for Monday the 4th of june 2012

Hello Harmonise,
To see "God be in my Head", a special request, please click here .  Please print 2 copies for Monday (it's only one page) and this will cover for people who haven't got access to a printer.
The list of songs people want to sing this term "malfunctioned".  Sorry about that.   Try again here.
There is a Taizé evening at Ros Watt's on Wednesday the 13th of June.  Please ask Ros for details and/or directions next Monday.
See you on Monday    Jane 

For Monday the 28th of June

Hello Harmonise,

See you on Monday!     ... Jane

Hello Harmonise,
Big thank you to all those who sang at and supported our singing at Loud and Proud's concert.  We acquitted ourselves well, despite being very small!!

Here's some sneak previews of the concert video for your edification ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qeUErnWoZY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z6mL1RhIYY&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X89S8sUTUog&feature=relmfu

For next week, if you haven't got a copy, please print out Reconciliation here.  And look out your copies of Warm.  We'll start that for the whole choir next week, too.

For your diaries: 
David Burbidge has been in touch to say that 30 singers in the Cerknica Choir from Slovenia are doing a free concert in St Giles at 12.15 on Wednesday July 11.  They will sing a selection of songs from Slovenia - as well as some songs in English including the Irish Blessing, see   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhhGtmDE3MI 

David says "It would be lovely if you could join us. Could you let your fellow singers and contacts in Edinburgh know?"

Fee paying has been pretty painless for our treasured treasurer this term - just a few miscreants .. come on, pay up!!

If you want to know which songs were requested for this term, click here.

Sathanao are a terrific Georgian choir.  They are singing in Edinburgh this Wednesday the 16th, 7pm at St John's, West End of Princes St -- tickets are £12 on the door.

 See you on Monday, Jane

Thank you, Harriet, for this fabulous photograph.

For Saturday the 12th and Monday the 14th of May

Hello Harmonise,
First, Saturday performance.  I can confirm that the quick walk through is 4.30 to 5.00, not 4.00 as I thought.  And then, please be at the theatre no later than 7.00 for warm up.  After we have sung, it's fine to leave.

Dress Code, black trousers or skirt, and plain top in either a green, a blue or a purple.  Bring water, but no water on stage, and please no copies.  You can leave everything in the dressing room while we are on stage.

Order of songs is:  De Grassias, Irish Blessing and Tourdion.  Basses, in Tourdion, your start note, after the sopranos and altos have sung, is the same as the soprano start note and also the soprano finishing note.  (an 8ve down, of course.) Here's a reminder.

For Monday, please bring your copies of Crossing the Bar,  Life's Purpose and Nocoj pa.  You can print them from here if you haven't got copies.

Looking forward to concert, but even more, to "back to normal" on Mondays.  Think about what you would particularly like to sing over the next 6 weeks.

See you on Saturday, and then on Monday.  Jane

For Sunday & Monday, the 6th & 7th of May

Hello Harmonise,
I know you have been busy while I have been away .. but I won't touch on that in this Newsflash.


Big thanks to all of you who are able to support Sally by singing at Stephen's Memorial Service on Thursday.  I know Liz is keeping in touch with you about this.


I want to remind you about the rehearsal and the concert with Loud and Proud.  The Technical Rehearsal will be in Church Hill Theatre this Sunday, 6th of May.  If you can be free, please come along at 1pm for a joint practise and a run through of getting on and off stage - this should take about an hour, then you'll be free to go.


On the day of the concert, Saturday the 12th of May L and P would like you to join them at 4.30pm for another run through - this shouldn't take longer than an hour (hopefully less!). Then back on stage, ready to sing, at 7pm, for a warm up and photographs.  The concert starts at 7.30.

On our own we are singing De Grassias, The Irish Blessing  and Tourdion, in that order.  Together with Loud and Proud, we are singing, If I had the Wings of a Dove.


I don't yet know at which point in the programme our songs come, we will find all that out on Sunday.  Apart from Robert, in De Grassias, please, absolutely no copies.


On Monday the 7th, we will run through all the songs - then from Monday the 14th we can relax and sing what we feel like!!  looking forward to being with you all again ...
Jane

gentle reminder

A  gentle reminder - for Monday - that it would be great if everyone can arrive in good time - and clutching cheques and cash for fees. 


Jane will be back from her travels and with us on Monday 7th 


Please let me know if you didn't get the email I sent round on 16th April. 


See you very soon 


Sally 

News about next term

Hello friends

I'm writing this to let you know about how we've got on with the interviews and the audition arrangements for the beginning of next term.

The interviews have taken place and two of the candidates were shortlisted to go through to the next stage i.e. the auditions.

These two candidates will each run one Harmonise session, one on the first Monday of term, 23rd April and the other on the following Monday, 30th April.

After this we will vote.

I' ll mail you with some more information about the auditions etc in the next day or so.

posted by Sally

Happy Easter Break

Hello Harmonise,
Thank you so much for Friday - and for all the generous effort and creativity that you put into making the evening such a wow!! I felt very, very proud of you.

The picture above is called Le Tourdion!

Sally will be in touch with you on the Newsflash about what's happening early next term regarding auditions.

We are rehearsing in Churchill Theatre some time between 1.00 pm and 5pm on Sunday the 6th of May. Please try to make this rehearsal if you singing at the concert. Precise times will come soon. The concert, also at Churchill Theatre is on Saturday May the 12th at 7.30. Harmonise members do not have to buy tickets for this, but do encourage your friends to do so. Information about tickets will also come soon.

We're off to Oz and will be back at the very end of April. Have a good break. Jane

For Friday 23rd March

Hello Harmonise,
Don't forget, among all the other things to remember, to bring a plate, ready for the eating, of separate pieces of tempting savoury food. The plate can be disposable, or your own, in which case remember to take it home at the end. And don't forget we are meeting again, for the last time this term, on Monday the 26th!!

On Friday bring your own personal water, but conceal it behind or to the side of where we stand. Glug between groups of songs, with discretion. Keep well hydrated on Friday afternoon but eschew alcoholic beverage before you come on Friday. The hall will be open from 6.00, so please arrive, as soon as you are able, after that.

Let's all have a wonderful time on Friday - a gift from all of us to our audience, a gift from me to you, and a gift from you to me. Mravaljamier!!

For monday the 19th of March

Hello Harmonise,
This may not reach you before Friday, but just in case, 7 - 9, St Peter's Church Hall in Lutton Place. This is mostly a walk through/logistics/where will the video camera go evening, so bring your knitting. Though we will sing, especially anything that could do with a practice.

On Monday, back at Columcille, we will sing right through the programme, hopefully with no stops. Please, no books or sheets of music, only cribs, you need to practise using them.

It's all sounding great. I'm very happy. See you on Friday. Jane

For monday the 12th of March

Hello Harmonise,
Some really lovely singing last night. And attendance is most excellent. Thank you. I think the concert is going to be great.

Please bring back any unsold tickets on Monday. We are now sold out, but there are still some people looking for tickets.

Basses, please, the few of you who haven't been practising And So It Goes, please do so now!! I need to see eyes, not hair ...

Anyone who still needs a sound file, please ask me (on my own email) now; after this week I won't have time to make any more!

Some parts have been organising informal extra practices. This is a very good idea, you can spend a lot of time on "corners" of songs without worrying about holding other people up. If your part hasn't done this, I strongly recommend any of you who would welcome some extra practice to do this.

For next week please make sure you are confident in songs for the second half. We will sing all of them except The Quiet Joys. If we finish all the songs in good time, we can have a private Quiet Joys practice at 10 to 9.00 so those involved, please bring your music.

Last week's Newsflash has important dates. Please make sure you have put them all in your diaries.

Only 16 sleeps before the concert!! See you next week Jane

For Monday the 5th of March

Hello Harmonise,
Good fun last night. Here is the top part, slow, for Tourdion for any sopranos not sure of it. Here it is medium speed, and here, fast.
Here is the bass part, pdf file, of the Shona verse of Siyahamba. Next week we will sing Bound for S.A., Tourdion, Mravaljamier, and all the songs in the first half, in order, including Warm.

On Monday we agreed that any dots, words and/or song order details you wish to use as aide memoires at the concert can be put together by yourselves on to discreet cards or whatever. So, no folders, no books, but small pages/cards etc. OK.

Things to remember:
Please make sure you have all these dates and places in your diary:
We have an extra meeting/programme walk through/everything else at St Peter's Church Hall in Lutton Place (EH8 9PE) on the Friday before the concert, Friday the 16th of March. It is important that you come to this since "moves" will be finalised and people missing make this very muddling.

The concert is at St Peter's Church Hall, Lutton Place on Friday the 23rd of March. It is not at St Augustines.

We are still meeting every Monday at Columcille up to the concert, and also on one Monday the 26th of March which is the Monday after the concert.

We restart Harmonise for our summer term on Monday the 23rd April. On this, on the following Monday and possibly also on Monday the 14th of May you will be auditioning for your new musical director. (N.B. Only those who attend all three auditions will be able to vote.) On Monday the 7th of May I will be there and we will practise our three songs for the Loud and Proud concert, and also our joint song, which is now, "If I had the Wings of a Dove". We are not singing "Warm" with Loud and Proud since it excludes most of both choirs. Karen is happy to teach her choir If I had the Wings of a Dove so we can sing it together. If you don't know this, don't worry, we will sing it on Monday the 26th, our post concert Monday.

Loud and Proud joint concert
There is a practice with Loud and Proud on Sunday the 6th of May at Churchill Theatre on Morningside Road. It is in the afternoon and we will have to be there either at 1.00 until around 2.00, or 4.00 until 5.00. As soon as I know the times I will let you know.

We are singing at Loud and Proud's concert on Saturday the 12th of May at 7.30. We will sing De Grassias, Tourdion and The Irish Blessing. The concert is at Churchill Theatre

For the rest of the summer term we will relax and sing what we feel like. We will be joined by a few more members who have taken time out. So many people love "Warm" that during the summer term we will all learn it. We finish on Monday the 25th of June but note that we are having our summer "end of term" party on Sunday the 1st of July, when I will be saying farewell to you all as your musical director. I need to draw a line somewhere, so I will draw it there. I will not be involved with organising or attending any summer events you may plan for this year, although I very much hope to join you in the future.

Summary of dates:
extra concert practice: Friday the 16th of March
concert: Friday the 23rd of March
last Monday of this term: Monday the 26th of March
next term starts: Monday the 23rd April
Auditions for new M.D. on 23rd and 30th April, and also possibly on Monday the 14th of May.
Rehearsal with Loud and Proud: Sunday the 6th of May, time to be confirmed.
Concert with Loud and Proud: Saturday the 12th of May
last Monday of summer term: Monday the 25th of June
Party: Sunday the 1st of July. See you next Monday, Jane

For Monday 27th of February

Hello Harmonise,
Last night was fun, and all coming on well. Thank you for your good humour amidst all the shuffling about. And for the work you have done, especially for And So it Goes. From the front, all the small groups, gently emerging from different places, sounded mysterious and charming.

Dress code for the concert is sparkly and/or party clothes, any colour, but vibrant and slightly over the top better than restrained. For blokes, waistcoats, bow ties, hair ribbons, anything goes. Be creative.

We will decide on Monday what we want to do about concert copies. My own position is that if you absolutely need a copy for a particular song, have one for glancing down at, but keep your head up and watch me. I hope everyone will have a programme of their own with any solos, moves within the choir for different songs and/or anything you need to remember before or for a particular song. If you contrive to have this as a series of small cards that you can conceal on your sparkly person, all the better. I remember at one of the WaterAid concerts discovering people had little reminders all over the place - tucked into watch straps, inside shoes, pinned to person in front, written on to wrists ... but I didn't see one when I was conducting. Ideal.

The only change we have made to the programme is to reverse the last two songs. Please mark this on your own programmes. People have been asking me about The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood. There are 6 people going to sing this, they know who they are, we haven't rehearsed it yet, so it's a maybe. If you haven't heard about it, you haven't missed a song!

Next week we will sing S Australia, then all the songs in the second half, in order.

See you at seven o'clock next Monday!

Jane

For Monday 20th February

Hello Harmonise, great singing last night. And "The Clappers" were magnifiques!! Feels like the programme is really shaping up. If there are any parts/songs you still feel unsure of, please email me now and I'll send you a sound file into your email box. I'd rather you do this, than wing it, worry about it or make it up! :-) (My own email address, not a reply to this.)

A reminder ... At 7.00 last night there were 19 Harmonise members ready to sing. By 7.20 there were 50. We need all the time we can get. Please get there on time if at all possible. The warmups are helping with aspects of the concert songs, and they matter. They also help you prepare for singing and protect your voice. Please don't regard them as something it's ok to miss.

Last night we sang Shallow Brown, S Australia, Tourdion, Batonebo and Willie's Rare. They are all nearly there. Next Monday we'll grapple with the logistics of positions for And So it Goes, and also sing De Grassias, Somos Pueblo and S Australia. If we have time, we'll sing Warm (small group), so rest of choir can hear how it's going, and Tourdion again.
We will sing the first four in programme order once we've sorted positions for ASIG.

Here's the draft programme. Please copy it, bring it on Mondays and use it to note things for yourself to remember.

Draft Programme and notes for Friends and Family 23^rd March 2012

First half

Start with choir in positions for Somos Pueblo soloists getting out easily.

Tibje Pajom (John I introduces these first 3 songs)
De Grassias with one soloist, Rob priest, at front, half facing audience, half facing choir
Soloists forward for
Somos Pueblo Soloists back
While Jane teaches Let Your Little Light Shine, choir move into positions for And So it Goes.
Let Your Little Light Shine with audience. (Jane S introduces this.)
And so it goes (John I introduces next two songs.) Soloists near each other, (and stay where they are until interval)
Siyahamba
Warm Warm group forward, then back. (Jane S introduces this song.)
(Jane M introduces next two songs.)
Shallow Brown Alistair calls, same position as Rob but opposite side of choir.
South Australia Two Callers, where rob stood before, and Rhythm people forward

Second Half

Choir back in same positions as at very beginning of concert.

Tourdion (Jane M introduces next 2 songs) Soloists for Batonebo forward

Batonebo , soloists back. Soloists for Willie's Rare come forward.

Willie's Rare (John I introduces). Soloists back.

My baby Just Cares for Me with audience (Jane S introduces)

?Quiet Joys of Brotherhood soloists forward, then back? (Jane S introduces)

Jane M introduces next two songs:

Breath be our Unity

Irish Blessing

No introduction ...

Goodnight Sweetheart

encore, Mravaljamier