Junior Choir Summer 2023
We are learning a new group of songs this term and are hoping to perform them in school, on a choir twinning with another Hackney School, and at a local residential home for older people. Here are some resources to help you to practise some of the songs at home.
Seallaibh Curaigh Eoghainn
This is a Scottish song sung in the Gaelic language. You can carry on practising at home with the pronunciation guides here:
https://learngaelic.scot/littlebylittle/songs/curaigh/index.jsp#intro
And here it is sung at a much faster tempo by a group in Plockton, Scotland
Seallaibh Curaigh Eoghainn - Performance from British Council Schools on Vimeo.
Chamber Choir at the Music for Youth Regional Festival! March 2023
The chamber choir had a brilliant day out at Cecil Sharp House in Camden and performed brilliantly, with great feedback from the adjudicators. We were a little nervous but mostly excited about performing to others, and it went really well. It was also an amazing experience to hear the other groups that performed, from primary school choirs and orchestras to borough jazz bands. Here are some pictures and videos from our big day!
Chamber Choir March 2023
The chamber choir are looking forward to performing at Cecil Sharp House in Camden for the Music For Youth Regional Festival this month. We'll be performing Give Us Hope and Ain't Gonna Let Nobody - two contrasting songs with the theme of perseverance and sticking up for what you believe in. Here are some guide tracks to help you with learning your harmonies:
Autumn 2022
Our choirs are back together and already working hard on the songs for the O2 Trip on 19th January next year. You can start listening to and learning the songs with this Spotify playlist. More resources to follow!
Sing From Your Heart
"Shake off your doubt; what's within, let it OUT!" That's the advice in this wonderful song from Jon Allen, and that's what our spectacular singers in the Junior Choir are doing every time they come to rehearsal. We love this song, and are really excited to have shared it as our first song for Together With Music - an organisation that pair schools with care homes and other groups in the local community. We can't wait to start getting to know some new friends and hope that our singing will spread some joy. We have been practising FACE singing: focus, action, confidence and energy. Do you think we have got some of these?
If you'd like to come and join our wonderful choir, we are currently rehearsing after school on Thursdays. See you there!
Get practising for our trip, which will now take place on Monday 23rd May 2022. There's a lot to learn! You can access dance and action videos on the Young Voices website here. Use passcode YV2021 to log in to the practice platform. You can also listen to the playlist and get to know the songs on this Spotify playlist, via the webplayer or if you have a Spotify account.
Summer Community Choir - June/July 2021
Thanks to all of the children and adults who have joined so far. It's really fun to sing and dance together once again.
Place in the Choir
Since our choir welcomes and celebrates everyone in our community, this song is perfect for us. It's also great fun to sing. Our version is from Bill Staines as in the first video. The second version here is sung by Celtic Thunder, and has some great photos and the lyrics. How are the versions different?
All God's critters got a place in the choir
Some sing low, some sing higher
Some sing out loud on the telephone wires
And some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they got now
Listen to the bass, it's the one on the bottom
Where the bullfrog croaks and the hippopotamus
Moans and groans with a big t'do
And the old cow just goes moo
The dogs and the cats they take up the middle
While the honeybee hums and the cricket fiddles
The donkey brays and the pony neighs
And the old coyote howls
Chorus
Listen to the top where the little birds sing
On the melodies with the high notes ringing
The hoot owl hollers over everything
And the jaybird disagrees
Singin' in the night time, singing in the day
The little duck quacks, then he's on his way
The 'possum ain't got much to say
And the porcupine talks to himself
Chorus
It's a simple song of living sung everywhere
By the ox and the fox and the grizzly gear
The grumpy alligator the the hawk above
The sly raccoon and the turtle dove
Chorus x 2
Voices Around the World
During lockdown we weren't able to sing together as choirs, but we were treated to the release of What Kind of World are we Trying to Make? - the final video from Voices Around the World. Our Queensbridge choir from 2018-19 features heavily amongst all of the other amazing singers from around the world. The list of countries at the end is stunning - and all this happened BEFORE everyone was using Zoom and making these type of films. Enjoy!
Summer 2020 - Zoom Rehearsals
We have been missing Chamber Choir rehearsals, so we've decided to meet online. Here's a photo from our first session in June. It's so lovely to see all of your smiling faces! Although we are apart and aren't able to hear everyone singing in sync, we can play musical games and share songs into solo lines. We have also started learning the wonderful song Higher and Higher, performed by Jackie Wilson, to lift us out of our lockdown blues.
There were lots of lovely comments about meeting up online. Many children said it was nice to see each other on Zoom, although it's not quite the same as real life.
As Leela put it:
There were lots of lovely comments about meeting up online. Many children said it was nice to see each other on Zoom, although it's not quite the same as real life.
As Leela put it:
"I miss singing together 'cos it's magical when we sing harmonies together."
Hopefully we will get to sing together in person soon. Until then, see you online.
13th March 2020
This morning we were really lucky to get a visit from two of the musicians working with the Armonico Consort. Callum and Caius helped us to warm up and get the best out of our voices, and then took us through most of the songs that we'll be singing at the Royal Albert Hall. We especially love singing Symphony! We worked so hard and stayed focused throughout. Here are some clips!
Spring 2020 - Chamber Choir performing with Music for Youth
Wow - the Chamber Choir gave a wonderful performance at the Music for Youth Regional Festival on 28th February, at Cecil Sharp House in Camden. We had some lovely feedback and got a certificate. You can listen to our performances of three songs here:
Happy Christmas 2019
Happy Christmas from the Junior Choir - here's a little song to wish you a happy holiday!
Gearing up for some festive singing
We had a brilliant choir practise today, singing our Gala Bingo warm up and then learning two new songs. Our singing continues to improve with some harmony singing in the warm up, and a different timbre (style) of singing for our hip hop song. We hope to perform something at school for Christmas and also to visit the local lunch club for some of our elderly neighbours. Watch this space.
Here are some links to help you to practise. Rockin around the Christmas Tree:
And two brilliant arrangements of an old African American Spiritual from late 19th/early 20th century. This was also used as a song for the Civil Rights Movement, with it's powerful message as a metaphor for moving towards equality - something we hold dear at Queensbridge.
Aint gonna let nobody
Turn me around, turn me around
Aint gonna let nobody
Turn me around
Keep on walkin', keep on talkin
Walkin to the freedom land
October 14th 2019 - Junior Choir at Fire! Fire! with the Classical Roadshow
52 wonderful members of Junior Choir travelled to the Classical Roadshow today at the Milton Court Concert Hall near the Barbican. We were treated to a retelling of the Great Fire of London, using lots of evidence from the diary of Samuel Pepys. The London Mozart Players were the fantastic orchestra who played the entrie show, and we sang along heartily with all of the audience participation songs. Here are some clips, and some feedback from choir members.
Thanks to all of the staff who supported the trip and to the parents that came to watch!
" I liked how they introduced us to some instruments like the
bass clarinet, the Cor Anglais, and the harpsichord."
" I liked how the parents were singing along."
Junior Choir Autumn 2019
Wow - we have a wonderful group of about 50 children who have joined the Junior Choir this year. It's great to have you all. Choir takes place on Wednesdays at 12.20pm. Today you were making a brilliant sound - improving all the time.
We are excited to be going on a trip to Milton Court Concert Hall on Monday 14th October to sing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. We will be performing in Fire! a story with music about the Great Fire of London. And we have lots of songs to learn in a short time.
We had a brilliant choir practise today, singing our Gala Bingo warm up and then learning two new songs. Our singing continues to improve with some harmony singing in the warm up, and a different timbre (style) of singing for our hip hop song. We hope to perform something at school for Christmas and also to visit the local lunch club for some of our elderly neighbours. Watch this space.
Here are some links to help you to practise. Rockin around the Christmas Tree:
And two brilliant arrangements of an old African American Spiritual from late 19th/early 20th century. This was also used as a song for the Civil Rights Movement, with it's powerful message as a metaphor for moving towards equality - something we hold dear at Queensbridge.
Turn me around, turn me around
Aint gonna let nobody
Turn me around
Keep on walkin', keep on talkin
Walkin to the freedom land
October 14th 2019 - Junior Choir at Fire! Fire! with the Classical Roadshow
52 wonderful members of Junior Choir travelled to the Classical Roadshow today at the Milton Court Concert Hall near the Barbican. We were treated to a retelling of the Great Fire of London, using lots of evidence from the diary of Samuel Pepys. The London Mozart Players were the fantastic orchestra who played the entrie show, and we sang along heartily with all of the audience participation songs. Here are some clips, and some feedback from choir members. Thanks to all of the staff who supported the trip and to the parents that came to watch!
"I enjoyed it because it was fun to sing. As a choir we
sounded amazing. I liked the acting of the main characters. It made it seem
like it was coming back to life. The stage choir knew what they were doing and
didn’t forget anything."
"I liked how they made it into a play. When the lights turned
on we knew that we were supposed to sing and when the lights turned off, they
carried on with the play."
"I liked the bright colours of the lights. When the fire was
coming they turned red, and when there was water they turned blue."
"I loved the expressions of the actors. When she saw the
fire, Jane was screaming and singing at the same time."
"Our parents came to listen to the music and the singing."
"The conductor was really funny."
Wow - we have a wonderful group of about 50 children who have joined the Junior Choir this year. It's great to have you all. Choir takes place on Wednesdays at 12.20pm. Today you were making a brilliant sound - improving all the time.
We are excited to be going on a trip to Milton Court Concert Hall on Monday 14th October to sing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. We will be performing in Fire! a story with music about the Great Fire of London. And we have lots of songs to learn in a short time.
Throw and....catch! We've been warming up with this little song. Jikeleza means 'turn around' in Xhosa language (spoken around South Africa). Can you try throwing and catching your voice with members of your family?
Summer Term 2019 - Junior Choir
We are starting a new theme of songs to do with COMMUNITY. We've been invited to go and sing to and with pupils at Jubilee Primary School and also hope to welcome their choir to Queensbridge (dates tbc).
We started by learning a Sea Shanty called Essequibo River. Sailors have to work together on board ship and their singing keeps them in time. We think that working together is an important part of being in a community.
The Essequibo River is in Guyana.
This song probably started life as a work song for loading cargo onto boats, and then was picked up and used by sailors on voyages around the world - also reaching England. We hope you enjoy the rhythms and making up your own versions. Here are a few different versions so you can hear how tunes and words travel and change...
"Buddy tanna-na, we are somebody-oh!"
The official QUEENSBRIDGE video of What Kind of World
Congratulations to our wonderful Junior choir for their recording of What Kind of World Are We Trying To Make? as part of the Voices around the World project. As well as sending vocal recordings to be added to a worldwide choir of singers for the final release, we made our own school version of the whole song. They are superstars.
Recording Day
Well done to our wonderful choir for all of their hard work with the recordings of What Kind of World today. We had to really be in control of our movements and make sure that we were watching carefully. We also had to practise being silent so as not to ruin the recording. Some of us found that tricky! Here are some pics of us dressed in our earth colours, singing along to the tracks. Watch this space for our Queensbridge video and the release of the Voices Around the World single...
And a little clip of us rehearsing the dance yesterday with some great focus and energy:
Rehearsing What Kind of World
LOVING the energy and focus in choir today (4th March). Well done! Don't forget to keep practising the words at home, ready to make our recording. Can you inspire someone in your family to make a change that helps the environment?
What Kind of World Are We Trying to Make?
Summer Term 2019 - Junior Choir
We are starting a new theme of songs to do with COMMUNITY. We've been invited to go and sing to and with pupils at Jubilee Primary School and also hope to welcome their choir to Queensbridge (dates tbc).
We started by learning a Sea Shanty called Essequibo River. Sailors have to work together on board ship and their singing keeps them in time. We think that working together is an important part of being in a community.
The Essequibo River is in Guyana.
"Buddy tanna-na, we are somebody-oh!"
The official QUEENSBRIDGE video of What Kind of World
Congratulations to our wonderful Junior choir for their recording of What Kind of World Are We Trying To Make? as part of the Voices around the World project. As well as sending vocal recordings to be added to a worldwide choir of singers for the final release, we made our own school version of the whole song. They are superstars.
Thanks to Ellen, Suzie and Will for choreographing, filming and editing this wonderful video.
Recording Day
Well done to our wonderful choir for all of their hard work with the recordings of What Kind of World today. We had to really be in control of our movements and make sure that we were watching carefully. We also had to practise being silent so as not to ruin the recording. Some of us found that tricky! Here are some pics of us dressed in our earth colours, singing along to the tracks. Watch this space for our Queensbridge video and the release of the Voices Around the World single...
And a little clip of us rehearsing the dance yesterday with some great focus and energy:
Rehearsing What Kind of World
LOVING the energy and focus in choir today (4th March). Well done! Don't forget to keep practising the words at home, ready to make our recording. Can you inspire someone in your family to make a change that helps the environment?
What Kind of World Are We Trying to Make?
This term, the Junior Choir are going to take part in a project called Voices Around the World. We are learning the song below, and the next step will be to record ourselves singing it. The recording will be added to recordings of children's voices from all around the world, before the track and video are released. How amazing to be part of a huge community of voices.
How would you answer the question 'What kind of world are we trying to make?' Perhaps you can write or draw or make up another song to describe your vision for our world.
Chamber Choir Summer 2019
A huge welcome to new members of the Chamber Choir, following successful auditions. Here we are rehearsing in the music room this week.
We are having fun learning Sing by Pentatonix. Here's a snippet from rehearsal:
And the original to sing along with:
Junior Choir songs to practise:
Tapestry of Life
We are working on this song by Pete Churchill. It celebrates a diverse community.
You can hear Pete singing it with Mishka Adams here. Pete says:
The great Canadian Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau, likened an immigrant society to a wonderful tapestry. On one side shining and beautiful and yet, on the other, a mass of tangled threads – evidence of that necessary untidiness that binds the whole. Building a society, learning to live together – cheek by jowl – with all our differences, can be hard work – and messy at times. But when it hangs together… Oh, the beauty!
Jimmy Cliff
This year in choir we are going to be learning a collection of songs by Jimmy Cliff - a Jamaican ska and reggae musician, singer and multi-instrumentalist. Jimmy Cliff was awarded the Order of Merit - the highest honour that the Jamaican government give for achievements in the arts and scientists. His songs celebrate life, give positive messages and tackle politics. Here are some links to songs to help you to practise at home.
Wonderful World, Beautiful People
Lyrics:
Eh-yeah, wonderful world, beautiful people
You and your friends, things could be pretty
But underneath this there is a secret
That nobody can reveal
But underneath this there is a secret
That nobody can reveal
Take a look at the world
And the state that it's in today
I am sure you'll agree
We all could make it a better way
With our love put together
Everybody learn to love each other
Instead of fussing and fighting
Cheating, backbiting
Scandalizing and hating
And the state that it's in today
I am sure you'll agree
We all could make it a better way
With our love put together
Everybody learn to love each other
Instead of fussing and fighting
Cheating, backbiting
Scandalizing and hating
Baby, we could have a wonderful world, beautiful people
You and your friends things could be pretty
But underneath this there is a secret
That nobody can reveal, yeah now
You and your friends things could be pretty
But underneath this there is a secret
That nobody can reveal, yeah now
Man and woman, girl and boy
Let us try to give a helping hand
This I know and I'm sure
That with love we all could understand
This is our world, can't you see
Everybody wants to live and be free
Instead of fussing and fighting
Cheating, backbiting
Scandalizing and hating, yeah
Let us try to give a helping hand
This I know and I'm sure
That with love we all could understand
This is our world, can't you see
Everybody wants to live and be free
Instead of fussing and fighting
Cheating, backbiting
Scandalizing and hating, yeah
Hard Road to Travel
Lyrics:
VERSE
I'm all alone, this lonesome road I roam
I've got no love to call my very own
I've got a ha
|
rd road to travel and a r
|
ough rough way to go
|
Said its a ha
|
rd road to travel and a r
|
ough rough way to go
|
But I c
|
an't turn back, my h
|
eart is fixed
|
My m
|
ind's made up, I'll n
|
ever stop
|
My fa
|
ith will s
|
ee, see me t
|
hrough
|
Let me tell you...
|
VERSE
I'm all alone, this lonesome road I roam
I've got no love to call my very own
Oh the river gets deeper, hills get steeper
And the pain gets deeper every day... YEAH!
And the pain gets deeper every day... YEAH!
CHORUS
BRIDGE
|
Aahhh, oh oh
Aahhh, oh oh... one more thing
VERSE
VERSE
I dream of a home far beyond
the sea
|
Where there is love, peace and
joy for me
|
Oh in my eyes I see troubles
and dangers for me
|
But destiny where it leads me I
must go, hey ...
CHORUS
|
BRIDGE
|
October 2018 - Chamber Choir on Fire! 💥
On Monday 15th October, the Chamber Choir took to the stage at the Light Concert Hall in Euston for a wonderful performance of FIRE! The story of the Great Fire of London 1666, with the London Mozart Players. All of our children did a brilliant job of learning and performing the songs. A special mention to George who took a speaking role as the grandson of Samuel Pepys' servant, Jane. We loved hearing the orchestra play, and the experience of being close up to the professional actors on stage was pretty amazing!
Here are some pictures and clips from the day:
On Monday 15th October, the Chamber Choir took to the stage at the Light Concert Hall in Euston for a wonderful performance of FIRE! The story of the Great Fire of London 1666, with the London Mozart Players. All of our children did a brilliant job of learning and performing the songs. A special mention to George who took a speaking role as the grandson of Samuel Pepys' servant, Jane. We loved hearing the orchestra play, and the experience of being close up to the professional actors on stage was pretty amazing!
Here are some pictures and clips from the day:
No comments:
Post a Comment
We love to hear your views, but please comment respectfully and don't add any links. Thank you.