Some Singing- Concert along time ago

[gruffalo]

hi, i didnt know whether to post this in the Audition room or not but i thought you might like to hear some singing for a change. this is when i was 11 in a choir called the "London Oratory Schola". i was in the choir for 7 years in total and i left when my voice broke. the choir was founded in 1996 and i was there from the beginning and we soon earned ourselves a great reputation as a top choir in the UK where we have sung in many films such as Lord of the Rings Sleepy, Harry Potter, Unbreakable, Sleepy Hollow and a few others.

I want to see feedback on what you think of the choir and i have a few solo lines although its something i cant correct (obviously) i would just like to hear some feedback and if anyone knows whether i have a chance for a career in singing. i am 17 at the moment and i am still rebuilding my voice.

the concert was performed in the Brompton Oratory Church in central London ( magnificent and huge church with excellent acoustics).

the first attachment is the opening song to the concert. this is piece is "I was Glad" by Parry. This is my favourite all time piece but i cant remember much about the emotions of singing this piece which is a shame.

Second attachment is the first of the 5 Negro Spirituals that we sung "Steal away" by Tippett. i have solo lines in this one. the first bit it is quite faint and hard to spot me because there are lots of parts at the same time, it comes just after " The trumpets!" (lyrics that is) and it is the top layer.

3rd attachment is the last of the negro spirituals "Deep River" where i sing some solo lines. this was the most difficult for me because of the top Bb.

Hope you Enjoy, sit back and relax   

thanks for reading

Gruff

[gruffalo]

Oh yes another thing. its a top B not Bb my mistake.

The concert is called "A Corner That Is For Ever England"
if anyone wants to hear any more of the concert just ask me. There are a few more pieces like the Parry, and some really angelic stuff.

Gruff

[gruffalo]

even if you cant say much about, it would be nice to hear some feedback.

[silvaone]

ah - Rupert Brooke

[shasta]

Hey Gruffalo, sounds great!  I've accompanied singers to both Steal Away and Deep River - - - love those pieces!  Thanks for posting!   

[gruffalo]

hi, thanks for the reply. they are excellent works. it was all down to our director really. hes an excellent trainer and conductor. he pushed us alot when we were very young but it was all worth it.

hes now the director of the Washington Cathedral Choir.

[ako]

What a pleasure to hear such a gifted choir. It must be fun to sing with talented singers under a great director. You are 17? How is your voice now? Are you a bass or tenor currently? It's tough to find professional singing jobs. I am singing with the San Francisco Symphony chorus as a volunteer chorister. There are only a few paid positions open in the whole chorus. So you have to think realistically and see how many employment opportunities there are. Since you are still young, you can go to college and be a voice major and see if it works out for you. On the otherhand, you can still have fun singing without getting paid and be a doctor or lawyer or something like that.

[gruffalo]

hi, its nice to hear from a singer. I am now a Baritone. i got a job in the Royal National Theatre to sing in a production as part of a choir, but yea jobs are always going to be hard to find. Im having a discussion with my parents who want me to do an Engineering degree (this is what i wanted originally they didnt push me for engineering) but i really want to go to a conservatoire to study singing and music. I would be happy to do a degree in Engineering if i could manage the singing at the same time but my singing teacher thinks i wont be able to do it. i really want to become an opera singer, and my teacher thinks i have the talent but i just need to work really hard.

the reason why its so hard to argue against my parents is that they have gone into debt to send my to a private school ($20000 a year) to study for my last two years of high school(in england we have big exams at the end of the two years to get into College) and they work so hard for me to have the privelidge of a good education. so im really stuck and i dont know what to do.

[gruffalo]

im not too familiar with choirs that are overseas, but it sounds good. would it possible to hear some recordings? The choir i was in went on several tours in different places, but unfortunately my voice broke before the tour to America, so i couldnt go. i did a solo in the films Sleepy Hollow and Unbreakable, thats the only proper recording and memory of my voice before it broke where i can hear it properley.

what voice do you sing?