Ain't Misbehavin'...

It’s been a busy few weeks for us here at Show Choir, as we look forward to our picnic concert on 24th July on the Downs in Clifton! We’ve been working incredibly hard on all our material this term (new and old) and cannot wait to showcase what we’ve achieved in these strangest of times for choirs like us and the arts industry in general.

Speaking of new, we’ve been getting acquainted with our final new song for our repertoire this term: Ain’t Misbehavin’ from the 1929 musical revue Connie’s Hot Chocolates. With music by Fats Waller and Harry Brooks, the show premiered in New York’s Hudson Theatre where it ran for 219 performances, receiving praise for its choreography. Another fun fact about this one: jazz musician Louis Armstrong made his debut performing in the pit band! This sweet, jazzy number is shaping up very nicely especially with valiant efforts from our basses who anchor the tune as our Sopranos, Altos and Tenors harmonise around them. 

I’d Rather Be Sailing from A New Brain is also sounding lovely; now we’ve learned the notes, our focus has been finessing the dynamics of the song – and having confidence in ourselves that we do and can sing it well and get our respective timing right. 

Elsewhere, we’ve dusted off Sunrise Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof, specifically working on the key change and chorus. This number is really atmospheric and has some beautiful opportunities for us to play around with the dynamics that will make the song as impactful and moving as we know it can be. We began learning this number over Zoom when rehearsals were restricted, and we’ve enjoyed hearing it grow as we’ve finally been able to sing together in person!

The same can be said for Who Will Buy from Lionel Bart’s Oliver! An adaptation of the novel Oliver Twist, the 1960 musical enjoyed a hugely successful run on the West End, transferred to Broadway and enjoyed numerous tours and revivals. It was made into a film in 1968, and this sequence might be one that is familiar to some, becoming a brilliant choreography moment.

In the film,Who Will Buy starts with Oliver on a balcony overlooking the town square, and soon enough, vendors enter looking to sell their wares. We have a flower seller, a milkmaid, “ripe strawberries ripe” and a gentleman ready to grind kitchen knives (there were some slightly amused and bemused conversations amongst the choir about the nature and logic behind this particular combination) before we join Oliver in his musings about how wonderful the morning is and how you’ve never seen such a sky!

It’s a charming one to sing, but actually presents a bit of a challenge for us a choir in terms of timing and blending our respective notes, where parts enter and exit. Breathing and stamina is also key - maintaining the breath for the whole phrase is crucial if you don’t want to stumble and lose the flow… especially as our Show Choir arrangements picks up speed as it progress… practise will make perfect!

If you would like to come and see us sing our socks off on Saturday 24th July, head over to our events page for more information. See you there!