0. Abbreviated newsletter this week...

• Nic is out, so you are stuck with Mike at the helm, and I will be brief.

1. Notes for this week

• Last Monday's Rehearsal:
  • Folks were back at rehearsal, with what appeared to be more who had attended International than those who didn't.
  • Out of an abundance of caution, since there were reports of COVID hitting folks in our region who did attend International, and since the weather for a July meeting was actually quite pleasant, we rehearsed outdoors!
  • We ran through our possible songs for Searstone but skipped the Christmas music. 
• Our next meeting is Monday July 18 at our usual meeting place, Searstone Retirement Village, at 7pm. Please fill out the Attendance Planner on the Member Home page.

2. Carol's Korner

• Here's the song list to practice on your own at home. It is basically the songs to be sung the following week for the Searstone performance. The site music library has all the scores and part-specific learning tracks. The order here should be at least somewhat close to the performance set, but there are no guarantees - stay flexible!
  • I love to Sing 'em (Tag)
  • The Longest Time
  • Yesterday
  • Lion Sleeps Tonight
  • Let me call you Sweetheart
  • Story of the Rose (Heart of my Heart)
  • Almost Like Being In Love
  • Sweet Caroline
  • Happy Birthday
  • Do you hear the People Sing?
  • Bare Necessities
  • Prayer of the Children
  • Ride the Chariot
• As always: Keep working on creating legato lines by singing into and through the open vowels and making the end of each syllable the beginning of the next syllable. As you get used to this concept, it will make a HUGE difference!
• Along with this, you should develop your interpretational ability, which, for a chorus member, means using dynamic range to express the meanings of the phrases, and even to help delineate the phrases themselves. Longer duration notes, as defined in the context of the song, should have dynamic changes so as to convey the feeling of the phrase, plus maintain the forward direction of the phrasing, and not get mired in chord worship.