16 October Update

Week 7 of 7 (Half Term 1)

In this week's update we have:

• A rehearsal recap

• A full list of the upcoming dates for the diary

• Song facts: My favourite things

Rehearsal

Warmup:

This week, Elena encouraged us to project our voices forward by calling out a strong, confident “Hey you — stop there!”.

We then switched back to scales, keeping our mouths in the 'fish face' / 'Pingu' position. The aim was to sing each note evenly in both tone and volume, while keeping the air from escaping at the sides of the mouth - a continuation of our focus on breath control and resonance from previous weeks.

Songs we covered:

• Somewhere Only We Know

  We revisited Somewhere Only We Know to help the new soprano harmony settle in. Elena encouraged us to really connect with the emotion and meaning of the lyrics - to let the storytelling shape our phrasing and expression.

• My Favourite Things

  We also began working on a new arrangement of My Favourite Things, which now features two soprano parts and one alto part. The 'ahhhs' have moved from the altos to the new soprano 2 group (as they were sitting a little too high for the altos!). The changes have been reflected in a new lyric layout (see music library).

Here’s how the sections now work:

• Everyone sings the first part of the song in unison.

• Inside the boxed section:

  • Altos start with 'Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels'

  • Both soprano groups sing 'Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles'

  • Then everyone joins for 'Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings. These are a few of my favourite things.'

• Next, Altos and Soprano 1s sing 'Girls in white dresses…' while Soprano 2s sing the 'ahhhs.

• Finally, everyone sings 'Silver-white winters that melt into springs. These are a few of my favourite things.'

• The same pattern repeats on page 3 of the song sheet.

Alto harmonies

The alto harmonies are a little challenging but, with practice, we will get there! To help, we’ve marked up the lyrics to show where harmonies change - the annotated lyric sheet is here.

• Verse 1: We sing in unison until 'These are a few of my favourite things' - where 'favourite things' drops down note-wise.

• Box on page 1:

  • First 'favourite things' goes down (as above).

  • Second “favourite things' (before the chorus) - 'favourite' goes down as before, but 'things' goes up.

• Choruses: All lines are harmonised except 'I simply remember my favourite things', which follows the main melody. Note chorus 1 and chorus 2 are slightly different harmony-wise. You can find clipped recordings of both versions of the chorus in the music library.

• Page 2: Both 'favourite things' on page 2 have 'things' going down.

• Box on page 3: Favourite things' before the chorus has 'things' going up.
  

Music Library

All song lyrics and recordings are in the NEW Music Library. Details about how to access the new library (including the password) are in the COTH WhatsApp Chats.

SONG FACTS

My Favourite Things

• Written by Rodgers and Hammerstein for The Sound of Music (1959), My Favourite Things was originally sung on stage by Mary Martin and later immortalised by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film.

• The song lists simple pleasures - 'raindrops on roses', 'warm woollen mittens' - as a way of finding comfort when life feels heavy ('when the dog bites, when the bee stings…'). It’s a reminder that gratitude and imagination can lift our spirits even in the toughest moments.

• Musically, it’s an interesting piece; with a waltz rhythm (in 3/4 time) that gives it a lilting, dance-like feel. The melody constantly shifts between major and minor keys - mirroring that push and pull between cheerfulness and anxiety. This light and shade is part of why it’s so emotionally satisfying to sing.

• For choirs, My Favourite Things is so satisfying because it combines clear storytelling with a playful but precise rhythm. The familiar melody evokes warmth and nostalgia, but the harmonies (particularly in this new arrangement) give it fresh energy and sparkle.

DATES FOR THE DIARY

Keep an eye on the WhatsApp chat groups for details of how to register for events as the forms will be made available very soon.

THURSDAY 23rd October - Half term social @ Mozart's, Anerley

We are meeting at Mozart’s in Anerley for a half-term social. There will be drinks, food and probably a bit of singing. We'll start at 7.30pm - more details to follow.

TUESDAY 18th November - Stanley Arts Community Project (6:30 - 8:30pm)

We’ve been invited to sing at a free intergenerational supper club at Stanley Arts, exploring freedom and community. The event brings people together through food, conversation, and performance and we’ll be closing the evening with a short 15-minute set (around 2–3 songs). More information to follow.

THURSDAY 27th November - Westow House, Crystal Palace Christmas Light Switch-On 

Crystal Palace traders will be switching on the Christmas Lights for the town in a ceremony held at Westow House. We’ll be singing inside Westow House on the ground floor in the main space (facing the bar). The lights switch on is at 7 pm, and we are finalising our performance time (which will be after this). As this is still a choir night, we will be asking members to pay for the session (as we still have the hall hire, Elena’s time and other outgoings to cover).

Set list TBC.

SATURDAY 29th November - Maple Road Market (Penge) 

We will be singing at Maple Road Market* which, for the month of November, will be held in Anerley Town Hall. We will be singing 2 slots - most likely the first will be around 12 till 12.20 - then we'll have a 45 min break with the second performance at 13.15 (TBC). Our repertoire will be Christmas songs - list is also TBC (we'll be asking for suggestions at future rehearsals). Depending on the weather, we may be singing indoors or outdoors.

We'll share more information (and a registration form) as soon as we have it.

*The Maple Road Market is a volunteer led independent local market that was originally started in 1921. It stopped trading in 2010 but was brought back with help from the local community and Bromley council. It's held on the last Saturday of each month and features a mix of vendors and activities, ranging from art & craft to kids activities and hot food to health and wellbeing.

SATURDAY 13 December - Christmas Party at Mozart's

We’re back at Mozart’s in Anerley for our annual Christmas celebration — expect food, singing, fun, and likely a bit of bubbly. More details to come!

(Note: this date has been moved from the 12th to the 13th.)

FRIDAY 19 December - Stanley Arts Christmas Concert

Following on from the last 2 years, we’ll be singing as part of the Stanley Arts Christmas concert. We are asking the choir for Christmas song suggestions, which we will start rehearsing after our half-term break in October.

More details to follow!