HARMONY AND HARMONICAS

Improvised movements to Dramm Fyrir Dagmal or Whisky before Breakfast, by the Icelandic group South River Band, got us off to a good start with the ideas flowing freely one after another round the group and after warming up the voices to Kumula Vista, we experimented with harmonising some major chords.
We were then ready to take up the three parts of Senua, the African welcome song, giving a rich harmony. The singers then had a break during which Carol, Malcolm and Jim tuned up their harmonicas.
Finally putting the whole thing together, the harmonicas sounded good playing the tune supported by the group humming in 3 part harmony, after which we sang the song through, _ a heartfelt WELCOME.
Air Falalalo also benefited from the three harmonica accompaniment in the chorus and we'll work on this again next week.

Joan and Diana's flutes sounded good in the verses of Carl Orff's BOOMFALLERA, but we need to brush up our various instrument parts in this.
As always, we ran out of time, leaving plenty to pick up on next time.

A BEATER BOUNCING MORNING

After warming up to the music of the icelandic group, South River Band we got right down to practising on the instruments.
Scales, patterns, ostinatos _ we whizzed through them this morning, eventually playing, in 2 parts, the 'Instrumental Piece' from Orff's 2nd volume of compositions for percussion ensemble and we can now begin to hear the distinctive, charming quality of these arrangements.
In spite of having to sing over hammering and drilling from next door due to refurbishment of that room, our Boomfallera sounded out loud and clear and the instrumental parts of that are even coming together.
I look forward to incorporating flutes and mouth organs next week when Jim, Malcolm, Carol, Joan and Diana bring their instruments along.

Happy Valentines Day to all our readers

A BRIGHT SOUND ON A BRIGHT DAY.

On this beautiful spring morning, we opened to the harp music of Alison Kinnaird, slowly limbering up the joints till we had a good posture for singing.
With several members doing other things today our sound was smaller but ARE WE GETTING INTO HARMONY! ----- We are harmonising the WATERWHEEL in a good, relaxed way as well as learning to harmonise the final chord in a unison song, choosing our own notes.
The bonus of being a smaller number is that we have more opportunities on our 8 instruments and there truly was a bright and fresh sound today as we learned the lower line of our instrumental piece, finally putting the two parts together. This hydrant is a good metaphor for our sound --- bright and shiny outside and high pressure underneath!

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.

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!

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)"

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

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.

Happy New Year

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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

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Have a Boom-Fa-llera Christmas

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
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Christmas song to all the Enjoy Music Class
Singing Christmas Card from your Enjoy Music Webmaster

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

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A Grey Winter Morning

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.

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

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.

Our Singing gets a boost

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.

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

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.

The Beaters are Bouncing !

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.

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.

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

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Thanks go to Jakob for taking the photographs today