All Choired Up Blog – Old
All Choired Up Blog – Old
All Choired Up
Welcome to the All Choired Up Blog, below you will find song-sheets, music clips, handy videos and messages from Choir Facilitator Carol Prior.
Blog post | 30 July 2021
Hi Choired Uppers,
I can’t believe we are now at the end of July, which only means one thing: we have 4 weeks before our debut performance at Hastings Pride on Sunday 29th August! We have been asked to open the entertainment in the Arts Tent at 12.15pm with a 10 minute set which will be:
Seagull Skid
We’ve got all the love
Somos El Barco (We are the boat)
Please refresh your memories of these songs – all the song parts and lyrics are below.
Look forward to singing with you on Monday, same time, same place!
Blog post | 15th July 2021
Hello Choired Uppers! This week I am posting 2 videos of me singing the round I wrote called Seagull Skid.
One of them shows me singing it in 2 parts with the round starting after the word ‘sea’ of seagull, and the other video shows the round starting earlier, after the word ‘ever’. Sing along with me and try it both ways. You can even come in after the second voice and make it a round in 3 parts!
I am including a link to a Youtube video of Lea Morris teaching her song Be The Light which we have sung in choir over the last couple of weeks. It’s nearly 25 minutes long but REALLY worth listening to it until the end as it shows her layering up the parts so you can see how it all fits together, and what it sounds like when all the parts are working together. Magic! It also gives an explanation of her inspiration to write the song which I referred to in last week’s blog offering.
Happy Singing and see you Monday!
All the best,
Carol
Blog post | 9th July 2021
I’m really excited to be teaching this uplifting soulful song written by African American singer- songwriter and choir leader Lea Morris, inspired by the poem The Hill We Climb written by Amanda Gorman and recited by her at the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20 2021. I introduced the song to some of you last Monday and was very encouraged by the lovely sound we made in such a short time. Listen to the 4 different parts to refresh your memory, or to give yourself a head start for this Monday’s rehearsal. I can’t wait to sing this amazing song with you all again!
Happy Singing!
Carol x
Blog post | 25th June 2021
We had a smaller turnout at Monday night’s rehearsal (thank you for letting us know you couldn’t be there) but what we lacked in quantity more than made up for in the quality of the singing, AND we sang a new song I know you’re all going to love! There can’t be many people who haven’t heard of Gentleman Jack, the TV show based on the life of the famous nineteenth century lesbian landowner Anne Lister.
A song of the same name written by folk duo O’Hooley and Tidow played out over the closing credits of the show. There are 3 YouTube clips for you to enjoy: the first one is an interview with O’Hooley and Tidow on BBC North two years ago giving the background on the TV show and the song Gentleman Jack they had written some years earlier. The second clip is a performance of the song by the duo at Downend Folk Club, with an explanation of how they came to write the song, and finally clip number three is a performance of the song by London-based queer women’s a cappella vocal group The Syncing Violets. Enjoy!
I’m also including a song sheet with the lyrics of Gentleman Jack so you can familiarise yourself with the words before we sing it together next Monday.
Happy Singing!
Carol x
A message from Carol
Thank you all so much for coming to our first in person session last Monday, it was great to see some familiar and new faces. Watch the video below for a special message from Carol!
The song we went through last week! Enjoy :)
A video of our first session not on zoom which took place in August 2020
All Choired Up - we're back!
In preparation to our first real life session all together in what feels like years, I have put some videos together! In this Acapella video, I sing Slow Hand Clap for the DCMS. As I indicate on the song sheet, it is a round with a slow hand clap to accompany it. We will sing it in 2 parts with the second group coming in after the word ‘DCMS’.
A bit of background to this topical song: written by Martin Jones, I learnt it from a video of an outdoor singing workshop by a men’s community choir led by Philip Read who, like me, is a member of the Natural Voice Network. Here’s to singing inside in groups of more than 6 sometime soon! (Boris are you listening?)
This is Somos El Barco, written by Lorre Wyatt. It’s a song with a chorus in Spanish and English, and I chose it because like the round. It sounds like a song for our times, even though it was written in 1984. It’s also got a singing round the campfire vibe which we hope to do at some point over the summer! If you’re curious you’ll find a gorgeous relaxed version of it by Peter, Paul and Mary and do check out other versions, there’s no definitive way to sing it, it’s a folksong after all!
If you’re not familiar with the Spanish language – spoken or sung – never fear! It’s worth persevering and with practice you’ll be surprised at how quickly you pick it up. Don’t worry about getting a perfect Spanish accent (unless you’re Spanish 😊) as I obviously didn’t, just have a go at it and give it your best shot. I originally learnt this from the amazing Penny Stone, another Natural Voice Network choir leader based in Edinburgh. You can find her teaching video of this song on YouTube and it would be a great way of reinforcing your learning, if you have the inclination and time.
Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is an opportunity for our Choir members to share the songs they love and that mean something special to them.
Desert Island Discs Ep.1: Angela Gunning
Angela has nominated Yellow by Coldplay.
In their own words...
"I was reintroduced to this song just recently when I picked it up on a pavement in St Leonards amongst lots of CDs being given away for free. I just love harmonising with this song. I have never really done any harmonising before but since joining All Choired Up I have been All Fired Up! I am really looking forward to doing more harmonising with our new found choir in 2021 as the world needs more harmony. It would be great if we could sing Yellow by Coldplay as a choir in 2021. We could do our own arrangements. Well Carol can do it and we can sing!
The photograph above was taken on the 26th Oct 2020 - the same day that All Choired Up met up face to face for the first time in the church hall. It is a rather large picture of my body and soul having fun in the sea at St Leonards as part of the Groyne 41 group."
Desert Island Discs Ep.2: Andrew Barton
Andrew has nominated Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera
In their own words...
"My favourite song would be Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera – the Michael Crawford version. I love the live theatre and have really missed it this year! In fact, thinking about it for this blog has brought tears to my eyes. One of my favourite musicals is PHANTOM. If you have never seen it live you have missed one of the wonders of the West End Theatre land. It is so enchanting and magical.
I have seen it live about 6 times and have even been told to be quiet by audience members when I started to sing along! I might be the only Yorkshire Phantom! All Phantoms are different but Michael Crawford is my favourite. I know that as I move to Battle this winter the London musicals will be the one thing I miss. If any fellow members want to do trips up to theatreland in the future - let me know.
The Phantom has some amazing singing and special effects; I never tire of it. It is set in Her Majesty’s Theatre that lends itself to the eeriness of a story about an Opera ghost. The going back in time and the transformation of the theatre to tell the story is very clever and the chandelier is magnificent and the centre piece of the whole thing truly magnificent – I am now singing along!"
Desert Island Discs Ep.3: Barbara Martin
Barbara has nominated Stranger on the Shore by Acker Bilk
In their own words...
The song I have chosen to share with the choir is Stranger on the Shore played by Acker Bilk.
This song has been important to me since I first listened to it when I was 7 years old. I loved the haunting melody and I felt that something inside me was blossoming when I heard the song. This 'something' was my early lesbian feelings. The song still moves me today and connects me to my younger self.
All Choired Up | Irish Pub Night!
On this blog post, we are sharing 2 Irish songs we’ll be singing at the Irish Night this coming Monday March 15th. Below you’ll find the lyrics to both songs: The Rattling Bog and The Parting Glass. Plus two separate videos of The Parting Glass. One is a teaching video and the other is my performance of the song to enable you to learn the song more effectively. I haven’t included a video of The Rattling Bog as it’ll be very easy to pick up on the night, and there are many versions online should you wish to have a listen beforehand!
The Parting Glass
Something to get you in the mood...
Here's The Parting Glass being sung in an Irish pub in Derry City, Northern Ireland. It’s a lovely version in glorious multi layered harmony. The atmosphere in the pub must have been phenomenal!
All Choired Up Blog #11
I wanted these two songs to be added to the blog because I love how they make me feel uplifted and hopeful, a feeling we can all use right now. But also because they show what’s possible with just the human voice (and a bit of mesmeric body percussion in the case of White Winter Hymnal!). I hope you love them as much as I do and that you find yourself singing along around the house, in the bath, out on your daily walk, doing the housework...
To bring this blog post to a close, here's a wonderful poem written by Emma Silvester for our special Irish night down the pub!
It's been a long dark night
And I've been a waitin' for the morning
It's been a long hard fight
But I see a brand new day a dawning
I've been looking for the sunshine
You know I ain't seen it in so long
But everything's gonna work out just fine
And everything's gonna be all right
That's been all wrong
'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
It's been a long long time
Since I've known the taste of freedom
And those clinging vines
That had me bound, well I don't need 'em
Oh, I've been like a captured eagle, you know an eagle's born to fly
Now that I have won my freedom, like an eagle I am eager for the sky
And I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Ooh, everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
And I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Ooh and everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay