The band coped well with my insisting on stopping and starting hymn tunes for the first 20 minutes but I had taken to heart what the 2nd section adjudicator said at Sundays regional contest... "the rest of you back to the bandroom for more hymn tune practise". The balance, sound quality and dare I say tuning improved greatly in the first half an hour.
Emerald Skies was a little shaky tonight. So many interlocking quavers that need to match up... SUBDIVIDE SUBDIVIDE SUBDIVIDE! ...and Forte sounds, although improving can still sound pinched and aggressive. Lots of long notes and relaxed breathing practise required.
We did lots of work on Zambezi by Derek Broadbent which shows lots of potential but all of the band need to be careful on those little tricksty quaver rests. Still, a good Afro-Cuban feel was achieved in the end. Niki was right, Cuba IS in the Caribbean, just off of Jamaica... but it is very close to South America! ...and they do have pineapples there. I googled it.
Finally, very impressed with our run through of Harry Potter, the note bashing has obviously paid off and there were far more correct accidentals, time changes and articulations going in.
5 rehearsals left until the big relaunch concert... wow, where has the time gone.
Be good, learn lots.
The Boss
Just saw Natural World it was about the Zambezi! Turns out it's a river in southern Africa so nowt to do with Cuba at all. There you go. I reckon we need some hippo sound effects in there.
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