January 12, 2012

• Mama sang bass….

  

  Last night a friend and I went to a Sweet Adelines rehearsal nearby.  There were five of us who were new, and the director took us out in the hall and had us sing “Row Row Row your boat” in several keys.  Because I could hit the lower notes so strongly, she suggested I sing “Bass”

  Sweet Adelines is a barbershop group and the music is written for tenor, lead, baritone and bass.  It’s like the melody accompanied by a three part harmony.  So tenor is like high soprano (although it really doesn’t get that high – maybe the G above the staff if you read music.)  Lead is like mezzo-soprano (and as the name suggests, sings the melody).  Baritone is like a high alto, and bass is a low alto.

  I have a 2 1/2 octave range so I could have sang any of them, but I guess they need strong voices at the bottom, so she suggested bass.

  It was fun.  There is no accompaniment, just a pitch pipe for the key.  The director is very good at sight singing and was able to sing all the parts for each section on a new song they were learning.  I was standing next to the assistant director who also sings bass and at the end of the night she complimented me and said I did an awesome job and that I must be a ‘reader’ because I was able to sing the right notes of a song I didn’t know.  I guess my sight-singing and ear-training class my last semester a few years ago is coming in handy

  So they want newbies to attend at least three rehearsals before committing, then they have to ‘audition’ by singing their part of a four-part harmony, although they will have someone with them who sings the same part for help if needed.

  I’m not used to standing for so long.  My feet were numb and tingly after two hours.  I was glad we got a break!  I took my friend Sheri with me.  She used to sing in a different chapter of the Sweet Adelines.  She had degenerative disc disease and is on disability retirement because of it so after an hour she had to sit down.

  I think this is going to be fun.  They have a performance coming up in February at a hockey game for one of the Michigan minor league teams.  There is a competition in May in Dearborn.  I don’t know if it’s regional or national. 

  • 9:23 pm
  • 1 Comment