Happy St Patrick's Day - To all at Enjoy Music

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WE WARM THE BODY AND THE SOUL

The music of the Icelandic group SOUTH RIVER BAND, the track called A DRAM BEFORE BREAKFAST, gave us a tuneful, rhythmic lead for our clapping and moving round the circle activity. This was both warming and hilarious - amazing how easily a mix-up can develop - but by the third try we got it right, which was hugely satisfying. I'm willing to bet it'll be perfect first time next week.

Owing to a combination of circumstances _ my trusty early morning helper had answered a child minding call and I was delayed having a flat tyre attended to - there was no time to lay out the instruments which meant we had a singing morning.

We warmed up the voices with a short melody for vocalising by Wolfgang Hartmann which will be very effective when sung in canon.

Good to feel the confidence and especially the support from the resolute singing in the bass part in the choruses of I'LL FLY AWAY. Three sections of the group sang a verse each and by the end of the song, feeling the effect of the good harmonies, we definitely 'flew'.

We are still working on ROW ON but moving into a new phase as there's now a real feeling of understanding coming through when we sing the harmonies in the chorus and this, together with the beautiful text in the verses, means I can hear it becoming a firm favourite with our group.
We ended the morning with some joyful singing of JULIAN OF NORWICH, ALWAYS THE SINGING and MANDELA DANCED IN THE SQUARE.

KEY TRIALS

Finding the optimum pitch for a song sung in unison in our group of mixed voices is quite a challenge and we explored the possibilities fully this morning with JULIAN OF NORWICH  - a lovely song for a spring morning. We sang it low, with resonant basses, we sang it high, our sopranos soaring, we sang it middle, altos smiling, before finally settling on a key where I could see lots of confirming nods as everyone realised this was the best compromise key. It was a good exercise to get the feel of our own and each other's voices and develop sensitivity to pitch.
We continued to work on ROW ON ROW ON, gaining confidence in those harmonies.
After the coffee we played WOLFGANG'S CANON but ran out of time for finishing the whole piece.

WE MADE IT!

4 Part vocal and 4 part instrumental.

Songs take some time to 'bed in' and this being our third week since starting ROW ON we were ready to learn the harmonies. The text comes from the diary of a 19th century whaling ship captain and the song, a beautiful, low melody with 3 very close harmonies gives the effect of strength and togetherness. Our high tenor led the low altos in a lovely part, the basses were led by a soprano singing low, two sopranos took the alto part and the other voices, alto and soprano, held the tune.

Now that's what I call adaptability! A good example of the strength of the group being greater than the sum of its parts, And what an enjoyable sing.

Similarly with Wolfgang's Canon, everyone played it well today and when we split into 4 parts there was that wonderful feeling that we could go on forever. After that there is always the opportunity to be creative with the music, to find ways of changing the timbre, increasing the tension, building up to a climax, before ending on a high, or beginning a gradual fade before the finish.
That's our challenge for next week - to decide on how to complete the piece.

Irene suggests that maybe we should try this now we're getting somewhere with the xylophones !!

Gordon and Carol wish all at Enjoy Music Happy St Valentines Day

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YES WE LEARNED OUR MUSIC.

The Ducks and Swans breaking the  ice (Click to enlarge)

It did pay off, even for those who don't read music, that Wolfgang's canon could be accessed on the blog last week. Today we were a real ensemble (they called it a band) and played the canon first straight through all together, then in two, followed by three, parts. Wonderful to experience the almost mesmeric effect of playing the piece, time after time, fitting in with, but yet in beautiful contrast to, the other parts.
We also started an new song today called ROW ON from Ali Burns' compilation, TEN THOUSAND PEARLS  - all of this between catching glimpses of the ducks trying clumsily to make their way over the thin ice on the pond which caused frequent hilarity.

HARMONY AND CANON

We started this morning to a track from the c.d. of Russian Dance Music compiled by the Russian/Dutch folklorist and dancer, Hennie Konings. The beautiful and remarkably open sounds of the singers inspired us to concentrate on singing gently with a relaxed and open throat. That focus led us into our version of Pachelbel's Canon which we sang in three part harmony and sounded specially good.
Next we sang the African song Banuwa with its rich harmonies.
Then we returned to I'LL FLY AWAY, remembering the three parts and enjoying how they fit well together.

After the coffee, with everyone on instruments, we learned this canon written by my good friend Wolfgang Hartmann. To begin with it's a great exercise to memorise the structure and shape of the melody, then it's good practice in crossing over the beaters and ultimately should be an effective and exciting sound played in canon with added percussion. That'll take some weeks but the process should be fun. I've copied the music here to give help with memorising, since you can't look at music while playing the xylophone!

Click to enlarge - then right click mouse below the music image to choose print

BURNS DAY

Wee sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie,
O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!
Thou needna start awa sae hasty
Wi bickerin brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee,
Wi murdering pattle!

This verse was just the ticket to get the voices going and loosen up the mouth muscles. At one point it felt as if the whole building resonated with these wonderful words as we walked around, all reciting in our best voices.
THE DEIL'S AWA WI THE EXCISEMAN is a tough one for those new to it and specially for our Welsh and English born members but its driving jig rhythm carries it along, more so when supported by the percussion, making it a joy to sing.
We did spend weeks last year learning GREEN GROW THE RASHES O and I was pleased to hear how well everyone remembered it. The men were effective in their verse "Gie me a canny hour at e'en" and the whole song sounded good.
Similarly with AULD LANG SYNE, which was also well remembered from last year. It's set low for the women's voices but since the men are comfortable and able to sing out the whole sounded rich and good.
We finished sharp at 12:00 to be in good time for our haggis lunch at Douglas Park Golf Club.

That was good food, songs and poetry readings all in the true spirit of ENJOY MUSIC!  ---- enthusiastic participation and warm appreciation from the audience.
I need say no more, as the pictures speak for themselves.   !



To see larger photographs CLICK HERE and then click on the slideshow

WE FIND OUR VOICES AGAIN

Listening to Custer LaRue this morning as we limbered up inspired us to vocalise the lovely melody of her song. The text, being in old Scots, is not clear so "la la" had to suffice; we enjoyed the brightness of the old tune and made a good sound.
We revived the old favourite which really invigorates the facial muscles I NEED A WAITER, in 3 part round which worked well and then moved on to LOVE SOMEBODY YES I DO, singing with gusto and harmonising the last two chords.
Coming back to HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING?, today we managed to lighten it up and make it flow as it should, with a full sound through the two verses and choruses.
In THE TURNING OF THE YEAR the extra attention we gave to opening our vowels and crisping up the consonants paid off with a much more lively sound and the thoughtful, almost meditative last phrase achieved quite a lovely tone, finishing with fine harmonies on the last two notes.
On the xylophones today we improvised melodies over jig rhythms played on percussion _ good practice and fun to enjoy the sounds of the instruments in this way.

BACK AFTER SEVEN WEEKS.

It wasn't easy to get started today as people, while eager to sing, had to catch up with each other after such a long break.
Amazing to tally that its really six weeks since we had to cancel our meeting and then our Christmas lunch because of the snow and listening to ourselves this morning we agreed the break had been too long and the voices had suffered. So the warm up took some time but we got off to a good start listening and moving to the beautiful voice of Custer LaRue with the Baltimore Consort singing the text from 1620 by the Scots poet Montgomerie, COME MY CHILDREN DEAR.

Listen to her singing IN A GARDEN SO GREEN---- CLICK HERE

Title: In A Garden So Green

Anonymous, pub. Forbes, Cantus, Songs and Fancies, 1662 Scotland

In a garden so green in May morening
heard I my lady pleen of paramours. complain
Said she, my love so sweet, come you not yet nor yet?
Heght you not me to meet amongst the flowrs? pledge
Elore, elore, I love my lusty love, elore lo.

The skies upspringis, the dew down dingis,
the sweet larks singis their hours of prime.
Phoebus upsprentius, joy to rest wentis
lost mine intent is and gone's the time,
Elore, elore, I love my lusty love, elore lo.

Danger my dead is, false fortune my feid is, enemy
langour my leed is, but hope I despair. dreariness, song
Disdaine my desyris, so strangeness my feir is,
deceit out of weir is, adew I fare.
Elore, elore, I love my lusty love, elore lo.

Then to my lady swyth did I my presence kyth, swiftly, make
saying, my bird be blyth, am I not yours?
So in my arms two did I the lusty jo
and kisst her tymis mo then night hes hours.
Elore, elore, I love my lusty love, elore lo.

Live in hope, lady faire and repell all dispaire.
Trust not that your true love shall you betrase. betray
When deceit and languor banished is from your bowre. refuge
I'll be your paramour and shall you please
Elore, elore, I love my lusty love, elore lo.

Some weeks ago Rosemary had given me the words and music of HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING? and today we learned this beautiful hymn, singing it many times.
My life flows on in endless song
above earth’s lamentation.
I catch the sweet, though far off hymn
that hails a new creation.

No storm can shake my in-most calm
while to that rock I’m clinging.
Since love is Lord of heaven and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

Through all the tumult and the strife,
I hear that music ringing.
It finds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?

We followed this with THE TURNING OF THE YEAR, the song which celebrates the lengthening of the days, before stopping for coffee. Hearing the JAMESTOWN JIG I realised that some good practising had taken place over the holiday period. The fingers were nimble and at last the parts fitted comfortably together.
In a quick discussion at the end of the morning it was clear that everyone was in favour of the idea of having a Burns Lunch on 25th January. We'll now try to arrange that.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL ALL READERS

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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR READERS

The Fell's Robin

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ENJOY MUSIC AND CHRISTMAS LUNCH IS CANCELLED

Due to continued bad weather the final session of enjoy Music was cancelled. The Christmas lunch that was to be held at Douglas Park Golf Club was also cancelled.
However Gordon and Carol walked there and had some Christmas Cheer!
Here are some pictures to show you the scene.
Hopefully we will arrange something in the New Year.

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SNOW SNOW SNOW !!

"After I heard that a number of our members were snowed in, I walked down to the Community Centre to check the conditions there and found the car park still deep in hard packed snow. That's when I decided to call off our session this week and a lucky thing too since it snowed a lot later that day. We're all missing the music and are trying to come to terms with the surfeit of weather news. Here's a comment on that."

Weather Girl on TV
A poem by Lorn Macintyre

She's dressed for summer, not the big freeze,
moving like an automaton, as if a key's
in her derrière as she wheels to the map.
Dire warnings sound like a thunder-clap,
hands spinning as she reels in a tornado
from north north east of the Faroes.
Is she going to kick off her Jimmy Choos,
swing on an isobar across to Toulouse?
She clicks the button in her hand
and bad weather masses over Shetland.
'Six inches of driven snow for Grampian.'
Not one of them has a complexion
wrinkled by sun. Who wants a plain Jane
when we're being warned of a hurricane?
But I'd prefer a toothless old crone
to come hobbling on a stick, moan
that her lumbago presages a cold spell.
Her hands claw, as if climbing to Mid Yell.
Should I put on my thermal vest
now more snow's massing in the west?
Tonight the temperature will plunge,
she warns us, with a final lunge,
head-first into the Irish Sea,
pulls herself up off Kirkcudbright.
My deep depression is clearing.
Her daft antics really are endearing.

Looking forward to our music next week followed by the Christmas lunch. Keep cosy, Moira.

WE CAROL IN THE ADVENT

Our Warm up today is with this Pfeif Drauf music

It's good to uncover an old, neglected carol (since we finish for Christmas on 7th December, we have to start early) and we did this today with THE CAROL OF THE BAGPIPERS, from Italy. It has a strong, rhythmic undertow of six triplets in two beat measures, but it's remarkable how in spite of this, the quality of the music is quite different from the jig and it will be exciting to feel it as we become more familiar with the carol. The melody has a lovely flow but as in all groups of mixed voices, we took some time to agree (?) on the key which would suit everyone best. I'm not sure if we're there yet. Next week will be decision time.
It's always a joy to revisit the old carols and the French CAROL OF THE ADVENT, to the beautiful English text by Eleanor Farjeon, is a group favourite. It was a good sing.
Finally this morning the solid rhythm section and the confident glocks playing the tune made our JIG on the instruments a joy to play. We repeated it many times really settling in to feel of it.

THE PITCH BATTLE

A cold morning in a cool room with a draught coming under the door is not conducive to feeling comfortable and singing well and the particular outcome today was that pitch continually dropped downwards. However, high we started out we always ended singing in our boots. Even those with low voices noticed it and then it's really bad. Alison Burns commented during her day with us that the low ceiling was not helpful for keeping good pitch but of course it's also a 'mind over matter' thing. We addressed it by thinking 'up', lightening our voices and what made the most difference was becoming more familiar with the music so that we were less tense and heavy about it. Confronting the problem really paid off as the singing gradually improved until we did achieve that tingle moment in Pachelbel's Canon to 'Alleluyia' when the four parts blended well and we were actually listening to each other while singing.
The good sound continued in I'LL FLY AWAY which we are now able to sing confidently and you can just feel how much this song appeals to the group.

Before starting out on the JAMESTOWN JIG, we spent some time all together, practising the jig rhythm with its two-beat metres, the beats often sub-divided into triplets and getting the feel of playing these with two beaters. This is a learning process for the hands and the brain, which can take some time until it becomes automatic. Young drummers in pipe bands take years so we shouldn't be surprised if it feels awkward in the short time we spend on it.
In the end, the jig played on all the instruments, underpinned by the rhythm section of three, really had my feet tapping!

HARMONY IN SONG AND A JIG WITH RHYTHM.

My expectations were high this morning, for achieving a good sound in Alleluyia to Pachelbel's Canon and I wasn't disappointed. Being familiar now with the harmonic progressions meant that we picked up the four parts almost effortlessly, bringing them together, singing and listening to each other, to make a wonderfully full harmony. That's the kind of enjoyment that cheers a cold winter's morning!

After several weeks of playing bits of the JACOBSTOWE JIG we returned to it today and spent some time on the percussion parts. The quick beats of the jig proved quite a challenge for the hands on the bongos but the decision to use sticks instead was a good one and after some minutes the rhythm was flowing and the bongos together with the skulls proved a fine 'driver' for the energetic jig, which sounded good in the four parts on the barred instruments.
This will be a good addition to our instrumental repertoire.

ENJOY MUSIC WITHOUT MOIRA

Led by Diana --- today's session opened with "CROSS CRAWL" exercises to warm us up followed by some beautiful slow movements to " I AM BODY PRAYER" sung by Aled Jones to PIE  JESU

Isla then had all the group engaging in diaphragmatic breathing and  vowel exercises.
Sue followed on with 3 poems, FRIENDSHIP by Elizabeth Jennings, followed on by "A LARK" and "THE SMALL GIANT" by Kenneth C Stevens.
Joan was next and she beautifully played THE SHEPHERD'S SONG by Mendelssohn on her flute and this was followed on by us all singing GREEN GROW THE RASHES O.
After coffee Jim got out his Penny Whistle and played 3 Scottish Tunes --- MY BOY TAMMIE, LEA RIG AND THE YELLOW HAIR'D LADDIE.

Irene was next and had us all singing 3 parts to Jean Redpath's BOTTLES OF POP / FISH AND CHIPS AND VINEGAR / DONT CHUCK YOUR MUCK IN OUR BACKYARD !!
Diana then read out 2 of her own beautiful  poems that she had written --- BUTTERFLIES and PRESENCES
Don't have the words to put on the web --- but thought you might all like this --

A new song was then introduced by Isla called the "SHOEMAKER'S SERENADE" which we all agreed was "Tickity Boo" !
Sheila finished with another poem - 'SONG OF THE MOUNTAIN ASH FAIRY'

The morning session was then rounded off  with a couple of our old favourites JULIAN OF NORWICH  and BEAUTIFUL AFRICA

An enjoyable morning was had by all and thanks to Isla for being the leader today-- However, we look forward to next weeks session on Moira's return from Copenhagan

WE REVISIT LAST WEEK'S SONGS

Fire Drill Practice ! - (click to enlarge)

We opened today with music from a Gaelic singer new to me at least, GRIOGAIR LAWRIE. I played the track ORAN DO'N MHORAIRNE which has a lovely lilting rhythm, just right for our warming up movements. Unfortunately our two Gaelic speakers were not with us (probably on one of their frequent trips to Skye) but I look forward to hearing their translation of the text when they get back.

 Of course we had to try to follow up on last week's session with Alison Burns and we started with her arrangement of PACHELBEL'S CANON sung to 'ALLELUIA" which was just getting going when the fire alarm rang with the result that we had a five minute sing in the open air, on the steps beside the pond. In spite of the morning chill, it felt good and I did hear the comment, "We should do this more often".

Coming in from the cold, we sang the lively EARLY IN THE MORNING, which had a warming effect, after which we listened to the CD track of Fly, Fly, Fly, joining in the chorus which we'd learned last week. Good to sing to the wonderful banjo accompaniment and this is one we'll work on in future.




We are gradually building up our skills on the instruments and all I'll add is that I feel sure we're on the verge of a breakthrough with the JAMESTOWN JIG. (!!!!!!!!)

I'll be away next week and will be back on 2nd November but I know the group will as ever, rise to the occasion next Tuesday, creativity to the fore, and arrange an enjoyable musical morning together.