Monday 31 December 2007

Thursday 20 December 2007

Joan plays the flute in the Dunbartonshire Big Band Christmas Concert

The Dunbartonshire Concert Band (DCB) is a community wind orchestra. It was formed in 1973 and exists to give an outlet to the musical talents of amateur wind, brass and percussion players of all ages.
Last Thursday they held a Christmas Concert in Cairns Church Milngavie and Joan Gemmell (one of our Enjoy Music members) was part of that band as was Derek Galloway (Douglas Park) who provided our Christmas lunch last week.
Joan had a solo flute part in one of the carol's and the whole concert was terrific. To listen to a short video from the evening click on the card below
Click to play Dunbartonshire+Band
Create your own free ecard - Powered by Smilebox
Make a free ecard - it's easy!

Sunday 16 December 2007

Have a Boom-Fa-llera Christmas

Santas -- Click to enlarge

Carol your webmaster wishes all the Enjoy Music Class a Very Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2008.
To listen to her Christmas wishes click on the following links and then the word Play in the first link
Give time to load plus make sure your sound is turned on :
Christmas song to all the Enjoy Music Class
Singing Christmas Card from your Enjoy Music Webmaster

Tuesday 11 December 2007

Christmas songs and Lunch

The last session of the year was held today and Moira was presented with a large ponsettia flower at coffee break.
We then went to Douglas Park Golf Club to have our "Christmas Lunch" and our singing continued.
Here are some photos from the day
Click to play +
Create your own slideshow - Powered by Smilebox
Make a slideshow!

Tuesday 4 December 2007

A Grey Winter Morning

Two Swans a Swimming --- Click to enlarge
Getting the energy flowing is not so easy at this time of year --- grey mornings and throat and sinus bugs doing their best to hold us down. But after warming up to the music of two soaring flutes followed by a gypsy circle dance, (too much hilarity,) the limbs loosened up and the voices began to come through.
After singing SENJUA with harmonies, we explored a drum and percussion accompaniment, which actually began to groove as one by one we settled into the rhythms, feeling the enjoyment of rhythm and melody coming together. More of that next week.
BOOMFALLERA is sounding more secure ---- we are even now trying different instrumental parts, finding the second easier to learn than the first.
By the end of the morning, when we sang the Carol of the Advent right through, the voices were making a good sound.
Next week is our last before the Christmas break and is followed by lunch at Douglas Park.

Tuesday 20 November 2007

BRANCHING OUT DAY.

Since our beaters are bouncing nicely on those notes, we had a go today at improvising melodies. Everyone, without exception, rose to the challenge and we got the beginnings of some original music.
It seemed like we even surprised ourselves and there's plenty of promise there for future development.
Just to occupy some of your spare time before Christmas planning takes over, you might enjoy having a go at a musical game. See how many balloons you can get!
Click on this link ----- VOLKSWAGENS THROUGH THE YEARS ---- PLEASE GIVE TIME TO LOAD AND THEN HIT SPEEL HET SPEL TO ENTER WEBSITE

Tuesday 13 November 2007

Carol of the Advent

We were seventeen today and, concentrating on our voices, we worked on the three part harmony of SENJUA.

In BOOMFALLERA the beaters are bouncing and we are now singing the 5 sections, feeling the wonderful contrasts in the rondo form.

Finally, on a seasonal note, and taking the opportunity of 'a good sing,' we tackled THE CAROL OF THE ADVENT _ five verses of beautiful text by Eleanor Farjeon to the old French tune Becancon.

Tuesday 6 November 2007

Our Singing gets a boost

Chris and Jenny - Click to enlarge
Today we were joined by Chris Nairn and Jenny Sharp, two students from RSAMD, who will be with us this year as part of their 'Community Music' study.
As they are both singers they will be an invaluable boost for our group and we look forward to some good singing sessions.

The Full Cicle - Click to enlarge

Mairi and Isla - Click to enlarge

The Drum Roll - Click to enlarge





Thanks go to Jakob for taking the photographs again today --- Click on them to see an enlargement

Tuesday 30 October 2007

Orff Take Off

New members Sheila Garden and Sheila Carr are settling in and finding their voices and yes, we are beginning to bounce those beaters and accompanied by Joan on her flute, our scales on the Orff instruments are sounding joyful.
Today we made a start on ALL the parts of the Orff arrangement BOOMFALLERA which we are now singing in the 2 parts and beginning to get a feel for how our instruments will sound together.
The janitor continues to struggle with building problems but assures us that by next week we will have our storage in the basement so that we won't have to carry them down the stairs.

Tuesday 23 October 2007

The Beaters are Bouncing !

The Heron under Gull attack --- click to enlarge

The Heron under Gull attack --- click to enlarge


Our downstairs room with the scenic windows was a delight today since we enjoyed the great view of a handsome young heron perched on the swans' nesting island as we sang.
The group swelled to 15 including a new member, Sheila, who comes from Balfron.
After warming up our voices with some scales, we moved on to call and response with What shall I do with the baby?
Isla, Irene, Mairi, John and Jim each led a verse and the responses were strong and tuneful.
The vocal line in 2 parts of the Orff arrangement Boom- fal- er-a, is progressing and after some scale practice on the barred instruments, when I could see those beaters definitely beginning to bounce, we started learning some of the instrumental parts.
We followed Jim's I hae laid a herrin in saut played on the whistle, singing the verse.and ended the morning, by reviving Everyone of us has a special gift.
Note: We'll continue with harmonies for Senjua next week.

Tuesday 16 October 2007

Senjua - The Liberian Song of Welcome

Senjua, the Liberian song of welcome, and our warm-up song today, was a fine chance to work on improvised harmonies, bass and soprano and by the time we finally managed the three parts, that 'welcome' word, _ Senjua, was sounding so much warmer and meaningful. Our hearts, as well as our voices were truly warmed up!

Working on the instruments next it was encouraging to see how those beaters were gliding up and down so much ore nimbly after only oneweek and another reminder of the importance of that learning interval during which our brain seems to absorb a pattern quite subconsciously, giving us the enhanced ability when we return to a learning challenge.

After the break, Jim treated us to 'I hae laid a herrin in saut' on his tin whistle, lovely words and a delightful tune but a tricky sing which we are picking up gradually.

Finally we returned to Boomfalera, singing the chorus in 2 part harmony and taking a brief look this time at some of the Orff instrumental ostinatos.

Tuesday 9 October 2007

Studio 49 Instruments arrive

Eleven members attended today. Irene, Isla, John and Moira were on holiday while Sally had a medical appointment.
Our beautiful STUDIO 49 instruments, on their trolleys. awaited our group as they arrived this morning so the warm up movements, to Ladysmith Black Mambaso, were kept suitably brief.
Playful delight and excitement at realising it’s impossible to make an ugly sound on these instruments, gave way to intense concentration as everyone focused on mastering the ‘left right left’ patterns as we went up and down scales to various rhythms.
Everything came easier, as it does, after the coffee break and Jakob took good pictures.
We ended by learning the chorus and singing with great gusto, ‘Boomfalera’ from the Orff volume 1, the instrumental parts for which we’ll begin working on next week.
I’ll be having a relaxing evening with an in-house concert watching my DVD of Gordon & John’s Glasgow Philharmonic Male Voice Choir.
Wishing all a good week,
Cheers Moira
Click to play enjoymusic1
WANT SOME MUSIC TO GO WITH THE SLIDESHOW THEN CLICK ABOVE.
Thanks go to Jakob for taking the photographs today

Tuesday 25 September 2007

Week 3 - Improvising Melodies

Coffee and Chat Time
Several people were on holiday this week including Moira Perrit who is in Luton visiting her new grandchild.
In spite of this, with our new member Sally, we were 13 making a good sound especially for 'WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH THE BABY, O?' which COULD have gone on for innumerable verses, given the inventive powers of this group.
Advice for dealing with a difficult baby ranged from the caressing, through practical, to the downright abusive, all to much laughter as each lyricist sang 'caller" for his/her own verse.
IMPROVISING melodies with the voice continues to improve as we await our new instruments.
Jim led us on the tin whistle for 'I HAE LAID A HERRIN IN SAUTt' a beautiful and intricate melody from the northeast which we are picking up gradually, singing selected phrases to begin with and Diana led us into SEEYAHAMBA on her flute, followed by our rhythmic drumming and finally full throated singing.
We made a start, led by Mairi, on MILE MARBHAISG, a waulking song which we were just beginning to sing with some gusto - better next week - and ended with the SONG OF THE WATERWHEEL in 3 parts (just)!

Tuesday 18 September 2007

Week 2 --- Lots of Laughter

Our group (12 today) met on this "cold and frosty morning", and began by loosening up with gentle moves to Fats Waller on 'stride' piano.
Taking our cue from the master improvisor, we then worked on improvising with our voices, a first time for some, even our new member and celebrity Gaelic singer Mairi, until everyone, without hesitation, sang forth a good, improvised phrase of melody.
The call and response, "What shall we do with the baby?" provoked much laughter and everyone is working on additional verses for next week.

Caller: The wind blows high, the wind blows low,
All: The wind blows high, the wind blows low,

Caller: I like sugar in my coffee o.
All: I like sugar in my coffee o.

Chorus: Caller: What'll I do with the baby O?
All: What'll I do with the baby O?

Caller: What'll I do with the baby O?
All: What'll I do with the baby O?

Wrap him up in calico.
Wrap him up in calico.
Give him to his daddy O.
Give him to his daddy O.

That's what I'll do with the baby, O.
That's what I'll do with the baby, O.

That's what I'll do with the baby, O.
That's what I'll do with the baby, O.

Seeyahamba continues to inspire good singing and perhaps next week we'll move on to some harmonising.

Tuesday 11 September 2007

The New Season begins

Wonderful to get together again and also to welcome three new members -two of whom were there from the start - Joan Gemmell and Malcolm Douglas while the third, Mairi McArthur who had been passing on a walk, heard our singing and came to join in.
John, Gordon & Carol, Diana, Irene, Moira, Kate and Isla made 11 altogether and Jim. Rosemary and Sheila were all still on holiday.
GREAT NEWS!
We got ALL the money we asked for - £2527 from AWARDS FOR ALL which is administered by the Scottish Arts Council.
So now it’s full steam ahead to confirm our order to Studio 49 in Germany for Orff instruments and also to other suppliers for delicious things including a beautiful big cymbal, tunable hand drums and a large floor tom.
They should arrive at the end of September and the janitor is currently organising a good,lockable storage for us (all the instruments, that is!) in the C. E. centre.
NEW SONGS.
A ‘call and response’ song about a situation very common today, where grandparents, left in charge of babies, find themselves at a loss to know what to do with them ‘What shall we do with the baby, O?’
After this ‘warm up ‘ song we did some good singing in SIYAHAMBA a song from South Africa, eventually blending in some drumming. Like many African songs this will benefit from adding harmony which of course will be a dawdle for us next week.
Several of us had read about the U.K.’s oldest woman who attributed her longevity, surprisingly, to salt and this had started me thinking about Scotland’s staple of not that long ago which was tatties and herring, salt herring, of course.
Our final song of the morning, therefore, was The Jolly Herring.
Best wishes to all,Moira.

Sunday 2 September 2007

Enjoy Music -- Why not have a go -


Enjoy Music is a group of enthusiasts who meet to develop their own musicality in a way thats active, sociable and fun. The group is led by Moira Jakobbson in musical activities involving movement, singing and playing instruments, based on the Carl Orff approach to education in music, his arrangements, as well as a wide range of other music
Click on the banner above to read all about it --- Great fun and you don't really have to be able to sing --- Your webmaster can vouch for that !!

Wednesday 9 May 2007

Tuesday Morning Practice Session

Here are some of the group at our Tuesday session at the end of last year