Month: April 2015

If Polyphony Down the Pub were a TV series…

…then PDtP 9 would be a ‘clip show‘; i.e. a re-cap of many of your favourite numbers from previous sessions.*

I’d love to claim that this is by design – some of the absolute belters that we’ve sung deserve a second airing, of course – but it’s actually down to the fact that I have run out of time to research new numbers.

Over the coming days I’ll post reminders of some of the great numbers that may be making a reappearance so feel free to drop a comment highlighting any that you would really, really like to be on the set-list.

In the meantime, don’t forget too to sign up to PDtP 9 here as this will help me figure out if we can do any of those double-chorus numbers.

Cheers

Kevin

*If it were a TV series then I bet it would have a really cool opening title sequence as well, with explosions and helicopters and beautiful people sipping cocktails at a Los Angeles pool party, all to the soundtrack of My Bonny Lass She Smileth.

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Breaking the silence

Hey there, PDtP folk!

Apologies for the radio silence but a busy week plus serious website problems conspired to keep me off-line.

Website issues persist still (how unlucky am I with technical problems? First FB and now WP!) but I can at least post now; hope to have the Follow via e-mail functionality back up and running soon.

What a wonderful night we had last Monday! Great to have had the perfect combo of new faces and old hands.

Highlights for me were April is in My Mistress’ Face and Christe Jesu, Pastor Bone but you all will have had your favourites (and least favourites too, no doubt); feel free to comment on them below.

Next session details are here, including our brand new poster (I am going to start giving masterclasses in how to produce mediocre publicity materials using just Microsoft Word).

PDtP sessions are now listed on Eventbrite so you can sign up to them just like many of you used to via FB.  Of course you don’t have to do this – it’s a drop-in music night after all – but if you do then it’s a handy way for me to get an idea of voice numbers, which in turn helps when planning the rep for the night.

Thanks again to you all for your continuing support and I look forward to seeing many of you at the next PDtP.

Cheers

Kevin

 

 

Quick sheet music update for tonight

Hi guys

Just a reminder that we will be recording excerpts and taking pictures at tonight’s PDtP for possible inclusion in R3’s Meet My Choir, so please bear this in mind in case you are worried that Interpol might catch up with you as a result.

As Bach chorales are usually a staple of the sessions (they should be a staple of all singing events at all times and I include The X-Factor in this assertion), I am chucking the final chorale of BWV10 back in the mix.

Some of you will remember it from PDtP 6 and it really is the most brilliant 50 seconds of choral music you could wish for – simultaneously archaic and utterly fresh, a pure pleasure across all 4 parts.

It has been added to the sheet music folder on Box so grab it via the usual link.

Thanks again and see you at 7!

Kevin

Bach in the dark

Hope you are all looking forward to Monday’s PDtP, which, as always, is sure to be the best one yet.

In the meantime, some of you may be interested in an unusual performance of Bach’s St John Passion, which takes place in the Thames Tunnel Shaft at the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe tomorrow night (Saturday April 11th): http://www.concert-diary.com/concert/793772055/Hieronymus-St-John-Passion

I would be there myself if I wasn’t already otherwise engaged so if anyone does go, please let us know if you enjoy it.

I haven’t heard of this young ensemble before but it sounds like they are all about performing great music in unexpected places, which is of course how we also like to roll.

Cheers

Kevin

PDtP 8 sheet music is ready!

Here’s the link to next Monday’s sheet music:

https://app.box.com/PDtP-8-sheet-music

As you’ll see, there’s a healthy mix of the sacred and profane; while there was no room for any JSB this month, he will be Bach in future sessions (sorry.)

In the line-up are a couple of rather lovely 3 part pieces, including the ‘Full Fathom Five’ that was used in the first production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.*

Another setting of Shakespeare by one of his contemporaries is Morley’s It Was a Lover & His Lass, alongside two more of his madrigals.

Other gems are Dowland’s Fine Knacks for Ladies, Sheppard’s The Lord’s Prayer, and Taverner’s Christe Jesu, Pastor Bone.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a celebration of English Renaissance choral music without those perennial favourites, Byrd’s Ave Verum, Tallis’ If Ye Love Me and Gibbons’ The Silver Swan.

And a final highlight: as it’s PDtP VIII, we have a jolly little number by none other than Henry VIII, which will surely make it all a right royal knees-up!

Download the files, print them or save them to tablet then come along on the night; feel free to sign up to our brand new events page too:

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/polyphony-down-the-pub-8-you-wont-find-knacks-finer-tickets-16442456831

Cheers

Kevin

*At least I think it’s the actual first setting; didn’t have enough time to verify it!

Now, I know you don’t need any more of a reason to come along to the next PDtP…

…but just in case you did need a prod, we are going to be recording some segments that we hope may be used on a future Meet My Choir, a regular segment of Radio 3’s The Choir programme.

Sara Mohr-Pietsch, presenter of The Choir, came along to the March PDtP and was kind enough to suggest that we submit a recording and some info for her programme.

SMP PDtP tweet
(You see? SM-P really was there!)

OK, so we are technically not a choir, but the programme is about celebrating singing in all its forms and so our unusual event might be of interest to the British public.

Once again, there is no guarantee that we will make it on to the programme but it would be nice to give it a try; I am really hoping for a nice, big sound for a brief recording so please do come and bring your singing pals with you!

Here’s a reminder of the details of the next session on April 13th.

Cheers

Kevin