Tuesday 29 January 2008

Enjoy !

We warmed up to Shaun Davey's jig, Water Under the Keel from his suite The Brendan Voyage and after opening up the voices with a few scales, made our way through several songs learned some time ago. It was heartening to find that, almost in spite of ourselves, we had improved considerably. As I keep saying, the subconscious is a wonderful thing, doing all that consolidating for us while we're quite unaware.

Our new song today was Fareweel to Tarwathie, a song of the Dundee whalers, but unlike other sea songs, not one necessarily for helping the work along, but with its 3/4 time, gentle swaying rhythm and contemplative words, rather one for quite times on board, perhaps during dark evenings before sleep.

The scales on the instruments are progressing at a speedier pace now and music reading is coming along too.

Tuesday 22 January 2008

The Waterwheel Turns

After warming up the joints to Fats Waller’s ‘Numb Fumblin’, we filled the lungs and used the muscles to power up the voices for good, resonant tone in The Waterwheel.
Moving on to a fresh key, faster pace and Scottish setting, we revisited Air fal al al o, with its lively melody and beautiful long phrases.
To our delight, Mairi treated us to the Gaelic version, which led to a discussion and many questions about ‘mouth music’. As a result, Mairi sang a fine example of it for us - an inspiration in rhythm and melody.
We continue to practise our xylophone technique, now reading as well as memorising the music. We are improving, but if numb fumblin is what Fats calls his playing, I don’t know what we should call ours!

Monday 21 January 2008

M-and-S Music

Every body welcome.
No expertise needed.
Join a friendly group.
Orfully inspiring!
You'll be amazed.

Moira leads bravissimo.
Unexpected thrills happen.
Songs from round the world,
Instruments to try.
Come, make music, live!

by Rosemary Booth


Also, to copy a well known advert, "This is not just music, this is M-and-S music (Moira and Sundry friends)"

Tuesday 15 January 2008

The snowdrops can get the energy flowing and so can we!

Snowdrops
IMPROVISING CONTINUES _ Voices AND Instruments.

We warmed up the joints this morning to the happy whistling of the group Haindling, after which we were ready to fill the lungs and use the voice. Working on resonance, we each sang a short phrase using words endingin 'ng', which was echoed by all the group. Intonation, inventiveness and accurate listening are improving as is confidence to not only sing alone, but make up a phrase to sing!

The Waterwheel by Paul Wilson, in three parts, with its open vowels and long notes, is perfect for allowing us to focus on resonance andquality of tone, which comes of course from concentration and relaxation of the throat and after singing it through several times we were also beginning to feel the harmonies fitting together.

We used a good block of time for practising on the instruments today and by the end the beaters were not quite flying back and forth but certainly sounding more secure and confident, so that when each person in turn was asked to improvise,using only two notes,a short phrase which everyone would echo, the music flowed beautifully.

The business meeting which followed was a chance to check the financial health of the group, allow members to make suggestions and form a plan for the months ahead as well as next year.