Folka Voca Member Rehearsal History: 2013

This page simply records the songs sung, and the homework assigned,
at each of the Folka Voca rehearsals in 2013.

Homework for Between
Rehearsals in 2013

In mid November of 2011 Lee revised the status of the various songs in our active repertoire, classifying them into the following three groups: Current Songs, On-the-Fence Songs and Dropped Songs (that we almost never do now).
Every so often she adds new songs and downgrades older ones.
In her words, “Here is our repertoire, in order of what we sing most, at the moment:
the starred ones are sung at almost every gig.”

The Active Repertoire
(in alphabetical order)

1. A La Nanita Nana
2. Boogie Fever (*)
3. Both Sides Now (*)
4. California Dreaming (*)
5. Calling All Angels (*)
6. Chain of Fools (*)
7. Close Your Eyes (*)
8. Drive My Car (*)
9. Eternal Flame (*)
10. Father Figure (*)
11. Fields of Gold
12. For What It’s Worth (*)
13. Houdini’s Box
14. I Feel the Earth Move
15. Knowing Me, Knowing You
16. La Isla Bonita (*)
17. Last Train to Clarksville
18. Mamma Mia (*)
19. Mercy (*)
20. Never Gonna Give You Up
21. Papa Was A Rolling Stone (*)
22. Rock the Boat
23. Tainted Love (*)
24. The Water is Wide (*)
25. Time After Time (*)
26. You’re All I Need (to Get By) (*)

These Were In Circulation for a Long Time
but Are Now On the Fence and Rarely Done

1. Ain’t No Sunshine
2. Cheap Hotel
3. Circus Girl
4. Crystal
5. I Wear My Sunglasses At Night
6. If You Could Read My Mind
7. Kimbieni (the short version)
8. O Canada
9. Tears Of A Clown
10. This Land Is Your Land
11. Time

These are Really Old and We Never Do Them Now

1. A Case Of You
2. Come Home Someday
3. Eleanor Rigby
4. Going Home
5. Heart Like A Wheel
6. Helpless
7. I Will Survive
8. Ice Cream
9. Imagine
10. Inside And Out
11. Is She Really...
12. Joe’s Goodbye
13. Lone Wolf
14. Magano Hayo
15. Millbrook
16. Our House
17. Sisters of Mercy
18. Sympathique
19. (That) Lonesome Road
20. There’s A Place
21. This Is The Art
22. Vita Ljuser
23. What Is Love
24. Woodstock
25. Yo Seré Todo

Please make sure that you have your music and cheat sheets organized accordingly for rehearsals, and use these lists as guidelines for what songs to work on between rehearsals.

Rehearsals in December 2013

Notes on the December 25^th Rehearsal

There was no rehearsal this week because it was Christmas day.

Notes on the December 18^th Rehearsal

The evening started early with the Christmas gig at Camilla Gardens.

As it turned out, the residents hadn't all assembled by the scheduled time,
so for a while the choir sang carols from the front of the room.

This is the set that we sang to open the show proper:

1. Both Sides Now
2. Time After Time
3. Boogie Fever
4. The Water is Wide
5. Close Your Eyes
6. Calling All Angels

After we sang our set, most of the choir dispersed among the residents
and we sang through the carols, with just a small choir remaining up front.
This worked very well, and the residents seemed to thoroughly enjoy their evening.

Once the gig was over, we reassembled at the Barley Mow for the choir Christmas party,
where a tremendous time was had by all.
Many thanks to Lynnie for organizing, and for the new choir stories game.

The next two Wednesdays are statutory holidays (Christmas and New Year’s Day),
so enjoy the time off, and we’ll see you all again next year.

Notes on the December 11^th Rehearsal

We spent almost the first half of the rehearsal working on our latest new song, A La Nanita Nana.
Although we have learned the whole song, there is still work to do.

For the second half of the rehearsal we worked on a set list
for next week’s Christmas gig at Camilla Gardens:

1. Never Gonna Give You Up
   (We still need to work on the dynamics through the song.)
2. The Water is Wide
   (Well done.)
3. Time After Time
   (Nice.)
4. Both Sides Now
   (Watch Lee, and don’t rush.)
5. Boogie Fever
   (So much fun.)
6. Close Your Eyes
   (So nice, well done.)
7. Calling All Angels
   (So good, beautiful, well done.)

Because of the gig next week, and the choir Christmas party,
this was effectively the last rehearsal of the year.

Notes on the December 4^th Rehearsal

We spent almost the entire rehearsal working on our latest new song, A La Nanita Nana.
We managed to reach the end of the song, but there is lots of work still to do.

At the very end of the rehearsal we sang Boogie Fever,
Which was a great way to end the rehearsal, and Lee said, “So much fun!”

An enjoyable rehearsal coming to grips with this lovely new song.

Rehearsals in November 2013

Notes on the November 27^th Rehearsal

Lee produced another new song: A La Nanita Nana, which is
her arrangement of a traditional Spanish lullaby and carol.
We spent the first half of the rehearsal starting to learn this song.

For the rest of the rehearsal we worked on relearning two of our songs:

1. Time After Time
   (This was a resounding yes, and the tenors were on fire at the entry to the chorus.)
2. Calling All Angels
   (This was pretty good by the end, but need to keep eyes on Lee for the final note.)

This was another enjoyable, high energy rehearsal.

Notes on the November 20^th Rehearsal

We spent the first half of the rehearsal working on our two newest songs:
Never Gonna Give You Up
(We sang it through three times in all, and we still need to work on the dynamics.
the mezzos really need to do their homework with the MP3s, but the rest should too.)
and Chain of Fools
(Which we sang through completely twice, working on issues.)

For the rest of the rehearsal we again worked on a variety of our songs:

1. Boogie Fever
   (“Alright!” – this went really well.)
2. California Dreamin’
   (“Yes!” – another that went really well.)
3. Houdini’s Box
   (OK, this was pretty good, but we were too loud in places.)
4. Mercy
   (“Pretty fun!” – and particularly well done the basses.)
5. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
   (Not bad at all – however, still some problems throughout.)

This was another enjoyable, high energy rehearsal.

Notes on the November 13^th Rehearsal

There was no rehearsal this week because Lee was away.

Notes on the November 6^th Rehearsal

We spent the first half of the rehearsal working on Never Gonna Give You Up.
We sang it through completely twice, and after putting in the dynamics
and working on a few bits, it was glorious.

For the rest of the rehearsal we worked on some of our older songs,
reviving and relearning some that we have not visited in a while:

1. You’re All I Need
   (This was really good – we need to observe the dynamics.)
2. For What It’s Worth
   (We know our parts but we need some subtlety – no belting.)
3. La Isla Bonita
   (Needed a lot of work, particularly bars 147–148.)
4. Chain of Fools
   (Need to listen to the MP3s, especially the sopranos.)
5. Mercy
   (“Smokin’ ! ” – do need to refresh the intro.)

This was an enjoyable and pretty darn good rehearsal.

Rehearsals in October 2013

Notes on the October 30^th Rehearsal

We spent the first half of the rehearsal working on Never Gonna Give You Up.
We sang it through completely twice, then divided the choir in two and had each
half sing it through while the other half listened. An excellent exercise.

For the rest of the rehearsal we worked on some of our regular songs:

1. You’re All I Need
   (This was really good.)
2. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
   (After some work this turned out really well – wow!)
3. Ain’t No Sunshine
   (Not bad considering the number of new members and not singing it since June.)
4. Boogie Fever
   (Well done.)

This was one of those rehearsals where energy levels were high and we were on fire.

Notes on the October 23^rd Rehearsal

This week was the gig at the New Edinburgh Square.
Here is the set list we sang:

1. Both Sides Now
2. California Dreamin’
3. Boogie Fever
4. Houdini’s Box
5. Close Your Eyes
6. You’re All I Need
7. Chain of Fools
8. The Water is Wide
9. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
10. Calling All Angels

The gig went really well, and was well received by the audience.

After the gig we retired to the Barley Mow for the rest of the evening.

Notes on the October 16^th Rehearsal

We began the rehearsal working on Never Gonna Give You Up.
We still need to do a whole lot of work on this song.

For the rest of the rehearsal we worked on the set list
for next week’s gig (at the New Edinburgh Square):

1. Both Sides Now
   (We ended up skipping this one for lack of sopranos.)
2. California Dreamin’
   (Good, good, good.)
3. Boogie Fever
   (OK – that was fun.)
4. Houdini’s Box
   (OK, good – we did drop a semitone.)
5. Close Your Eyes
   (We skipped this because we know it well enough.)
6. You’re All I Need
   (We sang this twice and it was good-ish, but we dragged at the end.)
7. Chain of Fools
   (We sang this twice because the dynamics needed work – the second time was great.)
8. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
   (We have to pay attention to Lee, who always gives us our cues.)
9. The Water is Wide
   (We managed to drop a whole tone!)
10. Calling All Angels
    (We did not have enough time left in the rehearsal to sing this one.)

Next week we have the gig (at the New Edinburgh Square),
so check the web site and your e-mail for details.

Notes on the October 9^th Rehearsal

We again spent the first half of the rehearsal working on Never Gonna Give You Up.
By the break we had reached the outro for a second week.

In the second half of the rehearsal we worked on possible songs
for the upcoming gig (at the New Edinburgh Square):

1. Boogie Fever
2. Both Sides Now
3. California Dreamin’
4. Calling All Angels
5. Chain of Fools
6. You’re All I Need
7. Houdini’s Box
8. Papa Was A Rolling Stone

We have a gig (at the New Edinburgh Square) coming up in two weeks,
so will again work on possible songs for the set list next week.

Notes on the October 2^nd Rehearsal

We spent the first half of the rehearsal working on Never Gonna Give You Up.
By the break we had reached the outro.

In the second half of the rehearsal we worked on other songs:

1. Chain of Fools
   (We sang this twice – the first time was much too loud.)
2. Boogie Fever
   (We were slightly manic in this!)
3. California Dreamin’
4. Mercy
   (We sang this one twice because there were problems the first time through.)

We have a gig (at the New Edinburgh Square) coming up in three weeks,
so will work on possible songs for the set list next week.

Rehearsals in September 2013

Notes on the September 25^th Rehearsal

There was no rehearsal this week because Lee was away.

Notes on the September 18^th Rehearsal

There was no rehearsal this week because Lee was away.

Notes on the September 11^th Rehearsal

We spent most of the rehearsal continuing to come to grips with our latest new song:
Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley.

At the end of the rehearsal we quickly tackled three of our songs:

1. Chain of Fools
2. Houdini’s Box
3. Boogie Fever

We need new MP3 files for Boogie Fever to reflect the changes.

Notes on the September 4^th Rehearsal

Lee came through on her promise for a new song:
Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley,
and we spent most of the rehearsal coming to grips with it.

We finished off the rehearsal with two of our recent new songs:

1. Chain of Fools
2. Boogie Fever

Rehearsals in August 2013

Notes on the August 28^th Rehearsal

We spent most of the first half of the rehearsal working on
our latest new song: Chain of Fools.
We sang it three times in all, and it was finally great.

We spent the rest of the rehearsal working through a number of our songs.

1. Boogie Fever
   (No subtlety, pedal to the metal all the way.)
2. Eternal Flame
   (We really need to work on putting in some dynamics.)
3. California Dreamin’
   (Exciting, ya!)
4. For What It’s Worth
   (Slightly pitchy – needs some homework with the MP3s.)
5. I Feel the Earth Move
   (Really great! And we hadn’t sung it in many weeks.)
6. Tainted Love
   (So much fun, but need to be quieter in the verses.)
7. Mercy
   (This was fine.)
8. Rock the Boat
   (Well done; and we had not sung it in months!)

Lee is promising us two new songs next week.

Notes on the August 21^st Rehearsal

We rehearsed in the (hot!) sanctuary.

We spent most of the first half of the rehearsal working on
our latest new song: Chain of Fools.
We sang it three times, working on details between each sing through,
and after we had worked on tightening it up, the third time was “Wicked!”.

We spent the rest of the rehearsal working through a number of our songs.

1. Boogie Fever
   (So good! – a pity, because we don’t need to do it again.)
2. Mercy
   (Fine, fine, fine!)
3. For What It’s Worth
   (Went OK.)
4. You’re All I Need
   (We know it, but we are dragging our feet.)
5. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
   (Ragged, but OK! – fun.)
6. Houdini’s Box
   (Really nice – beautiful line.)
7. Fields of Gold
   (Went OK.)
8. Close Your Eyes
   (We sang this without books, and it was a tear jerker – so nice.)
9. Eternal Flame
   (Not bad for not having sung it in so long.)

Lee is promising us a new song for the first week of September.

Notes on the August 14^th Rehearsal

We spent most of the first half of the rehearsal working on
our latest new song: Chain of Fools by Don Covay.
We sang it three times, working on details between each sing through.

Because only four men (one bass and three tenors) were present, we spent the rest of the rehearsal singing only four-part harmony songs, and remained seated.

1. Fields of Gold
   (We sang this twice and it was much better the second time through after some work.)
2. The Water is Wide
   (Lee asked us to channel Julie Andrews and it really, really worked!)
3. Mamma Mia
   (After a false start, this was really great.)
4. Boogie Fever
   (Oh yeah! – absolutely jam packed with terrific energy.)
5. Calling All Angels
   (Nice – good work – really pretty, and a great way to end.)

Only four men present, so we sang only four-part harmony songs.

Notes on the August 7^th Rehearsal

We spent most of the first half of the rehearsal working on
our latest new song: Chain of Fools by Don Covay.
We sang it three times, working on details between each sing through.

We spent the rest of the rehearsal singing several of our songs in the round:

1. Boogie Fever
   (Lee said that it was very good the second time through.)
2. Close Your Eyes
   (We sang this without books, and it was pretty good.)
3. Mercy
   (Pretty good, but we need to pay better attention to the rhythm.)
4. You’re All I Need
5. Houdini’s Box
   (We had some problems, but got most of it right.)
6. La Isla Bonita
   (Went badly astray in the middle, and ended dropping three semi-tones!)
7. Mamma Mia
   (Lee felt that this was pretty OK.)
8. Boogie Fever
   (We ended the rehearsal with Lee recording this on her iPhone.)

An even smaller turnout than last week, but reasonably balanced and enjoyable.

Rehearsals in July 2013

Notes on the July 31^st Rehearsal

We spent most of the first half of the rehearsal working on
our latest new song: Chain of Fools by Don Covay.
We sang it three times, doing detail working between each sing through.

We spent the rest of the rehearsal singing several of our songs in the round:

1. Boogie Fever
   (Lee said that it was pretty good.)
2. The Water is Wide
   (The guys kept dragging throughout!.)
3. Mamma Mia
   (People who don’t know the song need to memorize the words.)
4. For What It’s Worth
   (Pretty good, but must remember not to slow down the ending.)
5. Close Your Eyes
   (We sang this without books, and it went really well.)
6. Crystal
   (Lee said it was very pretty, after so long not singing it.)

Turnout was significantly reduced, but reasonably balanced and enjoyable.

Notes on the July 24^th Rehearsal

We spent most of the rehearsal working on our latest new song: Chain of Fools by Don Covay.
Quite a number of people who missed last week, so we started from scratch and again reached the end!

We ended the rehearsal singing a couple of our songs in the round:

1. Houdini’s Box
   (Not bad, but not up to our best standard for this song.)
2. Boogie Fever
   (Lee said, “So good, and the ending was perfect!”)

A pretty decent attendance made this another fun rehearsal.

Notes on the July 17^th Rehearsal

Lee produced another new song for us: Chain of Fools by Don Covay.
We spent the entire rehearsal working on it and actually reached the end!

A reasonable attendance made this a really fun rehearsal.

Notes on the July 10^th Rehearsal

There was no rehearsal this week because Lee was in Vancouver.

Notes on the July 3^rd Rehearsal

There was no rehearsal this week because Lee was in Vancouver.

Rehearsals in June 2013

Notes on the June 26^th Rehearsal

We again spent this rehearsal down in the basement working on a number of our songs,
starting with Houdini’s Box.
We spent the entire first half sitting down to review the song in detail.

After the break, we spent the second half of the rehearsal in the circle formation,
and worked on a number of our songs:

1. Houdini’s Box
   (Demonstrating that we had made progress in the first half of the rehearsal.)
2. The Water is Wide
   (Lee thought good – with some real traction.)
3. I Feel the Earth Move
   (A whole lot more work needed on this one!)
4. California Dreamin’
5. Boogie Fever
   (Lee said, “So good, well done.”)
6. Close Your Eyes
   (And this one too was rated as nice, even beautiful.)
7. Time After Time
   (Lee gave us another “ Well done, and oh so good.”)

We again had a great turnout for this rehearsal.

Lee would like us to do homework with the MP3 files, ideally while the memory
of the rehearsal is still fresh, rather than just before the next one...

Notes on the June 19^th Rehearsal

We again spent this rehearsal down in the basement working on a number of our songs,
starting once again with Boogie Fever, which we sang three times in all;
the dynamics still need work...

We spent the rest of the rehearsal in the circle formation,
and worked on a number of our other songs:

1. Houdini’s Box
   (We are really getting this one back together, finally.)
2. Ain’t No Sunshine
   (Went pretty well for not having sung it in months.)
3. You’re All I Need
4. La Isla Bonita
5. For What It’s Worth
6. Eternal Flame
7. Tainted Love
8. Father Figure

There was a great turnout for this rehearsal, and a whole lot of positive energy,
which made for some enthusiastic performances for the songs we sang.

Lee would like us to do homework with the MP3 files, ideally while the memory
of the rehearsal is still fresh, rather than just before the next one...

Notes on the June 12^th Rehearsal

We spent this rehearsal down in the basement working on a number of our songs,
starting with Boogie Fever, which we worked on through to the break.

We started the second half by moving into the circle formation, and
working some more on Boogie Fever, finally putting the dynamics in place.

Staying in our circle we then sang a number of our other songs:

1. Mercy
   (Which we sang twice, but we still need to work on the patterns and dynamics.)
2. Houdini’s Box
   (Lee thought that this was pretty nice.)
3. Eternal Flame
   (Not bad for leaving it so many weeks, but it dragged.)
4. The Water is Wide
   (Lee thought it was nice.)
5. California Dreamin’
   (Lee thought this was nice also.)
6. Close Your Eyes
   (And this one too was oh so nice.)
7. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
   (We were a little silly at times, including some surprising solos.)
8. Time After Time
   (Lee absolutely adores this song, and was happy to end with it.)

Lee would like us to do homework with the MP3 files, ideally while the memory
of the rehearsal is still fresh, rather than just before the next one...

Notes on the June 5^th Rehearsal

We spent the rehearsal down in the basement working on a number of our songs:

1. Boogie Fever
   (Needs lots of work – listen to the MP3s.)
2. Houdini’s Box
   (Still relearning this older favourite – listen to the MP3s.)
3. For What It’s Worth
   (Went pretty well.)
4. Mercy
   (Lee thought we had fun and that it was great.)
5. Last Train to Clarksville
   (Lee reckoned this was okey dokey!)
6. Time After Time
   (Lee liked some of the dance moves for this favourite of hers.)

Lee really, really wants us to study the MP3s for Boogie Fever and Houdini.

Rehearsals in May 2013

Notes on the May 29^th Rehearsal

Instead of a rehearsal, we sang a gig at the Argyll St. Y.

These are the songs we sang:

1. For What It’s Worth
2. Mercy
3. You’re All I Need
4. Both Sides Now
5. Close Your Eyes
6. Knowing Me, Knowing You
7. The Water is Wide
8. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
9. California Dreamin’
10. Calling All Angels

When requested for an encore, we sang La Isla Bonita.

After the performance we returned to the church to find the members who,
for one reason or another, had not participated.
We then adjourned to the pub to continue singing rather more informally.

Notes on the May 22^nd Rehearsal

We are now rehearsing in the church basement for the summer,
doing most of our singing standing in a big circle.

We spent the first half of the rehearsal continuing to work on our newest song: Boogie Fever.
We worked through it twice and are mostly there, but now need to start focusing on the dynamics, particularly in the verses.

We spent the second half rehearsing most of the songs we plan to sing at the Y next week:

1. For What It’s Worth
   (Dull to the halfway mark, then picked up.)
2. Mercy
   (So much fun, now that we have this one together.)
3. You’re All I Need
   (This was pretty good, but we really need to watch Lee.)
4. Both Sides Now
5. The Water is Wide
   (This went well, but we must watch the dynamics – it’s a lullaby!)
6. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
   (Oh yes! And we even love those occasional solos!)
7. Calling All Angels
   (We need to watch the ending, which is a dramatic fade.)

Next week we need to be at the Y by 6:30 for a performance starting at 7.

Notes on the May 15^th Rehearsal

We spent the first half of the rehearsal continuing to work on our newest song: Boogie Fever.
Although a little rough, we have now put the whole song together.
We started the second half by singing through it again.

We then spent more time relearning Houdini’s Box.
In the end we sang it through twice and, despite some rust, it was mostly there.

Our next song was Mercy, which went a little wonky at the end,
but was otherwise pretty fun(ky).

We ended the rehearsal by popular request, singing Close Your Eyes.
We sang standing mixed up across the stage, which we all enjoyed.

A slight dearth of sopranos, but a good turnout for the other sections.

Notes on the May 8^th Rehearsal

We spent the first half of the rehearsal continuing to work on our newest song: Boogie Fever.
We succeeded in reaching the end of the song for the first time, but only just.

We spent most of the second half relearning Houdini’s Box.
About half the choir have never sung it, so we treated it as a new song.

We ended the rehearsal by singing Mamma Mia once through.

A reduced turnout again, but everyone worked hard and had fun.

We were also delighted to welcome a number of new faces (and voices).

Notes on the May 1^st Rehearsal

Back in regular harness after rehearsing for our annual concert
and our appearance at the Ottawa Grassroots Festival.
We spent the first half of the rehearsal working on our newest song: Boogie Fever.
Working hard, we made good progress, learning to the the end of the dreaded bridge!.

By popular vote, we then used the second half of the rehearsal
to work on some of the older songs we haven’t sung in quite a while:

1. Time After Time
   (Good, good, but the mezzos produced an oddity in the chorus.)
2. Tainted Love
   (We ended up singing this one twice after some uncertainties the first time round.
   The second time through was so good, with a wonderfully angry ending.)
3. Last Train to Clarksville
   (Surprisingly good after such a long hiatus, but a little ragged.)
4. Fields of Gold
   (Such a pretty song, and it went well.)
5. Rock the Boat
   (This one proved a bit of a shock for some of the newer members!)

Next week Lee wants to start with Houdini’s Box.

Despite a reduced turnout, everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves.

Rehearsals in April 2013

Notes on the April 24^th Rehearsal

We spent the first half of the rehearsal working on our newest song: Boogie Fever.
We have not worked on this for a while, so started again from scratch,
and managed to make good progress on the song to the end of the second verse.

We then used the second half of the rehearsal to work on songs for our
gig at the Ottawa Grassroots Festival next Saturday,
focusing on songs involving the reduced number of guys singing the gig:

1. For What It’s Worth
   (Lee said, “Alright.”)
2. You’re All I Need (to Get By)
   (Lee liked the nice swell at the end, but the tenors have to watch her!)
3. Both Sides Now
   (Everyone needs to watch, and only the leads sing the esses.)
4. Mercy
   (Lee said this was, “So much fun, well done!”
   She also liked that we looked like we meant it.)
5. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
   (Tenors need to watch much better on the “check, checks.”)
6. California Dreaming
   (Lee said of this one, “Yes, so good.”)

Please make sure you have your music in order for the gig on Saturday.

Notes on the April 17^th Rehearsal

This was the last rehearsal before our annual concert
and we used it as a dress rehearsal, singing all the songs in both sets.

We sang all of the first set in the first half, getting through in good time:

1. For What It’s Worth
   (Lee said, “Good Job.”)
2. Mercy
   (Lee said this was, “So good,” and she was very pleased with the ending.)
3. Knowing Me, Knowing You
   (Lee simply said, “Alright!”)
4. The Water is Wide
   (This one was pretty good, but the mezzos need to be bigger in places.)
5. Close Your Eyes
   (Lee’s reaction: “Ooh, lovely.”)
6. You’re All I Need (to Get By)
   (Lee had this to say, “Ah,wow! Well done, aah!”
   After which she clarified and rehearsed
   a four-count plus three-count lead-in for the basses and sopranos.)

During the interval the Cuba group worked hard
on the two songs they will be singing:
Rumour Has It, which they sang twice, and Gravitas (in Spanish).
Lee experimented with moving the sopranos next to the men.

We then used the second half to sing through the second set:

1. Eternal Flame
   (Which we worked on and sang twice. It was OK, but the basses are having pitch issues,
   and the tenors need to really sing out in verse two.
   Lee stated that it was ever so much better the second time through.)
2. I Feel the Earth Move
   (The basses have some pitch problems, yet Lee said it felt fast but good.)
3. Father Figure
   (Of this one, Lee said that it was pretty good and there was no rushing
   – the basses were hot!)
4. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
   (Lee said, “Alright, so much fun.”)
5. California Dreaming
   (This was good, and really dark, but we need to watch the dynamics.)
6. Calling All Angels
   (Lee said, “Yes – really tear-jerking.” The sopranos were weak in verse 2.)

After the regular rehearsal, the Cuba group again worked
on the two songs they will be singing:
Gravitas (in Spanish) and Rumour Has It.
This time they experimented with different positions to perform off the stage.

Please make sure you have your music in order for the concert.

Notes on the April 10^th Rehearsal

We used this rehearsal to work through songs for our upcoming annual concert
and our appearance at the Ottawa Grassroots Festival on Saturday April 27^th.

1. You’re All I Need (to Get By)
   (Which we sang twice – Lee said it was pretty good, but to watch the dynamics.)
2. The Water is Wide
   (Which we also sang twice – altos need to work on issues at bar 15 and repeats.)
3. California Dreaming
   (Lee pronounced this wicked! No slowing down at the end.)
4. Knowing Me, Knowing You
   (Which we sang twice.)
5. Mercy
   (Which went really well.)
6. I Feel the Earth Move
   (There are tempo issues – Lee plans to start with this one next week.)
7. For What It’s Worth
   (We are rushing in the chorus – need to watch Lee.)
8. Father Figure
   (Good, but there are still a few issues that need to be resolved.)
9. Eternal Flame
   (Lee said of this one, “Alright, so much fun!”)

We skipped three more songs because we ran out of time:

1. Close Your Eyes
2. Papa Was A Rolling Stone
3. Calling All Angels

Everyone is urged to study their MP3s for the songs
that we are singing at our upcoming annual concert;
especially those songs where Lee has talked about specific sectional problems.

After the regular rehearsal, the Cuba group again rehearsed
two of the songs on which they had been working:
Gravitas (in Spanish), which they sang twice, and Rumour Has It.

Notes on the April 3^rd Rehearsal

We used this rehearsal to work through songs for our upcoming annual concert
and our appearance at the Ottawa Grassroots Festival on Saturday April 27^th.

1. For What It’s Worth
   (which we worked through twice, and which Lee declared pretty good.)
2. Eternal Flame
   (Lee declared our first run through “Oh so good”;
   We then split the choir in half, and each half sang the song separately.)
3. Father Figure
   (which we worked through twice – there are still some pitch problems.)
4. I Feel the Earth Move
   (Lee described this as not bad, but we need to work on the dynamics.)
5. Mercy
   (Lee was pleased with the way we sang this one.)
6. Calling All Angels

Everyone is urged to study their MP3s for the songs
that we are most likely to sing at our upcoming annual concert;
especially those songs where Lee has talked about specific sectional problems.

After the regular rehearsal, the Cuba group performed
two of the songs on which they had been working:
Gravitas (in Spanish), which they sang twice, and Rumour Has It.

Rehearsals in March 2013

Notes on the March 27^th Rehearsal

We used this rehearsal to work through songs for our upcoming annual concert
and our appearance at the Ottawa Grassroots Festival on Saturday April 27^th.

1. For What It’s Worth
   (which we worked through twice.)
2. Eternal Flame
   (which we worked through twice, and Lee was very pleased.)
3. The Water is Wide
4. I Feel the Earth Move
5. Mercy
   (Lee was extremely pleased with the way we sang this one.)
6. California Dreaming
   (which we worked through twice.)
7. Father Figure
8. Papa Was A Rolling Stone

Everyone is encouraged to study their MP3s for the songs
that we are most likely to sing at our upcoming annual concert.

Notes on the March 20^th Rehearsal

We spent the first half of the rehearsal working on our newest song: Boogie Fever.
We managed to make good progress on the song to the end of the second verse.

We spent the second half of the rehearsal working on songs for our annual concert:

1. Mercy
2. The Water is Wide
3. Eternal Flame
4. I Feel the Earth Move
   (Well done for not having sung in in so long.)
5. California Dreaming
6. For What It’s Worth

Other songs we’ll probably be singing at the concert are:

1. Father Figure
2. Calling All Angels
3. Papa Was A Rolling Stone

Everyone is encouraged to study their MP3s for the songs
that we are most likely to sing at our upcoming annual concert.

For the last part of the rehearsal, the Cuba group performed
two of the songs on which they had been working:
Gravitas (in Spanish), which they sang twice, and Rumour Has It.

Notes on the March 13^th Rehearsal

Lee produced another new song for us: Boogie Fever, by Frederick Perren and Kenneth St. Lewis,
and we spent the first half of the rehearsal working on it.
We managed to learn the first two verses of the song, and Lee pronounced herself pleased.

We started the second half of the rehearsal working on the new version of For What It’s Worth.
We worked through it twice, and Lee was reasonably satisfied.

We then worked on Eternal Flame,
again working through the song twice to attain an acceptable performance.

We ended the rehearsal by singing Close Your Eyes without books.

Everyone is encouraged to study their MP3s for the songs
that we are most likely to sing at our upcoming annual concert.

Notes on the March 6^th Rehearsal

Lee has rearranged For What It’s Worth, because it wasn’t working,
but she really likes the song and wants us to sing it.
We worked on it through to the interval, and Lee pronounced herself pleased.

We started the second half of the rehearsal working on Mercy.
We worked through it twice, and after the final run through Lee pronounced it, “Wicked!”

Finally, we worked on Father Figure, and Lee said,
“Well done, considering how long it has been since we last sang it.”

For the last part of the rehearsal, the Cuba group performed
two of the songs on which they had been working:
Gravitas (in Spanish) and Rumour Has It.

Everyone was fresh after the break for the Cuba workshop, and we had a good turnout.
We were also delighted to welcome new faces (and voices).

Rehearsals in February 2013

Notes on the February 27^th Rehearsal

There was no rehearsal this week because of the Cuba workshop.

Notes on the February 20^th Rehearsal

There was no rehearsal this week because of the Cuba workshop.

Notes on the February 13^th Rehearsal

The church was unavailable because it was Ash Wednesday,
but Don kindly offered to save the day
by hosting a pot-luck party (organized by Lynnie) at his house.

There was a terrific turnout, and the food was spectacular in both quantity and variety.
Enormous thanks to Don for hosting.

Eventually, the sated participants sang (loudly) through a number of our songs:

1. California Dreaming
2. La Isla Bonita
3. Mercy
4. Eternal Flame
5. The Water is Wide
6. Mamma Mia
7. You’re All I Need (to Get By)
8. Close Your Eyes

Everyone present appeared to have a wonderful time.

There will be no rehearsals for the next two weeks while the Cuba workshop is singing in the sun.
Next rehearsal is March 5^th, when we will start rehearsing for our annual concert.

Notes on the February 6^th Rehearsal

We began the rehearsal working on Mercy.
We eventually worked through it three times until Lee pronounced herself satisfied.

We ended the first half of the rehearsal and began the second half working on The Water is Wide.
(It is supposed to be a lullaby, so we have to learn to sing it softly...)

For the remainder of the rehearsal we sang songs from the repertoire:

1. California Dreaming
2. You’re All I Need (to Get By)
3. Drive My Car
4. Knowing Me, Knowing You
5. Time After Time

In the end we did not have time to sing Calling All Angels.

Another good rehearsal, albeit with a diminished alto turnout.

Rehearsals in January 2013

Notes on the January 30^th Rehearsal

The rehearsal started at 6:30 with Lee working with the tenors
to fix some problems with Eternal Flame and Mercy.

When the full rehearsal started, we spent the first half working on Mercy.
Eventually we split the choir in half, and each half sang while the other listened.
We had great fun, and Lee was very pleased with the result.

For the remainder of the rehearsal we sang several songs from the repertoire:

1. Eternal Flame
2. La Isla Bonita
3. Tainted Love
4. Father Figure
   (Lee said it was not bad for not having sung it for so long,
   BUT we need to study the MP3s!)
5. Last Train to Clarksville
   (Again, excellent for not having sung it in so long.)

An excellent rehearsal, with a great turnout.

Notes on the January 23^rd Rehearsal

We spent the first half of the rehearsal working on our latest new song: Mercy.
We have now learned the whole song, so it’s time to work on interpretation.
Scores and MP3s are available – please do your homework for the next rehearsal.

For the second half of the rehearsal we sang several songs from the repertoire:

1. The Water is Wide
   (We now know the song, so it is time to work on dynamics.)
2. You’re All I Need (to Get By)
3. Ain’t No Sunshine
4. Mamma Mia
5. Eternal Flame
   (In the end we skipped this, because the tenors have extra practice next week.)
6. Close Your Eyes

Lee said of this rehearsal, “What a good practice.”

Notes on the January 16^th Rehearsal

There was no rehearsal this week because Lee was in Cuba.

Notes on the January 9^th Rehearsal

We spent the first half of the rehearsal working on our latest new song: Mercy.
Scores and MP3s are available, so please do your homework for the next rehearsal.

Toward the end of the rehearsal we sang a few from the repertoire:

1. California Dreaming
2. Time After Time
3. The Water is Wide
4. I Feel the Earth Move
5. Eternal Flame
6. Calling All Angels

No rehearsal next week because Lee will be in Cuba.

Notes on the January 2^nd Rehearsal

Lee has produced the first new song of the new year for us:
Mercy by Stephen Booker and Aimee Duffy.
Scores (but not MP3s) are available, so please print them down for the next rehearsal.
We spent most of the rehearsal working on this new song, learning most of it.

Toward the end of the rehearsal we sang a few favourites:

1. Eternal Flame (time to focus on dynamics)
2. California Dreaming
3. Papa Was A Rolling Stone

A great start to the new year, including some new voices.