Dear all, this is a post kindly written by April. So anyone can post on the choir blog! But please send it to Lyn, Nicolette, Fiona or me for vetting first kay? :) Thank you! :D Love, JO
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Hi guys, I hope that you've been thoroughly enjoying your holidays! It's so much more relaxed than school days yeah? I also hope that while you enjoy the break, still keep in mind that we are all accountable members of the choir, and take time to practise this extraordinary gift of singing God has blest us with <3 span="span">
Now, this is what we went through on the 7/11/12...
Pieces covered:
1. Lenggang Kangkong & Rasa Sayang
2. Deck the Halls
3. In Dulci Jubilo
So, for Lenggang Kankong + Rasa Sayang, the main difficulty faced is not really the notes, with the exception of
Bar 9-10 for sops
Bar 7-8 for altos and mezzos
The main problem for this piece would be the rhythm particularly from bar 35-38 ( including the first beat of bar 39) where there are numerous triplets.
One tip that Ms Tham gave was to sing triplets as TRI-O-LA and 'normal' notes as TI-TI- (TA).
So this segment would be sung as TRI-O-LA TRI-O-LA TRI-O LA(TI) TRI-O-LA TRI-O-LA TI-TI-TA TRI-O-LA TRI-O-LA TI-TI TRI-O-LA TI-TI TRI-O-LA TI-TI-TA
Also, Ms Tham pointed out that for Malay songs the vowels and consonants should be spat out (enounciated clearly, projected)
I'll check with Huai-Jin or Athena about the pronunciation and post a sound clip to you guys soon.
Another smart suggestion Ms Tham gave for revising this piece is running through the piece by segments, then continuing to link the segments up to 'form' the ENTIRE piece.
I recommend that you clear up the pronounciation of the text also before coming for practise on 16th Nov, so that you don't stumble on the words. Before that, just replace the text with some other words like 'broccoli' , 'maccaroni', 'watermelon', 'one direction', 'justin bieber' or 'taylor swift' whatever...
Okay, for the next piece, In Dulci Jubilo Ms Tham wanted Bi Xuan's Octet ( Huai-Jin, Abigail Lee. Jane, Vanessa, Rui Jun, Bethany, Juhea, Lisa Koh and Stephanie) + Ankita + April to sing the verse 3 & 4 solo. This arrangement is subject to change depending on how prepared we are. Practise hard guys! Arrange 'sectionals' so we can sing with each other, encourage and support each other as an octet, section, and choir right? 我们是同甘共苦的伙伴，经历的苦涩经验、愉快的时光。。。。（
Important thing to note for In Dulci is that verse is a sort of 'call and reply' so when you sing through it try to listen out for the section that calls, and the section that answers their call, see how your melody replies and relates to theirs. If you have any difficulties, feel free to ask any senior about it.
Some more challenging portions include verse 4:
Hey sop 1s! Don't be afraid of the high notes okay? It's quite manageable once you warm up your voice. If you can't reach it on your own, sing it one octave lower first. We can work at it during sectionals... Jia you!
To all sections, remember to count! We have a unison note at pg 21, the bar below the page no 87. For the sop 2s and alto 1s that note is 'If' . Guys it may sound confusing but the note is an 'A'. Make sure every one is one the same note.
Here's the final part regarding practise on 7/11/12;
Alright the last piece learnt was Deck the Halls (pg 31). Be careful about this carol y'all because it is NOT what you sing during Christmas, at least not all of it.
Okay, one thing Ms Tham pointed out for this piece is that the feel should be happy and raw. That means that you shouldn't try to swallow your voice or keep it too chesty. Instead, try to bring your voice forward and resonate the sound. Got it? It's a Christmas carol, don't forget, so cheer everyone up with your voice!
Unusual/ Different portions include;
Page 32, first bar for sop 1s where the rhythm for 'fa la...' is not the same as the previous ones
Page 32, 2nd ' stanza' 1st bar also for sop 1s where the notes for 'fa la...' is different from the usual tune
*i'll send the sound clip for the mentioned slightly more challenging parts to your inbox shortly~ don't worry, you can manage it! Once you get it, it will be much easier because it is repeated. Jia you!!! ( translation: press on! You CAN do it!)*
P.S. I hope you could hear the metronome, and follow it first. I'm unsure of the actual tempo...
Pg 32, second 'stanza' to page 33, 3rd stanza, 2nd bar for altos
Please pay attention to your part and get it right the first round ʘ‿ʘ
Ms Tham was pretty upset that she had to go through it more than 4 times before it was accurately sung. The main problem was the notes.
* I'll try to play through it once on the piano. The recording will be sent to your inbox shortly too. Fighting!*
Love, April
