19 Sept Update

WEEK 3 of 7 (half term 1)

This week you can read about:

• Rehearsal update

• Song facts - California Dreamin'

• Dates for the diary:

  • Saturday 29 November - Maple Road Market, Penge (Anerley Town Hall)

  • Friday 19 December - Stanley Arts Christmas concert

Rehearsal

Warmup: This week in our warm-up, we used our bubble tea straws. This straw technique is used to

help us warm up without straining our throats. The idea is that by singing through a straw (or similar wide straw, like a bubble tea straw), we narrow the outlet for the airflow — creating a gentle back-pressure that helps the vocal cords vibrate more efficiently and with less tension. Singers often use this as part of what's known as Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Exercises (SOVTEs). It helps with smoother transitions, less strain on high notes, and better control. Elena explained that the lip position used in this technique — that she sometimes refers to as the “fish face” (or like Pingu if you know the animation!) — is something we can also apply while singing. It is especially helpful for higher notes, as it improves stability and resonance.

Songs we covered:

• Glorious — Picking up from last week, we finished learning the full song, including the middle section that begins “As you feel the notes build...”. For now, we’re focusing on a two-part harmony: the main soprano melody and the alto line.

  We realised this meant a section of Verse 2 (usually sung by soprano 2) was missing. To fix this, from the start of Verse 2 the sopranos will sing:

After this, sopranos continue with the “oohs” in the second part of the verse, while the altos sing the next lines as before.

The Lyric & Audio Library now includes both the 3-part and 2-part lyric versions.

• California Dreamin' — We sang this in 3-part harmony. The sopranos split into two parts, with altos taking the third line.

• We also sang Jolene (revisited from week 1) - with Lesha singing the higher soprano part - and Somewhere Only We Know (from last week).

Song Facts California Dreamin'

Here are some interesting bits about California Dreamin’:

• It was written in 1963 by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips — they were living in New York City during a particularly cold winter, and the song expresses longing for the warmth and sunshine of California.

• It was first recorded by Barry McGuire, with The Mamas & the Papas providing backing vocals. Later, the version made famous by The Mamas & the Papas (released December 1965) became the definitive hit.

• The song is often associated with the “California sound” of the 1960s — folk rock / soft rock, nostalgia, evocative imagery of seasons, yearning, light vs. cold.

• It was not an instant smash everywhere, but gradually gained popularity; radio play helped spread it across the US. It’s since become one of the iconic songs of its era.

• Over the years, it’s been covered many times, used in advertising, film, and as part of popular culture thanks to its strong melody, emotional pull, and gorgeous harmonies.

Lyric & Audio Library

All song lyrics and recordings are in the Lyric & Audio Library on our website.

DATES FOR THE DIARY

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.

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!