29 January Update

Week 4 of 6 (Half Term 1)

In this week's update, we have our usual Coffee Notices, a rehearsal recap and some song facts about 'Run' by Snow Patrol.

☕ Coffee Notices

Possible performance dates: Lizzy has spoken to the West Norwood Feast advisors to book us in to sing at this very popular event. The first Feast of the year is on Sunday, 5th April, and we would be singing on the steps of the church, as before, at midday.

We realise this is a bank holiday (Easter Sunday), so we asked for a show of hands to see who is likely to sign up. Whilst some are unsure about availability, it looks as though we may have the numbers to go ahead, so registration details will be shared ASAP.

If you are not able to sing on 5th April, we are also booked at Feast on Sunday, 6th June, at the same time (midday). We are also looking at other spring and summer performance opportunities, and will let you know as soon as we have an update.

🎤 Rehearsal Recap

Warm-up: This week, Elena asked us to imagine using a hand puppet - opening and closing our fingers as if the puppet were singing. We then sang a scale while watching our hands.

What we noticed was that, as the notes got higher, we naturally opened the upper part of our hands more. Elena explained that this mirrors what we often try to do when singing high.

She encouraged us to think about doing the opposite for higher notes - opening the lower jaw more fully and imagining that we are singing down in order to go high.

Song 1 - Run, Snow Patrol (Leona Lewis version) This is a song from our historic repertoire, so while it is very familiar to many members, we spent some time revisiting the harmonies for those who are newer to the choir.

In the verses, the main melody sits very low – particularly for the sopranos – so Elena encouraged the altos to bring as much resonance into the sound as possible. She also asked us to add some 'swing and sway' to the lyric expression, similar to the approach we use in Somewhere Only We Know.

During the very high harmony sung in the final two choruses, Elena asked the sopranos to apply the technique we explored in the warm-up.

Although the song is available in the Music Library, Elena will review the parts and re-record where necessary, as we spent time in rehearsal clarifying the different harmonies.

Song 2 - Flight, Craig Carnelia

This week we revised what we learned in the previous rehearsal and moved on to the next section of the song – the 'ahhhh's. We continued to apply the note-pattern recording techniques explored last week.

There is a clear summary of this technique in last week’s bulletin, which you may find helpful to revisit if you haven’t already.

🎵Song Facts - Run by Snow Patrol

Run was written by Snow Patrol’s lead singer Gary Lightbody and first appeared on the band’s 2003 album Final Straw. Although it’s often heard as a romantic song, Lightbody has spoken about it more broadly as a piece about loyalty, protection, and staying connected when things feel fragile or uncertain.

Rather than telling a specific story, the lyrics are intentionally open. Lines like ‘I’ll sing it one last time for you’ and ‘light up, light up’ are less about literal action and more about reassurance – the idea of being present for someone, even when you don’t have the answers or the power to fix things. That emotional ambiguity is part of what has allowed the song to resonate so widely and be interpreted in different ways by different listeners.

When Leona Lewis recorded Run in 2008, the emotional focus shifted slightly. Her version leans into the song’s sense of vulnerability and hope, with a slower build and a more expansive, soaring vocal line. The arrangement opens the song out harmonically, which is why it works so well for choirs – the emotion comes from sustained lines, blended sound, and collective shape rather than from individual virtuosity.

For us as a choir, Run asks for restraint as much as intensity. Its power lies in holding the long phrases together, supporting one another through the harmonies, and allowing the meaning to emerge gradually rather than pushing it too hard.