Back to work
All back from holidays now!
We started up the gospel singers again last Thursday evening and we were quite a crowd, including several newcomers.
We recruited Val and Giles from the summer gospel course, Marion, Kath and a lady who won her year's subscription to the choir in a village tombola! She looked less than enchanted to be there. I hope she cracks a smile if she comes back because we do try to look as if we are enjoying ourselves!!!
I made a little welcome speech and reminded everyone that I was there out of spiritual conviction but that the non-religious were welcome as long as they had musical conviction so that we could sound convincing.
First things first, we tried to find a name for the choir. We are now down to a shortlist of two : Akwagospel (a derivitive of the original village choir's name which is Akwaba-a which means 'welcome' in Ivorian) and Gospel Attitude. We shall have to do as in the French presidential elections and have a run-off round of voting! You can post your preferences here by clicking on "comment" at the bottom of this post!
After a basic warm-up (stretching, breathing and 'buzzing'), we did a bit of sirening to try and find and extend our vocal ranges. Then we played a game I invented. I wanted to work on several objectives : precision of pitch (not always 100% with some singers), holding a chord, and listening to others. It's a game a bit like Blind Man's Buff. The choirs gets a chord going and then one guinea pig (eyes closed) tries to find his / her own voice after the singers have all moved and mixed themselves up. Some found it quite nerve-wracking! One guinea pig accusingly pointed a finger directly at a singer who was outside the chord. (The singer shall remain nameless, but it is often the case!) All in all, it was an interesting experience and I think we'll play it again.
We first sang "It's Me" as we know it quite well and I think it's encouraging to star with something that people can manage. Also, it gave a little idea to the newbies of what we can do.
Then I presented my idea for an introduction to Lord Build Me A Little Cabin, which is to be sung by the main choir. I have written a solo intro which is accompanied by the choir humming chords (hence the aforementioned game) and then which leads into the main song sung by the full choir. Ben played the notes on his accordeon for the singers as we have no keyboard where we rehearse. Not everyone got the hang of it but I think if we keep practising we can have it ready for the concert in February. I rehearsed the whole song with the main choir this week and they're beginning to get the hang of it well (also they rehearse every week so they practise more often).
Then I sang the song I had written over the summer : Lord Help Me Find My Way. Some of them laughed as they know I'm having a tricky time at work (understatement) and immediately linked the theme to that! Mary and Ben helped out when my harmonisation was dubious. It wasn't a resounding success but again, once we've spent a little more time on it, I think it could sound quite good.
Ben has kindly offered to go over my manuscript and change some of the chords. Herein lies a small dilemma : I have deliberately been a little non-conformist with certain harmonisations and I wouldn't want to produce somthing middle-of-the-road. Such is the lot of the poor misunderstood artist (sniff!).
Anyway, the reunion was encouraging and we're all eager to meet next month for the next rehearsal. I hope some of the absentees will be able to come (Bridget, who is in my thoughts and prayers as her family go through a hard time; Terry, who will have to give up clapping for a while after a finger op!). I shall keep practising!
Keep you posted.
Gospella
We started up the gospel singers again last Thursday evening and we were quite a crowd, including several newcomers.
We recruited Val and Giles from the summer gospel course, Marion, Kath and a lady who won her year's subscription to the choir in a village tombola! She looked less than enchanted to be there. I hope she cracks a smile if she comes back because we do try to look as if we are enjoying ourselves!!!
I made a little welcome speech and reminded everyone that I was there out of spiritual conviction but that the non-religious were welcome as long as they had musical conviction so that we could sound convincing.
First things first, we tried to find a name for the choir. We are now down to a shortlist of two : Akwagospel (a derivitive of the original village choir's name which is Akwaba-a which means 'welcome' in Ivorian) and Gospel Attitude. We shall have to do as in the French presidential elections and have a run-off round of voting! You can post your preferences here by clicking on "comment" at the bottom of this post!
After a basic warm-up (stretching, breathing and 'buzzing'), we did a bit of sirening to try and find and extend our vocal ranges. Then we played a game I invented. I wanted to work on several objectives : precision of pitch (not always 100% with some singers), holding a chord, and listening to others. It's a game a bit like Blind Man's Buff. The choirs gets a chord going and then one guinea pig (eyes closed) tries to find his / her own voice after the singers have all moved and mixed themselves up. Some found it quite nerve-wracking! One guinea pig accusingly pointed a finger directly at a singer who was outside the chord. (The singer shall remain nameless, but it is often the case!) All in all, it was an interesting experience and I think we'll play it again.
We first sang "It's Me" as we know it quite well and I think it's encouraging to star with something that people can manage. Also, it gave a little idea to the newbies of what we can do.
Then I presented my idea for an introduction to Lord Build Me A Little Cabin, which is to be sung by the main choir. I have written a solo intro which is accompanied by the choir humming chords (hence the aforementioned game) and then which leads into the main song sung by the full choir. Ben played the notes on his accordeon for the singers as we have no keyboard where we rehearse. Not everyone got the hang of it but I think if we keep practising we can have it ready for the concert in February. I rehearsed the whole song with the main choir this week and they're beginning to get the hang of it well (also they rehearse every week so they practise more often).
Then I sang the song I had written over the summer : Lord Help Me Find My Way. Some of them laughed as they know I'm having a tricky time at work (understatement) and immediately linked the theme to that! Mary and Ben helped out when my harmonisation was dubious. It wasn't a resounding success but again, once we've spent a little more time on it, I think it could sound quite good.
Ben has kindly offered to go over my manuscript and change some of the chords. Herein lies a small dilemma : I have deliberately been a little non-conformist with certain harmonisations and I wouldn't want to produce somthing middle-of-the-road. Such is the lot of the poor misunderstood artist (sniff!).
Anyway, the reunion was encouraging and we're all eager to meet next month for the next rehearsal. I hope some of the absentees will be able to come (Bridget, who is in my thoughts and prayers as her family go through a hard time; Terry, who will have to give up clapping for a while after a finger op!). I shall keep practising!
Keep you posted.
posted by Gospella @ 11:40 am
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