26 February Update

Week 1 of 5 (Half Term 2)

In this week's bulletin, we have: Coffee Notices, a rehearsal recap including notes on Flight and a fresh look at A Million Dreams.

☕ Coffee Notices

West Norwood Feast Registration reminder

It's not too late to register for West Norwood Feast on Sunday 5 April. You can register here or look for the link in the WhatsApp Community Announcements group.

We have a couple of exciting singing opportunities in the pipeline – watch this space for more details.

Half-term subscriptions As it’s the start of a new half-term, this is a gentle reminder to pay your subs if you haven't already done so. It's a 5-week run, so the full rate is £45 and the concession is £22.50.

🎤 Rehearsal Recap

Warm-up:

Coughs and sneezes may spread diseases – and they certainly don’t help with singing! To keep our voices in top condition, Elena continues to guide us through techniques that support both our highest and lowest notes.

The well-named ‘Pingu Fish Face’ made another appearance this week. Although it may not be the prettiest look, it is extremely effective.

For low notes, it’s important to keep the throat loose and allow the jaw to drop. As we move up through the scales, we then open the soft palate to reach higher notes without straining the throat.

We also worked on transition notes, known as the passaggio. These are the ‘bridge’ areas in the voice where cracks or breaks can happen. Strengthening these notes helps us maintain a clearer, more consistent tone.

This week we used a ‘mo’ sound – think of the beginning of the word ‘more’. On the lowest notes, you should feel a gentle vibration in the throat, which indicates relaxed muscles. If you find yourself yawning, that’s usually a good sign! Singing with a relaxed jaw remains one of the most effective ways to produce a strong, healthy sound without strain.

Song 1 -Flight

Sopranos

• Box 7 In the third line beginning ‘catch a ship’, the word ‘catch’ is now sung at the same time as the altos, removing the previous half-pause.

• Box 8 There are three ‘ahs’ – hold, then drop the next note. This is followed by five descending ‘ahs’ that travel all the way down to the same end point.

• Box 9–10 transition Finish ‘High’ one beat sooner so you can take a breath before ‘I’ll’, if needed.

• Box 11 Your note sits lower than the altos – don’t let that throw you off. This bridge should feel contemplative, with a slightly sassy flow.

Altos

• Boxes 6 and 7 Avoid rushing the words. Stay steady and consistent. These lines should feel like a gentle lullaby, with the words flowing easily like waves.

• There is a half-breath between ‘obey’ (line 4) and ‘til’ (line 5).

• Box 11 Your first note is higher than the sopranos

• Box 12 (page 2) Elena has revised this section slightly so there is a more even delivery of the lines (check the new recording)

A Million Dreams

For some of you this song will be familiar, but for many it will be new. Elena has recorded it in three parts: alto, soprano melody, and soprano harmony. As these arrangements differ from versions some of us know, we’ll take our time learning them together.

At times, all three parts follow the melody, though the Soprano Harmony sings it an octave above the altos.

Next week’s bulletin will include a detailed, box-by-box breakdown in the same format we’ve been using for Flight.

All three parts are available in the Music Library for practice.

Word adjustments for all parts

Please mark up your printed copy with these changes. The online version has already been updated if you are printing your own.

Box 11 (top of page 2)

Second line: ‘They can say, they can say we’ve lost our minds’

Third line: ‘I don’t care, I don’t care, so call us crazy’

Box 13 (highlighted, page 2)

Second line: ‘Let me be part of it all’

Fourth line: ‘You may be right, you may be wrong’