3 October Update

Week 5 of 7 (Half Term 1)

In this week's update we have a rehearsal recap, a new date for the diary (Christmas party at Mozart's on 13th December) and some fun facts about the song Keep on Movin' by 90s boyband, Five.

Rehearsal

Warmup:

This week we worked on scales, repeating the same exercise three different ways: first with a lip trill, then with a 'gnnnn' sound, and finally with 'fvvv'. We kept our lips pursed to prevent air escaping the sides of the mouth and compared how much breath each technique needed (some felt the lip trill used the most, others thought it was the 'fvvv').

Elena then showed us how to practise at home using two straws placed horizontally on either side of the mouth, pressed against the cheeks with the straws pointing forward (see diagram). The idea is to run through all the vowels without letting the straws move - this helps us learn to produce sound while preventing air leakage from the sides of our mouths..

Songs we covered:

• Keep on Movin’ — We revisited this one and reminded ourselves to sing it with timbre so our voices stay strong, clear, and match the song’s feel. Here is the recording we did of the song from the rehearsal: Rehearsal 02 Oct: Keep on Movin'

• Hallelujah I Just Love Him So — We moved from two-part harmony (soprano + alto) into three parts, adding a second alto line. The result was a richer, fuller sound. Big thanks to Lizzy and Lesha for helping by joining the alto 2 section, and to our new members for stepping into the alto 2 harmony with confidence.

  Note: The current recordings in the Lyric & Audio Library are in the original (male-voice) version. We adapted the lyrics for a female perspective, and Elena will record new tracks to match the updated arrangement (including the third voice) for your home practice.

Lyric & Audio Library

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

SONG FACTS

Keep On Movin’ (by Five)

• Keep On Movin’ is a song by the British boy band Five, released on 25 October 1999 as the second single from their album Invincible.

• The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Five’s first UK chart-topper.

• The song has a hopeful, uplifting message - about pushing forward, resilience, and perseverance - which fits well with our choir performance, especially when we bring out the harmonies and energy.

• Its warm, mid-tempo pop sound, along with its memorable melody and harmonies, makes it well suited for our recent focus on timbre.

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.

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!