OK, I've been so busy lately that I completely forgot to blog about a recent concert I did. I mentioned it before - Me and two others covering pop and rock music.
Anyone who knows me, knows that this isn't really my thing. However, since meeting Janusz, who takes singing lessons from me and is an avid midi-file/keyboard player, I've been playing around with singing pop music. I find it awkward to sing (I'm a soprano after all), it sits all wrong in my voice, and if I sing it comfortably, it sounds all wrong. That's changed a little lately, since I started working with Carol Baggott Forte, actually. And our choice of repertoire and the keys we do it in have helped too. Here's the list of songs I sang:
Carole King, You've Got a Friend
ABBA, Mamma Mia and Money, Money, Money
Morris Albert, Feelings (yes...)
Mike Oldfield, Moonlight Shadow
Those Were the Days
Moody Blues, Nights in White Satin
BeeGees/Barbara Streisand, Woman in Love
Madonna, La Isla Bonita
The other two sang mostly Polish (they both are) and German pop. Renata and I sang back-up for each other on a few songs.
This was a sort of open rehearsal, since we've never performed this stuff outside of Janusz's living room. Oh, wait. Actually, Janusz and I did a gig for a Christmas party for a friend of his. But we only did 5 songs - 3 Christmas, Woman In Love and Hey, Jude. Anyway, Janusz has mountains of equipment to transport and set up and he wanted a chance to go through the motions, as it were. Ideally, we'd like to get gigs playing at weddings or receptions/parties, that sort of thing.
Well regardless, it went off quite well. I was rather pleased. I didn't manage to memorize anything though, which is not so great, but I didn't flub anything! W00t! I have issues with memorization. I grew up and went through college never realizing I had problems with texts and memorization. But that's worthy of another post!
There were quite a few people there - around 80 or so. Most were friends and clients of Janusz's but 8 or so were friends and pupils of mine. I've gotten feedback and except for the occassional "you can tell you're a trained singer", which in this case is not necessarily a compliment, all positive.
This coming weekend I have a wedding to sing, in which I'm to sing Schubert's Ave Maria (in Latin) and a pop song - Das Beste by Silbermond. I sure hope I have to sing the pop song first. I'm sure I can switch into classical singer mode easily, but it's my pop-singer mode I'm insecure about.
Also this "weekend" (it's "Pentecost Monday" which is a holiday here in Germany) the little 8-person choir I sing with ("Raggio di Sol") is giving a concert of Renaissance and Baroque music. Now THAT's my thing.
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Showing posts with label janusz duo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label janusz duo. Show all posts
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Two performances
So, as fate would have it, I have 2 performances coming up end of May and mid June. Different (very different) music and types of concerts, so I have my work cut out for me.
On May 28 I will be singing a program of 70's and 80's pop (nearly wrote poop, there!) with a keyboardist and another singer. This is a private performance for "friends" only, so if you want to come then email me directly and I'll tell you where and when on that day it'll occur. Janusz (the keyboarder) has had the dream to perform as an entertainer for many years and is really keen on finally making it happen. This performance is basically practice for him with all his mountains of equipment and a bit of advertisement for us as a duo/trio. The two of us are singing among others covers of Carole Kind, Abba, the Beatles, Roberta Flack and Bob Denver (guessing which song, might get you a prize!). Janusz and the other singer will be singing mostly Polish pop music (which is very listenable, even if you don't understand the words). The 3 of us will do a couple of songs together.
On "Pentecost Monday" (as they call it here, because it's a holiday) the Vocal Ensemble "Raggio-di-Sol" will be performing a program of Monteverdi, Praetorius, Tallis, Palestrina, Hammerschmidt, Morley and others. It'll be wonderful! More info as the concert nears...
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On May 28 I will be singing a program of 70's and 80's pop (nearly wrote poop, there!) with a keyboardist and another singer. This is a private performance for "friends" only, so if you want to come then email me directly and I'll tell you where and when on that day it'll occur. Janusz (the keyboarder) has had the dream to perform as an entertainer for many years and is really keen on finally making it happen. This performance is basically practice for him with all his mountains of equipment and a bit of advertisement for us as a duo/trio. The two of us are singing among others covers of Carole Kind, Abba, the Beatles, Roberta Flack and Bob Denver (guessing which song, might get you a prize!). Janusz and the other singer will be singing mostly Polish pop music (which is very listenable, even if you don't understand the words). The 3 of us will do a couple of songs together.
On "Pentecost Monday" (as they call it here, because it's a holiday) the Vocal Ensemble "Raggio-di-Sol" will be performing a program of Monteverdi, Praetorius, Tallis, Palestrina, Hammerschmidt, Morley and others. It'll be wonderful! More info as the concert nears...
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