Course Outline
A Journey to become a better singer
- for those used to singing this will start as a review of vocal skills and how to build singing muscles using good songs as exercises
- for beginners this will be a quick course on basics: deep breathing, open throat, managing the breath, "listening more than you sing", producing a natural, resonant sound. Songs will include favourites from musicals, films aoperettas, classic pop songs and modern folk
A Journey into nature and the outdoor world
- songs about birds, trees, flowers, the sun, stars and night, seasons, rivers, water and fish, farming and the ocean air. A great range of 25 singable, memorable and mainly well-known songs.
A Journey to better health through singing
- a ten minute update on the science behind claims for singing's health benefits followed by extremely varied repertoire - from Beethoven's Ode to Joy: hymns: Feliz Navidad and songs for dancing; to Happy Days; Blue Skies; Jerome Kern's The Way you look tonight; The Isle of Capri; The Hippopotamus Song; Something Stupid and many more
A Journey in times of war and peace
- from Roses of Picardy; The last Time I saw Paris: Vers Lynn's We'll meet again, I Dreamed a Dream and Māori Battalion to Shirley Murray's song for Anzac Day: Haere Ra; Blue Smoke; Blowin' in the Wind and others
A Journey back to the Victorian and Edwardian Era's
- a costumed singing Soiree, including supper, to conclude the course. Period songs such as Love's Old Sweet Song, Keep the Home Fires Burning, The Holy City: Drink to Me Only along with repeats of the most popular choices from previous evenings