to work on the performance on the last three bars! So you know, when you listen to this part of the track, listen to Erui singing the first "Do" after the contrary scales... she is right! But we will work at it... Spring - John, this solo will suit you very well. Thank you for letting me direct you to sing it! Soprs and Altos - your oos could be more confident, but I think they were right, though Sops you are singing the same note as John finishes "spring"....altos please keep the tuning right up to when you come in with the words; after that the tutti bit was also OK. Remember, later, we are all singing the tune of "Rosebud" - please remember it is different from the beginning, going up to an A before dropping to a G. The harmonies following need looking at but it'll be fine. AND I want it nice and quiet from "But I feel so gay".... Dame - this will be fine BUT keep it going - lots of energy, words and know when to come in. Pretend you are those jolly sailors who are starved of the gentle touches of a good woman :) Sound of Music - watch for the entry. Please make this super smooth all the way through and keep yourselves in tune; I know you will be tired by this time but keep working hard! Walk Alone - opening will be great, when Donna is more confident with her entry. Lovely oohs, we crept in. BUT I think I will get RID of our echo of "of a lark" as I don't think it work. Continuing on, it sounds really very good. Well done. Try to make every word flow into each other, especially in unison. Sopranos - take a MUCH BIGGER breath before the first top not on page 39. However, I think you will struggle with the top G. So I think we will bring you from the rafters and sing the Eb below then G (Erui and Sue, if you want to hit the G please do) as you will come across more confident and a lot more comfortable to the listeners' ears). We will go through this on the 29th. Donna - I know its higher in your range but give it a bit more welly on the "a-lone" :) A good ending that would do even better with BIGGER BREATHS as we slow down.... :) Overall an excellent first runthrough. Keep working on it and it will sound fabulous. |
Wimoweh
This is very good - I thought - for a first runthrough. Basses - two things for you - 1. good start BUT be louder and more confident. 2. Please abandon your parts during John's verse (about the village) and sing the TUNE with him. Then, on the chorus afterward, go back to your interesting bass line.... thanks. Sopranos - some excellent singing here, especially in the verses. Try to keep together on the syncopated chorus - watch me and move with me if you can. Now we just need to work on the dynamics (louds and softs) so that we can create a really good performance. Well done!
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