Coming back to our warm up song EARLY IN THE MORNING today, it was obvious that the singing going home in the cars had paid off and the song had become embedded in the intervening time since last week. Those who were hearing it for the first time were completely swept along by the others, very quickly singing with confidence and enthusiasm. Strange how some songs simply facilitate our voices and in this one I could hear good high notes from some unlikely quarters!
Next we returned to GAUDEAMUS HODIE, revising the tune and the bass part, before adding the third, high voice which, sung softly and with clarity, completed the harmony in a beautifully balanced way. We did make a good sound.
The JAMESTOWN JIG, by Paul Wilson, Community Musician and workshop leader in Devon, has triplet rhythms which struck me as fitting perfectly with the names in our group and so that's how we learned first the rhythms and then the tune:
Gordon, Carol, Malcolm,
Moira, Sheila, Irene,
Gordon, Carol, Malcolm,
Isla, Kate and Ruth.
Middle section:
Joan Gemmel and Sue Ramage and
Joan Gemmel and Lyn,
Joan Gemmel and Don and
Valerie and Jim.
We then transferred our 'song', first section, onto the tuned instruments and added temple blocks, bongo and tambourine making a good ensemble sound. Next week we'll add the middle section.
After that considerable achievement we ended our morning session, leaving with a jig in our step.
