26 March Update
- Mar 27
- 4 min read
Week 5 of 5 (Half Term 2)
In this week's bulletin, we have:
Coffee Notices
A rehearsal recap
West Norwood Feast prep
List of Dates for the diary
☕ Coffee Notices
With our upcoming performance at West Norwood Feast on April 5th, we would like to have an additional rehearsal on Tuesday 31st March. Please keep an eye on Announcements in our WhatsApp community group for further details.
West Norwood Feast
All event details and a full lyric pack can be found on the Performing page.
Please aim to be at St Luke’s Church by 11.25am. Our warm-up will run for about 15 minutes (11.30am to 11.45 am). As the church may be in use, we will have to do this outside, on the quieter side of the building closest to the cemetery.
It's worth arriving early as parking is very tight. There are a number of buses which stop at the church, and the train station is a 2-minute walk away if you’d like to go by public transport.
The performance begins at 12 Noon and will run for 20-25 minutes. The setlist and running order are as follows:
Run
California Dreamin’
A Million Dreams
Keep on Movin’
Glorious (2-part lyrics)
Please wear your COTH T-shirt if you have one!
Note: Choir is on an Easter break for the next 2 weeks. We will return on the 17th April.
🎤 Rehearsal Recap
Warm-up:
Vicky led this week’s warm-up with a gentle reminder that our bodies need as much care as our voices when performing.
Body stretches relieve tension, increase blood flow, reduce the risk of injury, support your posture, and allow your body to breathe more efficiently.
Work on circling your joints and neck gently.
Stop before you strain any joint.
It can be done both sitting and standing.
Do not push past your physical limits.
Our vocal stretching was also a mind-and-mouth tongue twister. An old favourite, the 'One, One Two One' exercise, really puts you through your paces. Try not to rush the numbers, as that is when you trip up and end up giggling!
We also revived another old favourite with a 3-part canon of 'Sisi Sisi Dolada' or 'Banaha' - a traditional southern Congolese folk song from Katanga Province. It is a soldier’s song with a 'call and response' type flow. It is about a pineapple tree, a banana, and Auntie’s red hat! Like most childhood songs, it is probably left to the children’s imaginations rather than a literal translation.
For those who don’t know it or who would like to refresh their memory, the lyrics are:
Sisi, sisi, dolada,
Yaku sine ladu banaha.
Sisi, sisi, dolada,
Yaku sine ladu banaha.
Banaha, banaha,
Yaku sine ladu banaha.
Banaha, banaha,
Yaku sine ladu banaha.
Ha, banaha,
Yaku sine ladu banaha.
Ha, banaha,
Yaku sine ladu banaha.
Performance notes
The running order is:
Run
California Dreamin’ with a 3-part harmony
A Million Dreams with a 3-part harmony
Keep On Movin’ with 4 groups
Glorious with a 2-part harmony
Have your black folders organised by Sunday. This helps to keep everyone organised and running on time.
Run
The first half of the chorus ends with the word 'dear'. This is sung with a long 'eeee' and a short 'ar'. It should rhyme with ear. Remember to build volume and strength over the three chorus lines. Save your energy for a crescendo of sound for the final chorus. There is NO solo at the end.
California Dreamin’
This is sounding really good. We need the soprano 1 main melody group to power the song forward. Note: there is no break or delay before the 9th line, 'Stopped into a church', so this needs to be sung strongly and confidently by the soprano 1 group.
A Million Dreams
We’ve worked really hard on this. Build volume and strength over the three chorus lines. Follow Lizzy. The pacing of this song needs to be precise.
Keep On Movin’
We agreed in the session that both Soprano groups 1 and 2 will sing the 'ahhs' together throughout the song. The Soprano 1 solo (Box 4, page 1) will also be sung by both Soprano 1 and 2 groups.
Clapping happens for one chorus only. Watch Lizzy for instructions and follow the beat.
Glorious
The four 'soloist' lines will be sung in duets and trios. For this performance only:
Pair One; Ivna and Elizabeth
Pair Two; Vicky and Ivonne
Pair Three; Eva and Lesha
Trio Four; Sandra, Caroline, and Angela
Pace yourselves and build the power and strength throughout. The final box should finish our set magnificently. Ensure you save enough volume to complete the final harmony!
Dates for the diary
West Norwood Feast - Sunday 5 April
We're back, singing on the steps of St Luke's Church for the first West Norwood Feast of the year. Please see the Performing page for more details.
Penge Music Festival 2026 - April 24th
We've been invited to take part in Festival Friday at Penge Congregational Church. This event will take place as part of the festival launch and will be a celebration of local talent, including a selection of soloists and groups. We will have a 10-minute slot, so we'll sing around 3 songs. This will be a relaxed evening, and you are encouraged to bring your own drinks and snacks as you enjoy the friendly atmosphere.
It starts at 19.30 with our performance time tbc. This is an event for charity so performers and attendees are asked to pay a £5 contribution. More details and event registration will follow.
7th June - Winsford Garden Party
We have also been invited to sing at the Winsford Garden party - an event that will include other vocalists and musicians. Our performance will be some time between 12.15 -1.30pm. More details to follow.
