Senior Semi-Final Songs of Praise


Senior Semi-Final

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Six of the best senior school choirs in Britain are here in Birmingham.

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They'll be singing to win a place in next week's final

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and pulling out all the stops as they try to become

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the 2014 Songs Of Praise Senior School Choir Of The Year.

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APPLAUSE

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Welcome to Birmingham's International Convention Centre

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for the second semifinal in our quest to find

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the best school choirs in the land.

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Last week, the juniors wowed us with their talent.

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Today, these six senior schools have travelled from across the country

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to sing their choice of hymn

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before the best three are chosen to go forward to the final.

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Which choirs will it be? We have, from London, Highgate School!

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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From Lincoln, Lincoln Minster School!

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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From Wiltshire, Godolphin!

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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From Kent, Rochester Grammar School!

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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From London, the Grey Coat Hospital!

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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And Cantabile from Hereford Cathedral School!

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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As usual, there's great support for each of our senior school choirs.

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Please give a warm welcome to my co-host, it's Claire McCollum.

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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Good to see you, Claire.

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It was pretty frenzied last week with the primary school choirs.

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Do you expect it to be a bit more laid back this week?

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I think there's going to be just as much excitement.

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The students might be a little bit older than the junior pupils

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but I think there's going to be just as much leaping around

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and we'll hear what they thought of the judges' comments as well.

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So, lots of reaction from backstage.

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Thank you, Claire, we will hear from you later.

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Now, it's time to introduce our three celebrity judges

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who have the incredibly tough job of deciding which three choirs

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go forward to the final.

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Firstly, someone who embodies the word "expert"

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when it comes to judging choral competitions.

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She is an internationally renowned choir founder,

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teacher and conductor and Professor of Music

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at the University of Southern California,

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please welcome Suzi Digby!

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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Our next judge is from right here in Birmingham,

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a graduate of Birmingham's Conservatoire of Music.

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She's a singer/songwriter with a top 10 album, two Brit nominations

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and two MOBO awards under her belt.

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Please welcome Laura Mvula!

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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Next is a choral guru with the magic touch.

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The Choir, The Military Wives,

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Sing While You Work, just a few examples of his amazing ability

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to transform everyday working people into extraordinary choirs.

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It's Gareth Malone!

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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OK, the competition starts right now.

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Each of our six choirs will sing their choice of hymn.

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Based on that one performance,

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the judges will select three choirs to go into next week's final.

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It's all to play for.

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The first choir to sing are from the lovely city of Lincoln.

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It's Lincoln Minster School.

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BELLS RING

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Lincoln is a real little gem.

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Lincoln Minster School is great because it has the cathedral

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and all the surrounding Roman remains.

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I think that life here is a bit like Hogwarts.

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All the prep pupils, when they come over, they're all saying,

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"Oh, it's like Hogwarts!"

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"Do you learn magic here?"

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Faith and music are very, very important components

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in the make-up of the Minster School.

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We have daily worship and the cathedral is right at the heart

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of what the school does.

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I think the single biggest thing that he gives us,

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it's just, if you do something wrong,

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do it and look as if you are totally right!

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Good, well done!

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'Singing sacred music,'

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for me, it's pretty much a blessing, to be honest with you.

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I always felt it kept me closer to God.

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The piece we're doing is Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer.

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I think it's good because there's a lot of emotions in there.

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It's got a big, rousing tune. You can get a bit Welsh fervour into it.

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But also, there's a lovely opportunity for a big descant

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and I think the sound of our sopranos is one of our secrets as a choir

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so I certainly wanted to make sure that we were able to show that off.

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# Guide me, O thou great Redeemer

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# Pilgrim through this barren land

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# I am weak but thou art mighty

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# Hold me with my powerful hand

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# Bread of heaven, bread of heaven

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# Feed me now and evermore

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# Feed me now and evermore

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# Open now the crystal fountain

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# Whenst the healing stream doth flow

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# Let the fiery, cloudy pillar

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# Lead me all my journey through

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# Strong deliverer, strong deliverer

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# Be thou still my strength and shield

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# Be thou still my strength and shield

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# When I tread the verge of Jordan

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# Bid my anxious fears subside

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# Death of death and hell's destruction

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# Land me safe on Canaan's side

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# Songs and praises, songs and praises

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# I will ever give to Thee

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# I will ever give to Thee. #

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HYMN ENDS

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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Lincoln Minster School, ladies and gentlemen!

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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Suzi, a very well known hymn to start.

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Did Lincoln did themselves proud?

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That was very, very fine singing.

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What was so impressive is the way you lightened the end of each phrase.

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It was so elegant.

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I thought your basses were so wonderful, they did a fantastic job.

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On the slightly critical side,

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perhaps the descant could have been a little lighter,

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so it didn't obliterate the melody.

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But a wonderful performance, thank you.

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Gareth, what did you make of that performance by Lincoln?

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Very well done. I thought it was lovely, really charming.

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A great start, a really nice, warm sound at the beginning

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so I enjoyed that very much.

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To be slightly critical, perhaps even more line would help.

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It is very easy with these hymns to get quite dah-dee-dah.

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Dah-dee-dah, that will communicate your message more clearly.

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But a fascinating start the competition.

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Laura?

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I thought you made a very beautiful sound, really great diction.

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Everybody was working really hard.

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I could tell that you enjoy singing together

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and I think that's important to me and I was moved by that

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so thank you.

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Thank you, Lincoln Minster School.

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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How do you think it went out there?

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I don't think I've ever performed in quite an atmosphere like that.

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-It was just amazing. It went so well.

-I was buzzing onstage.

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-Do you think you've got that fervour?

-I think so, yes.

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I think they did rise to the occasion.

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Another school entering the competition for the first time

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and they're from Kent, it's Rochester Grammar School.

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# Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday... #

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Our choir is called NChant

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and we like to think that we "enchant" our audiences in a way.

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A lot of choirs will be used to performing in front of their school,

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whereas we are used to performing to all kinds of people.

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We visit places that you wouldn't think you would visit.

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We went to California and we sang in the Vatican in Rome,

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which was quite special.

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I gave the girls a choice of four different songs

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and I have to say I was a little surprised

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when they chose The Lord's Prayer.

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# Our Father... #

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But they absolutely fell in love with it.

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The music and the words completely fit together,

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especially the line, "For thine be the glory."

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It's wonderful.

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# ..For ever... #

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Singing Christian, sacred hymns,

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I think that gives it so much more meaning,

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especially when you really believe it like we do.

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# Our Father

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# Which art in heaven

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# Hallowed be

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# Thy name

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# Thy Kingdom come

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# Thy will be done

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# On Earth

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# As it is in Heaven

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# Give us this day our daily bread

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# And forgive us our debts

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# As we forgive our debtors

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# And lead us not into temptation

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# But deliver us from evil

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# For thine is the kingdom

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# And the power and the glory

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# For ever

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# Amen. #

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HYMN ENDS

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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Rochester Grammar School, ladies and gentlemen!

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Gareth, an all girl choir singing The Lord's Prayer.

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Was it a good choice for their range of voices?

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I'm charmed, it was a perfect choice. Really lovely.

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A very special sound that you created and a very special stillness

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and focus that you created at the beginning, it was wonderful.

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I could just have used a little more richness in the tone at times.

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-Laura?

-I'm going to disagree with Gareth.

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I felt your tone was so beautiful.

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I was really moved.

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When your unison line sounded like one voice, who needs boys?

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You sound perfect!

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APPLAUSE

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-Suzi?

-This is an example of where perfect tuning takes a performance

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to another level.

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There might be a danger of developing one tone colour

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in the lower voices and what I would do

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is try and explore different kinds of colour.

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That is very nit-picky. Actually, what really touched me was the start.

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It was so beautiful.

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That glossy, simple, almost child-like but not children

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and by the way, I love your dresses!

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Thank you, Rochester Grammar School!

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CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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The comments were so encouraging.

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Fantastic feedback. I'm thrilled.

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-The Lord's Prayer, was it very spiritual, singing that?

-Definitely.

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A lot of us are very spiritual and we all believe everything we said

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and we really hope it came across in our faces and everything.

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It really means a lot to us.

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Our next choir know this competition well.

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Over recent years, they've made the semifinals three times

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and the final itself in 2012.

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It's the Godolphin School from Salisbury.

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Our uniform is somewhat unusual. They wear a pinny.

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Sometimes, if it's your birthday, you can go around for the whole day

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wearing a pink pinny, which means everyone knows it's your birthday!

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Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight. F-light.

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It's quite hard to find a hymn that is suitable for just girls to sing

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because most hymns are written for men and women to sing,

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so I've found something that I think is suitable for the girls.

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Tell Out My Soul has always been one of my favourites

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because it just has such a beautiful message.

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It's the Magnificat, when Mary finds out she's going to have God's Son

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and it is the song that she sings.

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It's very hard to not get carried along by the piece.

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Just before we go on stage, I will say to the girls,

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"Really enjoy yourselves, really give everything you've got

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"and just have a ball!"

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# Tell out my soul the greatness of the Lord

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# Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice

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# Tender to me the promise of His word

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# In God my saviour

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# Shall my heart rejoice

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# Tell out, my soul, the greatness of His name

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# Make known His might,

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# The deeds His arm has done

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# His mercy sure, from age to age the same

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# His holy name

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# The Lord, the mighty one

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# Tell out, my soul, the greatness of His might!

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# Powers and dominions lay their glory by

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# Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight

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# The hungry fed

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# The humble lifted high

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# Tell out, my soul, the glories of His word!

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# Firm is His promise

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# And His mercy sure

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# Tell out my soul, the greatness of the Lord

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# To children's children

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# And forevermore! #

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APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

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The Godolphin School, ladies and gentlemen!

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Laura, Godolphin have got a lot of experience singing in this

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competition, did it show?

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Yes, absolutely!

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I thought when you broke into harmony your balance was

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really good. I could hear each part and that was really great.

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I wondered when some of the descant parts, though, met.

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Just as a minor point, maybe we

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could think about just how it balances.

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We don't want to over hear those parts.

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But I think your performance was really spirited and joyous.

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Suzi, a beautiful hymn. Did they sing it beautifully?

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What a glorious sound!

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Particularly the opening, it was just,

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again, it was such a fresh colour of sound...beautiful!

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Erm, when you sing a series of words, so, "Tell out my soul",

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four syllables.

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If they are all weighted equally,

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it's very hard to get the sense of where the text is going.

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I just slightly felt that there were a lot of syllables that were

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equally weighted, rather than seeing a phrase

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and deciding which syllable should we energise towards.

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That would, I think,

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then take it onto another level of communication.

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Thank you.

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Gareth, a polished performance from Godolphin, did it shine for you?

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Yeah, very slick.

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Great, clear diction, good balance and I totally agree with Laura.

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Erm, it was a good decision, I think, to have fewer voices on the descant.

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Actually, you've got some very good soloists, potentially,

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maybe one would have done it.

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A small point but I felt at times, certainly at the beginning,

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you made a fantastic impact with your first phrase

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and perhaps releasing a bit too much breath.

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You got to the end and I just felt that slight tightening of not

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saving something to the end of the phrase.

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I think there's some development in

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the sound to go but spoke very well, that performance.

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Congratulations, good.

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Thank you, Godolphin School.

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APPLAUSE

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Well, Mrs Sparkhall, did they sparkle they sparkle for you today?

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They absolutely sparkled, they were fantastic!

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I was delighted, delighted with their performance.

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I was quite apprehensive about going on but as

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soon as you get on the atmosphere is great

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and it's a really, really good experience and I enjoyed it so much!

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Our next school, literally, are a school choir run by students,

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for students.

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It's the Grey Coat Hospital, from London.

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# Lived to die... #

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OK, what do we need to do differently?

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The fact that they've got here really by doing everything

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themselves, does make it actually a very, very special achievement.

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And something that here in the school, we're incredible proud of.

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Carys is the leader. I aid Carys with whatever she needs musically.

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We both, together, we sit down and we pick the songs

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and we choose the arrangement and how we want it to sound,

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where we want harmonies to go.

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So, we do do everything from scratch.

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Let's go from, "Above all wisdom..."

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Doing our rehearsals, she does have a funny way of telling us

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be quiet, she tells us to snip.

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She comes towards us and goes "snip".

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She loves to do her Ts like t...t...t...

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# Like a rose

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# Trampled on the ground... #

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Because our style is more gospel, I think that will set us

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apart slightly and I think that will, hopefully, give us the edge.

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# You lived to die... #

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I really feel the message of the song because it's

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about the crucifixion of Jesus,

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which is a real important part of Christianity.

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Thank you cos you're a glorious God.

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Thank you so much for all you have done.

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We always pray together as choir before we do any

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performance, so I think that will calm people down, erm, and me down.

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I think I'll be very nervous...

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# Above all powers

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# Above all kings

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# Above all nature and all created things

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# Above all wisdom and all the ways of man

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# You were here before the world began

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# He was crucified

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# Laid behind a stone

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# Lived to die

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# Rejected and alone

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# Like a rose trampled on the ground

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# You took the fall

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# And thought of me

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# Above all

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# Above all kingdoms

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# Above all thrones

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# Above all wonders

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# The world has ever known

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# Above all wealth and treasures of the Earth

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# There's no way to measure what you're worth, oooh

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# He was crucified, laid behind a stone

0:22:300:22:37

# Lived to die

0:22:390:22:42

# Rejected and alone

0:22:420:22:45

# Like a rose trampled on the ground

0:22:450:22:51

# You took the fall

0:22:540:22:58

# And thought of me

0:22:580:23:02

# Above all

0:23:020:23:06

# All. #

0:23:060:23:12

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:23:150:23:17

Grey Coat Hospital, everybody!

0:23:210:23:23

Suzi, we've never had a school where the choir are led,

0:23:260:23:29

arranged and accompanied purely by students.

0:23:290:23:32

Did it work for you?

0:23:320:23:33

What a wonderful achievement!

0:23:330:23:35

I really thought so, yes.

0:23:350:23:38

You've found an arrangement, you've worked,

0:23:400:23:42

you've got it so slick, you've got it so well prepared.

0:23:420:23:45

On the critical side, it felt a little low.

0:23:450:23:48

Erm, I'd love to hear you transpose that up.

0:23:480:23:52

You can then continue the progress of perfecting the tuning,

0:23:520:23:56

which is top priority.

0:23:560:23:59

But there was a lovely, sort of, earthy quality to your sound,

0:23:590:24:02

a lovely bloom at the end of the phrases and I really enjoyed it.

0:24:020:24:05

Gareth, judging a traditional choir alongside a gospel choir is

0:24:050:24:10

not going to be easy, is it?

0:24:100:24:12

I don't see any problem because it's music and I've got the same

0:24:120:24:17

criteria here, I'm looking for the same sort of things.

0:24:170:24:20

I mean, there are stylistic things that you've got absolutely

0:24:200:24:22

bang on, the rhythmic impetus was there.

0:24:220:24:24

The movement, the visual impression

0:24:240:24:26

was all totally gospel and I really appreciated that.

0:24:260:24:30

I think where you struggled towards the end,

0:24:300:24:32

you really lost your tonal centre.

0:24:320:24:34

I didn't quite know where we were key-wise

0:24:340:24:37

and that is something to work on...always listening.

0:24:370:24:41

So, look, so together, so beautiful, congratulations!

0:24:410:24:44

Laura.

0:24:440:24:46

Erm, I'm really excited by your group, amazing!

0:24:460:24:49

Yeah, these guys are right about the key.

0:24:490:24:52

I reckon if you guys put it up a few keys or maybe just inverted the

0:24:520:24:56

harmonies, it would sing just a little bit better.

0:24:560:25:00

But in terms of your sincerity, you know, I believed everything

0:25:000:25:05

you were singing, I want to sing with you guys!

0:25:050:25:08

SHE LAUGHS

0:25:080:25:09

Loved it!

0:25:090:25:11

Thank you, Grey Coat Hospital!

0:25:110:25:12

APPLAUSE

0:25:120:25:15

Whether the tuning or not was right, we were there, the energy was there,

0:25:150:25:19

we were able to convey the words, people understood.

0:25:190:25:21

So, that's, I think, the most important thing for us.

0:25:210:25:23

Did the pre-performance prayer pay-off, do you think?

0:25:230:25:26

Yeah, I believe that God's in control, it was amazing,

0:25:260:25:28

we enjoyed it, we loved it, God helped us.

0:25:280:25:31

I think it went really well.

0:25:310:25:32

We did, just before we went out, we said, to just enjoy it

0:25:320:25:35

and not think about the fact it was a competition.

0:25:350:25:37

So, I really think they did that. So, yeah, I'm really proud of them!

0:25:370:25:42

Our next choir are another new choir to the competition

0:25:420:25:45

and they're and they're also from London, it's Highgate School!

0:25:450:25:49

THEY VOCALISE

0:25:510:25:54

Keep going.

0:25:540:25:56

Highgate has a long choral tradition with ex-pupils such

0:25:560:25:58

as John Rutter and John Tavener, who used to sing in the choir here.

0:25:580:26:02

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten...

0:26:020:26:04

Miss Price always makes us very enthusiastic by doing all these

0:26:040:26:08

crazy warm-ups, which really, kind of, get us going to the day,

0:26:080:26:12

wake us up.

0:26:120:26:13

The main thing, I think,

0:26:150:26:17

we've been working on is performance,

0:26:170:26:19

especially for the girls.

0:26:190:26:20

There seems to be sometimes a bit more reticence to act,

0:26:200:26:24

which the boys are perfect at but the girls need a bit more

0:26:240:26:27

encouragement to come out of their shells.

0:26:270:26:31

The hymn we've chose to sing is, When I Survey The Wondrous Cross,

0:26:310:26:35

which is about Easter but also

0:26:350:26:38

about the execution of Christ.

0:26:380:26:42

Out of all the hymns, I think

0:26:420:26:44

it's one of the most beautifully put and it goes from celebration

0:26:440:26:48

to more, sort of, slightly reserved emotional state.

0:26:480:26:53

Hopefully, when it's done, we'll all think, that was an achievement,

0:26:530:26:56

we've really done this well.

0:26:560:26:58

I completely, 100%, believe in them.

0:26:580:27:00

If they do their absolute best then I think they will win.

0:27:000:27:03

# When I survey the wondrous cross

0:27:040:27:11

# On which the Prince of glory died

0:27:110:27:17

# My richest gain I count but loss

0:27:170:27:24

# And pour contempt on all my pride

0:27:240:27:31

# Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast

0:27:330:27:39

# Save in the death of Christ my God

0:27:400:27:47

# All the vain things

0:27:470:27:51

# That charm me most

0:27:510:27:55

# I sacrifice them to His blood

0:27:550:28:02

# See from His head, His hands, His feet

0:28:040:28:10

# Sorrow and love flow mingled down

0:28:110:28:17

# Did e'er such love and sorrow meet

0:28:170:28:24

# Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

0:28:250:28:30

# His dying crimson, like a robe

0:28:330:28:40

# Spreads o'er His body on the tree

0:28:410:28:47

# Then am I dead to all the globe?

0:28:480:28:55

# And all the globe is dead to me

0:28:560:29:02

# Were the whole realm of nature mine

0:29:050:29:11

# That were a present far too small

0:29:110:29:18

# Love so amazing, so divine

0:29:190:29:25

# Demands my soul

0:29:260:29:29

# My life, my all. #

0:29:290:29:35

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:29:370:29:39

Highgate School, ladies and gentlemen!

0:29:430:29:46

Gareth.

0:29:480:29:49

I thought it was a great choice, a simple choice

0:29:490:29:52

and within that you found great range of colours.

0:29:520:29:55

Lots of verses but you made each one different and I applaud you for that.

0:29:550:29:59

Two little points to work on, beware of swelling onto the vowels.

0:29:590:30:05

It's very, very dangerous.

0:30:050:30:07

You want to get a smooth flowing sound and then descant, it was

0:30:070:30:10

just riding up a little bit sharp

0:30:100:30:13

and that's something always to watch with the descant.

0:30:130:30:15

That it's nice and rooted into the floor.

0:30:150:30:18

Although you're singing high, think of it low.

0:30:180:30:21

Laura.

0:30:210:30:22

In the a cappella moments, I just felt moved to tears, I don't cry

0:30:220:30:27

a lot and I tried not to just now cos it would be very embarrassing.

0:30:270:30:32

But there's something about the way that you listened to each other

0:30:320:30:35

in those unaccompanied verses that was just so still and quiet.

0:30:350:30:41

You're dynamic ranges were great but in those quiet moments,

0:30:410:30:45

I didn't want to breathe.

0:30:450:30:47

It's one of my favourite hymns so maybe that helps as well.

0:30:470:30:51

Suzi, did Highgate impress you with their performance?

0:30:510:30:54

Well, I agree with Laura, it was so musically performed

0:30:540:30:58

and it's all interwoven with your choice of arrangement,

0:30:580:31:02

which was really intelligent, cos each verse was so different.

0:31:020:31:06

So, it brought all the different facets of the choir.

0:31:060:31:09

If you scrambled your singers,

0:31:090:31:12

so that the men were amongst the women,

0:31:120:31:15

you'd be able to improve your tuning overnight

0:31:150:31:17

but I loved the performance, it was very moving and very musical.

0:31:170:31:21

Thank you, Highgate School!

0:31:210:31:23

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:31:230:31:25

How do you think it went out on stage?

0:31:250:31:27

Erm, I think it went quite well.

0:31:270:31:29

I thought they went a tiny bit sharp,

0:31:290:31:31

which Gareth obviously picked up on.

0:31:310:31:33

But I thought they really performed their hearts out on it.

0:31:330:31:36

It was really nice to hear the judges talk about how

0:31:360:31:39

they were moved by our quieter, unaccompanied verses.

0:31:390:31:42

We're already so proud to have made it to this point.

0:31:420:31:44

So, you know,

0:31:440:31:46

making it through would just be like a cherry on top of the cake.

0:31:460:31:48

Our last choir to perform tonight are another all-girl choir,

0:31:480:31:52

who've been at this stage before in the competition.

0:31:520:31:55

It's Cantabile from Hereford Cathedral School.

0:31:550:31:58

# And yet I want to love thee, Lord. #

0:32:010:32:06

Cantabile means "singing".

0:32:060:32:11

They're excited about exploring what they're singing about.

0:32:110:32:15

Because our choir director used to be a professional singer

0:32:150:32:18

herself, she's very, very supportive, very helpful

0:32:180:32:22

and knows exactly what we need to improve on.

0:32:220:32:24

Keeps us calm.

0:32:240:32:26

She's been there, she knows.

0:32:260:32:29

-Yes, now go "cr-r-ruel".

-CHOIR: Cr-r-ruel!

0:32:290:32:33

We're singing, for our hymn choice, Ex Ore Innocentium, which I have

0:32:330:32:36

to say is one of my absolute favourite pieces we've ever sung.

0:32:360:32:39

Such a beautiful piece of music and being able express one's

0:32:430:32:46

emotion through such beauty, I think, is really special.

0:32:460:32:51

I really feel the message of how he was crucified.

0:32:520:32:56

And how Jesus loved us all and all the children

0:32:560:32:59

and we're his children and that he died for us.

0:32:590:33:03

The meaning behind the words really gets to me when I sing it sometimes.

0:33:040:33:09

It's very, very intense and I'm hoping that the girls really

0:33:090:33:13

pull this out because it's just a stunning piece.

0:33:130:33:17

# It is a thing most wonderful

0:33:190:33:25

# Almost too wonderful to be

0:33:260:33:32

# That God's own Son should come from Heaven

0:33:340:33:42

# And die to save

0:33:430:33:47

# A child like me

0:33:470:33:52

# And yet, I know that it is true

0:33:560:34:02

# He chose a poor and humble lot

0:34:020:34:07

# And wept, and toiled and mourned and died

0:34:070:34:13

# For love of those who loved him not

0:34:160:34:21

# I sometimes think about the Cross

0:34:280:34:32

# And shut my eyes

0:34:320:34:35

# And try to see the cruel nails

0:34:350:34:41

# And crown of thorns

0:34:410:34:44

# And Jesus crucified for me

0:34:440:34:49

# But even could I see him die

0:34:540:34:59

# I should but see a little part

0:34:590:35:05

# Of that great love, which, like a fire

0:35:050:35:10

# Is always burning in his heart

0:35:100:35:17

# And yet I want

0:35:310:35:34

# To love thee, Lord

0:35:340:35:38

# O, light the flame within my heart

0:35:400:35:46

# And I will love thee more and more

0:35:480:35:54

# Until I see thee

0:36:010:36:07

# As thou art. #

0:36:080:36:15

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:36:240:36:26

Cantabile, from Hereford Cathedral School!

0:36:320:36:35

Gareth, our final performance,

0:36:370:36:39

was it a good one for you?

0:36:390:36:40

I thought it was a very sophisticated performance.

0:36:400:36:43

Not an easy piece to choose and you pulled it off with aplomb.

0:36:430:36:46

I really, really enjoyed it.

0:36:460:36:47

I felt we were in a very different choral world from the others,

0:36:470:36:50

which makes it very difficult.

0:36:500:36:53

You know, we've had a gospel choir, we've had very young choirs and

0:36:530:36:56

here we have a mature sound,

0:36:560:36:58

in the British choral tradition of the 19th century, which is

0:36:580:37:02

perfect for the piece, I thought that worked really, really nicely.

0:37:020:37:06

For me, it's my sort of thing, it may not be everyone's

0:37:060:37:10

but I love that tradition and I really enjoyed it, thank you.

0:37:100:37:13

Laura.

0:37:130:37:14

I felt that was so special.

0:37:140:37:17

Really lyrical and there's a way that you sing that's

0:37:170:37:21

sort of weighty and muscular, like proper singing.

0:37:210:37:25

Erm, you really engaged me, loads of shapes and colours.

0:37:250:37:29

They way you do that thing, I wish I could do them in my voice,

0:37:290:37:32

when you start phrases so delicately and so, sort of, like a lady,

0:37:320:37:37

it's really special.

0:37:370:37:39

LAUGHTER

0:37:390:37:40

Suzi.

0:37:400:37:42

Well, from the very first note chord, you can

0:37:420:37:45

tell that every one of those girls has individual singing lessons.

0:37:450:37:50

And that is what opens up a canvas for you.

0:37:500:37:53

And, as a sort of expression of faith, I thought you also

0:37:530:37:57

managed to bring some dimension to it that was very special.

0:37:570:38:01

If I had to be super, super picky, when you're in two parts,

0:38:010:38:04

I would give a little bit more...how shall I say,

0:38:040:38:07

meatiness in the sound, that's what I would develop.

0:38:070:38:09

But that's a very personal thing. Thank you.

0:38:090:38:12

Thank you, Cantabile, from Hereford Cathedral School.

0:38:120:38:14

-How proud are you of them and their performance?

-Extremely proud them!

0:38:170:38:20

I do of give them grief

0:38:200:38:21

but they do pull the stops out for me, I'm very pleased with them.

0:38:210:38:24

You're happy now but how happy would you be to get to the final?

0:38:240:38:28

Ecstatic, honestly, ecstatic!

0:38:280:38:30

We've got a really good piece in store.

0:38:300:38:32

If we do get a chance to perform, it would be amazing!

0:38:320:38:35

So, our judges have left the hall to decide which three

0:38:350:38:38

choirs will be going through to next week's final.

0:38:380:38:41

That's not going to be easy.

0:38:410:38:42

You've probably got a favourite but if not,

0:38:420:38:45

here's a look back at all six senior choir performances.

0:38:450:38:48

# Guide me, O, though great redeemer... #

0:38:490:38:53

It was a good performance, it set a really good standard, didn't it?

0:38:530:38:57

My misgivings were there wasn't always a beautiful line.

0:38:570:39:01

This was a little bouncy, a little bit by numbers.

0:39:010:39:04

# Hold me with thy powerful hand... #

0:39:040:39:08

I felt that it was really strong but I wasn't moved

0:39:080:39:12

but then I kept thinking, are they first, and that's hard.

0:39:120:39:16

# And lead us not into temptation... #

0:39:160:39:21

It was a sound, it was almost like a recording sound.

0:39:210:39:23

I thought I was listening to a CD.

0:39:230:39:25

-Everything was so immaculate.

-Yes.

0:39:250:39:27

# Divine is the kingdom... #

0:39:270:39:32

The problem is there is, does it get through to the emotive?

0:39:320:39:35

Yeah, that's right.

0:39:350:39:37

I felt that I was wanting just for a little more

0:39:370:39:40

when we got to three quarters of the way through.

0:39:400:39:43

# Tell out my soul

0:39:430:39:45

# The greatness of the Lord... #

0:39:450:39:49

Really good, I just felt like the tuning issues took over, for me.

0:39:490:39:54

-Having said that, it was solid.

-Yeah.

0:39:540:39:57

The other thing is, # Tell out my soul... #

0:39:590:40:02

There's four syllables there, they really need to direct.

0:40:020:40:06

TOGETHER: # Tell out my soul! #

0:40:060:40:08

Exactly!

0:40:080:40:10

-Also a fine choir.

-A very fine choir.

0:40:120:40:15

# Above all powers

0:40:150:40:18

# Above all kings... #

0:40:180:40:23

I think the choir as a group, to me, they represent something

0:40:230:40:28

really phenomenal because they're doing it all on their own.

0:40:280:40:31

I felt that energy, that's really fresh, for me.

0:40:310:40:34

# Laid behind the stone

0:40:340:40:37

# Live to die... #

0:40:370:40:39

There is lots that they can learn that they can learn.

0:40:390:40:42

The potential is really limitless, isn't it?

0:40:420:40:45

There was a moment when they did reject, the word "rejected".

0:40:450:40:48

# Rejected and alone. #

0:40:480:40:51

That was ensemble singing of the first order,

0:40:510:40:54

it really came together, I thought.

0:40:540:40:56

But, yeah, I wish they had done it in a higher key.

0:40:560:40:59

# When I survey the wondrous cross... #

0:40:590:41:03

The took a very simple thing and made something really,

0:41:040:41:08

really special out of it.

0:41:080:41:10

This was the choir where they seemed to sing for ever

0:41:100:41:13

and ever without taking a breath.

0:41:130:41:15

I thought there were support problems

0:41:160:41:18

because I couldn't quite tell what the words were all the time.

0:41:180:41:22

-This is the most moved I've been in the competition.

-Yes.

0:41:220:41:27

# It is a thing most wonderful... #

0:41:270:41:33

The epitome of beautiful, for me.

0:41:330:41:36

It wasn't girlish singing, it was womanly.

0:41:360:41:38

It wasn't girly, it was proper grown-up, woman singing.

0:41:380:41:41

# That God's own son should come from heaven. #

0:41:410:41:46

We've seen performances that felt like they were by young people,

0:41:460:41:50

loving the sort of repertoire that they were doing and this was

0:41:500:41:53

the one, perhaps, I felt like it was more the choice of the conductor.

0:41:530:41:56

So, there wasn't that immediacy of engagement.

0:41:560:42:00

Right, this is it, our judges are back and our choirs

0:42:000:42:03

are waiting patiently and nervously for their decisions.

0:42:030:42:07

Laura, can you can you please tell us

0:42:070:42:10

the first choir going through to the final.

0:42:100:42:12

SHE SIGHS

0:42:120:42:14

The first choir going through to the

0:42:140:42:16

final of Songs Of Praise Senior Choir Of The Year is...

0:42:160:42:21

..Rochester Grammar School.

0:42:230:42:26

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:42:260:42:28

Suzi.

0:42:350:42:37

The second choir going through to the final of the competition is...

0:42:370:42:42

Highgate.

0:42:420:42:43

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:42:430:42:45

And, Gareth, can you tell us

0:42:510:42:53

the last choir going through to the final, please?

0:42:530:42:56

The last choir going through to the final is...

0:42:560:43:00

Hereford Cathedral Choir.

0:43:000:43:02

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:43:020:43:04

So, our senior finalists will be back next week when

0:43:120:43:15

one of them will be taking home the famous trophy and the title,

0:43:150:43:18

2014 Song Of Praise Senior School Choir Of The Year.

0:43:180:43:22

It's going to be exciting, it's going to be nerve-racking.

0:43:220:43:25

You'd be mad to miss it! Bye for now.

0:43:250:43:28

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