Wednesday 14 May 2008

ICELANDIC FOLK SONG, IRVING BERLIN AND SCOTS SONG VIA ORFF.

Beginning with a good vocal warm up, we then introduced more recent members to the Icelandic folk song for the coming of summer, NU ER VETUR UR BAE and after singing it several times, could really appreciate the beautiful morning and the promise of summer ahead.
Irving Berlin's LAZY, from 1924, was next, always an enjoyable sing and it was even suggested it should be our signature tune!
We ended the session by adding the drum and cymbal to the parts learned last week for Carl Orff's setting of 'The Fair Lady", a powerful version of the Edinburgh song about the ghost of Mary Queen of Scots.
Since so many are unable to come to next week's meeting, the last before the summer, we'll skip the lunch this time and simply round off the year with a good coffee break chat and plenty of music.

Thursday 8 May 2008

A DRUMMING MORNING.


Our meeting was led this morning by Signy Jakobsdottir, percussionist who provided us with a variety of instruments and really gave us the chance to explore the world of percussion. We showed our two years' experience of group playing, picking up the ideas and keeping a good ensemble as we divided into parts playing different rhythms.
Brazil met Milngavie when we put our energies into the roto toms, hand drums, tambourin and bass drum for a full 'call and response' Brazilian style.
Here we could really work out the aggressions, if we had any, or feel the exhilaration of that high energy playing.
The morning ended with a complete run through of "White Swans", song and instruments. We're now becoming more relaxed with an A-B-A structure and getting the idea of joining the sections smoothly together.
I thought the swans would start to salsa round the pond!