Summer Term 2021 – from 12th April

Hello – this is a page for our special virtual choir, which is still happening on Monday evening via Zoom until we can meet safely and sing together again. It is our aim to stay connected and share music as much as we can. It’s not like singing together in person, but it helps to check in with each other and keep the choir going. Virtual choir is a bit like herbal tea – it’s a really nice hot drink as long as you don’t expect it to taste like tea! It’s sociable and we include the usual physical and vocal warm-ups, learning new songs and revisiting some old ones.

Great things about virtual choir rehearsals:

1. Minimal travel time. 
2. No trouble parking.
3. The dress code is very relaxed – trousers optional, unless you stand a long way from your device for the warm-up.
4. Pets are very welcome.
5. You can eat extremely garlicky things for tea before rehearsal.
6. You can bring a glass of wine with you.
7. No need to get a baby-sitter or carer in.
8. Only you can hear yourself sing. This helps you make friends with your voice.
9. You don’t have to live locally – dial in from Vladivostok!

Everyone is very welcome – do get in touch if you would like a link to join the group.

Here’s how a Zoom rehearsal works:

• We can’t sing in harmony in real time, so no four-part harmony for a while. I will teach at least one harmony line – if you love to sing a harmony you can harmonise with me!
• While we sing together you’ll be able to hear me, and you – nobody else
• To help fill out the sound, we will be singing along to the sound files. This will help to give the illusion of singing with a whole choir. Sometimes we sing along with a video as well.
• From time to time I may add some guitar to give more depth to the sound
• Sometimes we have a “relay song” where we take it in turns to sing the lines of a song – this way we can all have our mics switched on. It’s entirely voluntary; just opt in if you feel like it on the night.
• We have a “tea-break” at the beginning of the session so that we can all have a little chat and connect before we start to sing. (If we had it half-way through I imagine a lot of people would disappear to switch the kettle on.) Get a cup/glass/ bottle of your favourite drink and join us from 6.45. We break into smaller groups at 7, or when it gets busy, and have a 10-minute chat before re-convening at 7.15 to warm up.

Sound files

This is where you can find recordings of the songs we are learning. You can sing along at home and get used to the tune and the words. Lyrics and sheet music are also there for you to print off or read from a tablet.

Click on the headings – each song has a separate page.

E Malama

This beautiful, peaceful song is Hawaiian. It was written by Mark and Sharie Anderson.

I Wish I Knew How

Made famous by Nina Simone and written by Billy Taylor, this is a wonderfully uplifting anthem of the civil rights movement.

With a Little Help from my Friends

This is our only Beatles song, in a three-part arrangement.

Choir Where I Belong

This is a bit of a theme song for us – written in 2019.