Many Thanks to the 18 People Who Responded!

Singing for Pleasure. December 2014

Many thanks to the 18 people who responded!

My brief comments italicised and underlined.

How do you rate the following songs which we have sung this term?

[Now presented in Hit Parade order!]

I like it a lot / It was OK / I didn’t like it much / I don’t remember it/didn’t sing it.
Gaudete! Christus est natus / 15 / 3 / 0 / 0
Laudate Dominum / 12 / 6 / 0 / 0
I dreamed a dream / 12 / 5 / 1 / 0
Christmas medley / 11 / 6 / 0 / 0
Rocka ma soul / 11 / 5 / 1 / 0
Oh, what a beautiful mornin’ / 9 / 8 / 0 / 0
Mungu yu mwema / 8 / 7 / 3 / 0
Christmas candle / 9 / 7 / 0 / 0
New year carol / 9 / 6 / 1 / 0
Amen / 6 / 9 / 1 / 0
Jean Harlow / 6 / 5 / 6 / 0
Baby sardine / 4 / 9 / 3 / 0
There was a pig / 3 / 5 / 9 / 0
Windmill in old Amsterdam / 3 / 5 / 6 / 0

If there are styles or particular songs you would like to sing please indicate here:

Abba Songs with a good beat Songs from musicals
I'm least interested in unison 'show' songs. I like there to be variety. I enjoy rounds. I'd be glad if we could find more items like 'Come, Come ye sons of art' - ie: 'proper' classical music within our capability. Is there a way of discussing whether overtly religious music is ok with people . . . because that would put Bach Chorales within our grasp. Also a few items that are just 'a good sing' - mid-range of pitch, plenty of volume, easy to sing, creating a really good physical sense of producing sound without strain.
Gospel
More occasional classical ones, like the Purcell. More folk songs.
The altos still struggle to hold their part and some of them find too many 4 part songs a bit much. Could you sometimes reduce the number of parts to 2 or 3 by combining some of the voice types on 1 line? Good idea. I’ll do what I can.
Yes, gospel/ spiritual. World music, particularly African songs. Anything with good harmonies, from classical to pop ! Also would appreciate songs from the likes of Cole Porter and Gershwin. Getting to grips with some Frank Sinatra classics is yet another avenue to explore. Could be far more specific on which songs I mean, if required.
I enjoy a mixture of styles - old, church music, rounds, folk, modern popular Some popular French songs for our holiday ?
One or two a bit more contemporary ones would be nice. Need to think of some examples. Maybe a Simon & Garfunkle one , even some Bob Dylan ones are melodious - eg :To make me feel your love,
I am happy to sing a wide variety of songs from classical, musicals, gospel and popular music.
Songs from shows.eg West side story .Carousel and folk songs off many countries
More joyous music, musicals or folk suitable for choirs.
Taize music

2. Taking everything in to account (preparation, performance, reception by the audience etc) please rate the following five gigs. You can just answer for the gigs you attended.

Very
successful / Quite
successful / Not very
successful
Sing & social (13 Dec) / 7 / 5 / 0
Townswomen’s Guild (15 Dec) / 2 / 6 / 1
Whittle Court (18 Dec) / 5 / 4 / 0

Additional comments:

people who sign to perform must turn up. When the group is small to start with my be you need a reserve list of people who can be called on if someone drops out at 24hour notice due to illness. Everyone should be committed to performing, not duck it because they don`t feel they are good enough. Risk it because we know from rehearsals that the total sound of the choir is good.Don`t worry if they feel they are a passenger at first. They will gain in confidence by doing it. How about a more coordinated dress code for performance. A colour code of say red and black for Christmas. The choir would then look more cohesive for the audience and singers would feel dressed for the occasion
It would be interesting to do some more public performances. Nothing like performing to improve things. However, I appreciate this is not to everyone's liking.
Liked repertoire - devoid of popular carols Social - Disappointing attendance by family/friends. Townswomen's Guild - you leading the audience participation overcame the non-attendance problem. Well done John
The list was full when I looked. Sorry not to have been able to help on these. Occasions, particularly as I have since heard that some people did not turn up!
As you've already mentioned, how we sat on the 13th skewed the overall sound, as the sopranos to the back and the bass section at the front tended to overpower everyone else. Rather than in rows, perhaps each 'group' could be seated in blocks together i.e. altos together, then basses, then tenors and lastly sopranos. We
Although it was a shame that we had to split the singers . it worked well.

3. How do you learn the music? (You can tick more than one box!)

I learn, mostly by heart, during each session only. / 7
I learn during each session only and find that the written music helps. / 9
I support my learning between sessions by playing the music on an instrument. / 5
I support my learning between sessions by asking someone else's help / 1
I support my learning between sessions by using the available MIDI files. / 8

Other comments or ways of learning: Very interesting, and encouraging to see the use of Youtube!

I find utube very helpful when learning songs that are In Latin or other languages. Also, whilst I appreciate that some singers may not want to take part in performances, I feel that the end of term social events and public performances help to concentrate our efforts and bind us together as a group.
It's good to have the music. I *really* dislike learning by ear only, except for very simple rounds. If there are lines that are beyond my sight-reading, or are otherwise difficult, I use a keyboard to learn them between sessions.
I learn by ear and listen to the songs on utube
Listening to the sons being sung on Youtube
I often think it would be worth organising a workshop to cover the basic rudiments of harmony, timing and dynamics relating to singing. So, for example, an appreciation of intervals, chord structure, harmonic structure, key signatures and time signatures is what I personally would find helpful. Just a thought!
Reading the music. I find learning by ear/heart is increasingly difficult (age)
...and find that the music helps !
Practicing on my own at home.
I find with harmony it is getting the first note correct that is the key. It might be useful to record from the front to see what the harmony sounds like because quite often I don't know if I was singing the harmony correctly. Very interesting. I could make a MIDI file of the full harmony so once the part has been learned you could sing along with the full sound.

4. What was good for you this term?

Feel my confidence has grown
Singing and making new friends Planning and looking forward to outings and trip to France
I always enjoy our sessions. I think splitting the sopranos into two sets was a good idea.
Making some new friends within the group. The general pace and demands made for musical accuracy my .BUTconcerns joining in singing each other`s parts. It is good is good for extra practice in picking up a part but it is fatal for the altos to sing the soprano line. Many of them go on to the soprano line anyway and singing the part just reinforces that. Some of the best alto voices are people like X and Y who rarely sing out unless they are really confident.Many of the altos have soprano tone really but have transferred because they can`t make the high notes.The altos joing in with tenor and bass lines is fine but not soprano
The general feel good feeling engenderd by being part of the Choir. Musically, the range and breadth of material of material covered has improved my singing since joining the Choir, just over a year ago. It is always an uplifting experience singing each Wednesday.
Choice of music - interesting arrangements - rounds, descants - guitar accompaniments. some hard work, attention to detail to improve performance. Availability of music Relaxed friendly atmosphere. Repositioning of voices helps me, because I couldn't hear at the back.
As usual, the friendly, team approach and your prof. leadership. Having said that, I think we could be encouraged/pushed sometimes to do a bit more at home on some items. I think generally (myself included) that we are at times a bit laid back, go from week to week , turn up for a singalong but should concentrate more.
Your leadership, the variety of music sung, the good fun that we have and the friendliness of everyone. An uplifting experience every week.
The end of year concert.
Introduction of strings. Number of singers seems to have stabilised to a managable group
The whole experience of health benefit and enjoying doing something well. Also the humour and social aspect.
The Latin pieces

5. What was not so good?

I struggle with latin
Having a cough too much of the time!
Having to miss sessions because of family commitments.
Sorry didn`t see this. my BUT about altos joining the soprano line.
Not much, really !
Slow to get everyone involved in exercises (very useful!) because of chatter. Talking when you are giving instructions. .
I think we missed a "blockbuster number" this term eg Je ne regrette rien.
Only a minor comment - I think we could have done with more sessions practising the Christmas music. Not a problem for me, but I am aware that some members who are hard of hearing don't always hear what you say, but I am sure that they can speak for themselves. I understand this.
Not enough practice of some carols.
Planning during sessions for a holiday that is not manageI understand the reasonsable for many of us - this would, perhaps, be better done at a non-singing time. The French trip has been mentioned on two occasions since the start of term. It would be difficult to engender interest without mentioning it!
The noise when we get it wrong
The rounds

6.If you have other comments, for instance about the style of the sessions, their format, teaching style etc, please add them here.

I wonder if there's room for some teaching of eg: intervals, pitching named intervals, aiming at accurate pitch, etc, singing major and minor scales . . . . as part of the warm-up?
it would be a good idea for members of the choir to make suggestions now and then. Not sure what this means. Perhaps the respondent could clarify?
Thank you for your hard work for this group. It is always good fun.
It was great having a pianist for the performance .Is there anyone who could help with some of the rehearsals as we learn the parts saving you going forward and back. I could do it if you think my help would really help. Or has anyone a spare keyboard so that you could keep it at the hall and then use it always facing forward. Less strain for you. I is Ann Smith.
It is very helpful to have an accompanist, especially one of Roger's calibre. Taking a leaf out of Bruce Knight's book we could move about a bit more, gather in a circle to sing, just to loosen things up ! This, of course, needs to be tailored to the song. John, thanks for the opportunity to complete the survey. The comments and views given are personal and very much based on my own musical tastes, development and activities relating to playing the guitar and saxophone. May sound daft, but since taking up singing with the Choir playing the sax is so much easier. Must something to do with breath control and a better understanding of song structures . Best wishes, Peter Atkinson
Happy on the whole Your voice doesn't always project. When returning to repeat a phrase, it isn't always clear where you are going from! Reference to bar numbers would help. Arrangements and repeats in rounds are sometimes confusing - instructions not always expressed clearly. Jean Harlow for instance - fun but confusing! I need the see the words as its sometimes difficult to pick up slang (I was not alone here). Popular songs as in the Medley - well know
Style/format is pretty good as is. Not sure the massage is that universally favoured and perhaps could be sacrificed for a bit more exercise/ breathing and fun vocalizing warm ups.
Happy with existing format and teaching style - thank you to you and Marian for making it all possible.
I do enjoy our singing together, there are so many lovely people who I have met through sin ging together, Thank you Marian and John.
I understand the thinking behind the floor-exercises at the start of the session, but I still HATE it !