Move from Flora

Kensal Review Choir gets the boot

For those who haven’t been in the loop, we are rehearsing at the Hazel Road Community Centre, NW10 (right next to Kensal Green tube) on Tuesday Sept 25th, from 8-9pm.

We have sadly been booted from the Flora pub as Nora didn’t want us to leave our keyboard, and didn’t feel like discussing it much, other than poor Carol who got the brunt of her wrath.

Good news is, we are now right opposite the Masons Arms, so those vocal chords can be well lubricated after practice. See you there.

Down to the river to pray

Down to the river to pray

This song, given the shoddy weather we’ve had, is actually rather appropriate. I salute the six strong crew that came down last week to give it their all. An amazing performance for a first run-through. Let’s belt it out 20-strong this week.

 

Oh oh oh EXPLODE

Ok, so I’ve got two recordings for you. The full she-bang of Don’t Stop Me and a funny snippet of us all practising. Very Glee.

On the full recording, will you please listen to the VERY strong male presence. These boys are going to be headhunted before we know it and turned into the next One Direction. You just have to fight about who gets to be Harry. See above for style tips. I think perhaps we have to come in a wee bit stronger at the end with the La la las, but other than that. Bingo. I’m trying to sort out a gig for us in the next few weeks. Will keep you posted.

Full rendition:

dontstopme 060312 edited

Hilarious warm up (and Carol boy did that work): Anyone remember Bruno Martelli from Fame? Sounds like we’re doing a pre-audition warm up with him.

Don’t stop me middle voices only

There’s no stopping meeeeeeeee

Thanks to Antonia and her nifty mob, we now also have our last rendition of Don’t Stop Me, before we called it a day yesterday. Much hilarity. PS obv, still a bit of work to do there, but once we nail our timings and harmonies, this song is going to be da bomb. PS I think Dave and Bru will look good in this leotard for our next performance. Ian, Dougal you in?

Kensal don’t stop me verse 1-2

They came back from the dead

 

Freddie lives. He lives. In Dave Adeane. And in Eloise. And in Antonia and in Katja. Did I miss anyone? After a very challenging first half of the session (the notes were super tricky), we were almost ready to give up, but we gave it one last BANG and boy did it BANG. Song sheets flew, there was clapping, there was whooping and I do believe I heard Freddie get into his leathers up in heaven.

Here’s a little taste of what we’ve been up to. This is of Caravan of Love (click on Memo, it’s an iphone thingy me bobby), shoo be doop:

Memo   (fast forward to 1:22mins as it’s just us chatting before that).

 

 

Bum bum bum bum Oh Oh Every Woman…

 

 

 

 

 

Have a quick listen to us in the last rehearsal. This time no bums in the shot, just vocals. It sounding good, we could perhaps do with a few break outs of emotion here and there, whoever is confident and willing enough…

karmapolice240112 edited

For next week’s session, get your head around Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen, the vocals are online and up. It’s a song we attempted in week one, but it appeared we weren’t ready for it then. This will give Carol some time to work on new material for us as well. And then there’s always the Caravan to perfect. Bum bum, bum bum bum bum, Oh Oh, Every Woman…

AC

Karma Calling

Just a quick one guys to say Karma Police vocals are up. Happy roast chicken evening. See you Tuesday. Oh, and have a listen to Caravan of Love, the Housemartins classic, we may just start with that too.

The Choir Crasher

Just when you thought the love at the Inter Faith Centre couldn’t get any bigger, our very own Bruce did a wicked post about the choir for the park-life blog. Mwa Mwa. High Fives. Cheers. You Rock.

I can sing with my mouth shut

Happy New Year one and all. This is the year we will give Gareth Malone a run for his money. I mean, check out the pics, there are some of us in the choir (see AC), who can even sing with their mouth shut. It’s magic. The hats are really working though. We couldn’t look any bobblier if we tried. I think Bruce, with the borrowed hat, wins top prize.

I hope to see you all at choir tomorrow, so we can start with some new material and get some oxygen running through our pickled post-christmas bodies.

 

I lost myself

Dear all,

thanks again for a brilliant get together at the Farmers’ Market last Sunday. The feedback was great. So great in fact that Helen, the organiser, asked whether we could come back in the Spring and also perform at Queen’s Park Day in September. So it can’t have been all bad.

My friend Lynne Page, who happens to be a ridiculously talented choreographer (Billy Elliot, last Pet Shop Boys tour etc) has stepped forward and offered her skills, if we ever wanted to add some MOVES to our singing. It might help us look and sound even better. As it could distract people just enough from our voices so that they think we are totally mind-blowing. Something like that. So I think we should take her up on that offer and try to learn the lyrics by the next performance so that are hands are free for some showtime action.

The next session will take place on Tuesday Jan 10 at 7.30pm, same place. Please wrap your ears around Radiohead’s Karma Police, which we will be singing next. A great suggestion thanks to Bruce, or was it Ian?

PS If anyone has a picture of our performance, please email me so I can upload it to the blog for posterity.

Happy Christmas,

Ac