h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

OK - I'll give you another second to place that line.

Shouldn't be difficult.


On Monday I went along to have a look at a new project choir. It was the first rehearsal. The theme: Queen songs.

The arrangements (done by the conductor himself) were really nice. Well, I say arrangementS - he only had Bohemian Rhapsody with him, and gave the impression that he hadn't done many others yet.

The style hit on the Queen sound as well as could be expected for a large choir, but not too hard to sing. In fact, the results at the first rehearsal were really quite pleasing.

The most amazing thing about it was that at least 70-80 people turned up.

(Only 10 or so of them men, though!)

People of all ages, sizes and shapes.

The concert's in March. I'll try and stick with it - wonder how many we'll be at the end?

So

If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters

sounds interesting

>> People of all ages, sizes and shapes. <<

Any fat-bottomed girls?

RF

heh heh heh

March? *Next* March?? Spare him his life from this monstrosity!

The other great choral arrangement on A Night At The Opera is The Prophet's Song...why not give that a go?

RF

Well, I don't think I get much say in the choice of song, but if we're to fill a whole concert with stuff .... who knows which songs will come up.

Next rehearsal next Monday.

We will not let you go

Abysmal!

Second rehearsal over.

When we arrived last time, we just sat down as we entered the room, vaguely arranged in parts, but no one was asked if they were happy where they were, or told to go to another part. I spoke to the musical director about this last night. He said it wasn't his job to bother about which part people were singing - he couldn't test everyone's range individually. That's OK for a choir of this kind, but he could at least have given people a chance to shift to another part of the choir.

Anyway, I asked if the sopranos weren't little weak, and he said that the second sopranos were weakest in numbers. So I'll go and give them a hand (they are the ones with the most wrong notes, too)

So - next rehearsal on 21 May. The Show Must Go On.

"vaguely arranged in parts, but no one was asked if they were happy where they were" I've sung with loose arrangements like this. It's often meant that I've been able to switch from one part to another - I can/could manage soprano to tenor (at a pinch; depends on how low they go).

Sounds like fun!

I can manage soprano to tenor, too, ZSF, with some limitations on the very high notes. But some people in the project have very little choir experience, and should be offered a little help in that respect.

If it's not the job of the conductor to make sure everyone's sitting in a suitable place and can manage the notes - and also to see to it that the resulting sound is well-balanced and within the singers' range, to ensure that he gets the result he wants - whose is it then?

I *knew we were kindred spirits, TC!

"If it's not the job of the conductor to make sure everyone's sitting in a suitable place and can manage the notes - and also to see to it that the resulting sound is well-balanced and within the singers' range, to ensure that he gets the result he wants - whose is it then?" Good point! Maybe the conductor has difficulty in making decisions/disappointing people or genuinely believes that 'the people know best' and/or thinks that members of the choir are likely to know which voice suits them.

In most choirs the conductor will worry more about the balance of voices than what people are comfortable singing. I was pushed into the tenor section due to lack of tenors and stayed there for 16 years, even though I was always really a bass. Eventually I couldn't produce the high notes anymore and reverted to my natual bass voice.

Yes - I can live with finding my own level in the choir, but I agree that it is his job to sort out the amount of noise each part makes.

Anyway, this is a project choir and the first three rehearsals are "open" rehearsals, after which things will settle down and get serious. So perhaps he's saving his shuffling until things are really under way.

Well done on the third , Gnomon!

Excuse me if I said this before:

I saw a wonderful demonstration of sorting a choir at a barbershop weekend. People were invited to form a demonstration choir and stand anywhere in their own section. The choirmaster sang notes to each section, making a chord, and they sang it to Aah.

Each member was then asked to sing Aah or some other vowel individually, and at the end the choirmaster moved everybody around and demonstrated the sound of the choir again. It had gained enormously in quality and focus.

He then (not sparing the feelings of the ad hoc choir) told us his criteria for moving people, back/front and inside/outside of each rank.

At the back went the "drivers" (=too loud) and before them the "filters" (=too soft) and in front were the "clarions" (the ones you want to hear).

In the middle went the soft-focus woofly voices, at the ends of the rows went the most sharply focused voices. Voilà!

He taught me a lesson I'll never forget. At least, well, I haven't forgotten it yet.

Steamroller in, TC, and take over.

You know you want to!

I think I'll reserve Recumbentman's little bit of wisdom for another day, Sho, as I'm sure it'll come in useful. I don't feel I have any say as I'm not even a resident of the town the choir is held in.

Things are moving on. We have now mastered the following songs.

Bohemian Rhapsody
The Show Must Go On
Who Wants to Live Forever
Radio Gaga
It's a Kind of Magic
Killer Queen
I Want It All
I Want to Break Free

Coming up:

You don't fool Me
Living on My Own


The three concerts in March are almost sold out so two more in April have been arranged.