Greetings friends!
I hope that all is well with you.
Two years ago, I wrote blog post about my experience with my school choir at the Primary Choir of the Year final. This year, I hoped, upon hope that we might get a placing. I spent the last week being extremely worried about the announced strikes when I heard about them. I contacted the organisers of the festival who also didn't know about them. They investigated changing the date and postponing but all decided to go ahead. I spent the week checking and rechecking the tube website to try and get definite information. We investigated coaches but it was going to cost £350 ONE WAY for a journey that was fewer than 10 miles. Isn't that crazy!!?!?!? I have been thinking about little else for a week! However, Tuesday morning after a stressful morning of Year 1's and Peter and the Wolf (they just keep talking!!!!) , the status update on TFL seemed to suggest that there was going to be Central line tubes past Stratford so I decided to go ahead with our planned Liz line and Central Line route. Amazingly all the children had remembered their packed dinner and we set out to the train station happily. I introduced some of the girls to Qwirkle on the train and when we got to Stratford, the train we needed was due in 6 minutes. After a walk from the station, we arrived to the venue over an hour early but this was great! Happily, we were given absolutely the best dressing room which had loads of space and sofas and were right next to the loo with drinking water AND we could practice to our heart's content without anyone hearing us! We went and did our practice on stage which went well and then we took the children out to play on the grass outside.
We interrupt this blog post for an outfit update!
Here's an outfit update from the holiday. I wore a Clara jacket (Vinted) over the top of a charity-shopped Chianti and Parker stripy top plus my denim blue corduroy trousers. Cords and a stripy top are a standard for me!
Back to the report.
We had a walk through with all the schools and it was dinner time. I took the children up to their room. It was SO much nicer to have our own contained space with enough room. I felt so much more relaxed and happy than 2 years ago when we had a communal space and my kids were very annoying!
The concert began.
The first school were really sweet. They sang two songs with cute actions. Although their didn't sing in harmony, they sang very nicely in tune. They sang Skimbleshanks and Anything you can do. I thought they were really lovely but I thought that perhaps our programme was a bit more challenging
The second school sang a mashup of Viva La Vida plus a song called Dumba and were visually very impressive with some harmonies and great dynamics and some really lovely storytelling. Occasionally, they went a little sharp but I thought they were superb! I thought they were a cert for 2nd prize.
The third school were super sassy with a song I didn't know and then ABC. They were really confident and super fun but were a little out of tune. They didn't have lots of harmonies.
The fourth school started Somewhere only we go with the most gorgeous quiet blended sound and excellent dynamic contrast . Their second song was also Anything you can do". It was super funny although a little bit out of tune. They didn't have many/any harmonies but the song was very wordy and a lot to remember which they did very, very well.
At this point, we had to go back stage as it was time for us! I was really sad not to be able to watch this school as they came second last time and they were singing 3 part harmony songs, Rise up singing and Jamie Mama. I knew they would have a great chance of winning! They were my favourite for 1st prize.
Luckily, my kids were really well behaved so I opened the stage door so we could listen in on them and just as expected, they were excellent in all aspects of their singing.
It was our turn.
Myself and D, walked onto the stage. D to play drum and myself to conduct.
My children walked on singing 'Viva La Musica' a Renaissance 3-part round. They sang confidently, walked into their places without any mistakes and watched me well.
We launched into the most risky song of the performance, a 3 and a half minute arrangement I had done of Congolese folk song, Si si Si Dolada. It was risky because it was completely unaccompanied, they had to stay in tune and in time without any piano support and they constantly changed what they had to do. They sang antiphonal drones with clapping, alternating between the melody and drone. They then returned to unison, sang in a 3 part round, then sang in unison and split into 3 teams with a melody and counter melody then ended together. I was SO proud of them as they stayed perfectly in time, didn't go out of tune and remembered everything.
Next, we sang Morning Song by Philip Godfrey. They sang delicately and beautifully, followed all my dynamic leading and their harmonies were balanced really nicely.
Finally, we ended with a song by Peter Jenkyns, a story telling song with actions about a Wizard in a picture book. They dynamic changes were excellent.
I was so proud of them and really felt we had a chance at 3rd prize with the contrasts and the challenge of being the only choir to sing unaccompanied.
Alas, it was not to be. The judges gave feedback and I did feel a little patronized by their feedback, with the opening gambit being "This choir has potential". You know when you are the only ones to hear that, that you are not in with a shot. But perhaps they wanted 2 longer songs, not 4 shorter ones. I felt really deflated because honestly, I did think we deserved 3rd place but apparently, showing the skill of totally singing unsupported and the changes wasn't enough.
The two schools I thought would get 2nd and 1st did indeed get that- well deserved.
I was surprised by the 3rd place school. They DID do gorgeously quiet singing but I didn't feel they showed any skill of harmony singing and were a little shouty but I am not a judge and it's perhaps hard for me to feel impartial (though two years ago, I judged it perfectly!)
The end of the concert was lovely with hearing one of my past pupils who is now in Year 7 singing in the Youth Choir. They sang superbly! She came and gave me a massive hug and acted like a total celebrity to all my choir who used to really look up to her. I am SO pleased she chose to continue with her singing at a higher level! I do hope some of my children continue to do this when they leave me.
When we came down the stairs, our parents were all waiting and they burst into applause. It was so sweet! It made my feeling of sadness abate somewhat. It was an amazing experience for all my children! The organiser came up to me at the end and she said to me, "Don't be sad, I adore your choir. They were superb and they were the only ones to make me cry." She thought we had a chance at placing. She was very sweet and told me that the head of the music service would consider funding me on a conducting course which was kind.
I got home around 10.30pm
I continued to feel sad all the way home and did shed a few tears. I'm not sure why I was so affected this time. The organiser sent me another lovely couple of texts and the next day, my Headteacher told me she agreed with my judgement too and though we deserved 3rd too. Ah well.
The girls in one class were adorable and all 4 came up to me in front of the whole class and told me they were proud of me and thank you so much for all my hard work. It was such a touching moment!
I am pleased to say that I had a superb day of lessons at school. I taught the year 5's about chord sequences and had such positive outcomes and my Year 6's did some great performances too!
We end this blog post with another holiday outfit. I was SO chuffed to find this gorgeous embroidered cotton muslin dress in a charity shop for £4 over the holiday. I love it!
Hope you have a lovely week!
I see my favorite frog - Kermit! :D
ReplyDeleteThink it looks Iike the head of a Chinese Lion Dancer
ReplyDeleteIt's a frog x x
ReplyDeleteI think it's a frog, too.
ReplyDeleteI also see a frog! A happy frog!
ReplyDeleteIt's a frog! xxx
ReplyDeleteGosh i think I'm the outlier 😂. Everyone else saw a frog and I saw a monster face!! 😂😂. There's always one isn't there?!!! xx
ReplyDeleteI love every answer! Variety is nice as well as concordance!
DeleteThe beer says: 30! I am the only one seeing a number though.
ReplyDeleteTo me it looks like multiple heart prints (inside the bubbles/foam, and also foam bubbles themselves)
ReplyDelete