Preparing for a full concert is an incredibly challenging task. Last year, we did two rehearsals a week for the Libertatem concert and it proved to be quite difficult for members' attendance since many of our members are nurses who work shifts, and some do nights or long days. We have now lessened rehearsals to once a week but have made it more intensive. How did we manage that? To help all of us, we now have study recordings before rehearsals for new songs which can be studied at home. Members familiarise themselves with their parts which we then slot in and piece together when we all meet for our more efficient and productive Monday rehearsals.
It is quite wonderful when the members make the effort and proactively arrange their own get-together to get used to singing as a group and help each other out.
Haraya members got lucky last weekend with the weather and had a fantastic BBQ at our bass section leader's lovely home in Slough. Everyone was very well fed (Our choir is blessed with some seriously good cooks!) and had a great bonding time going through some tricky musical passages.
In between serious practise, we also enjoyed giggling through many funny jokes coming from some very funny Haraya members!
We have now learned all of the songs that we shall be singing in the Haraya in Concert event at St. Peter's Church in Notting Hill on the 2nd of June. We are currently in the process of tidying up and polishing all our pieces and planning our next exciting projects.
In the meantime, if you are keen to hear us before then, you have two opportunities to catch us. First is the choral festival in Hammersmith:
And second is at the Flores De Mayo Festivities at the St. Edward the Confessor in Golders Green on the 6th of May for the 12:15pm mass.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon!