25|3|15 - Singing Techniques - Creating a Programme

I have been asked by drama to create a programme of songs that would be performed at an awards ceremony for recent performances done with N2C Theatre company. He has asked for a variety of musical theatre songs that display a range of styles. As it is being performed in a theatrical environment there is very little limitation on which songs I can choose, what I must be careful with is the order and where they are placed throughout the evening. 

Having a meeting with Mr Chipp we confirmed a running order for the evening: 

1.(entrance music) 
2. Opening number
3. Welcome speech & Category announcements
4. Second number
5. 'Best Cast Members'
6. Third number
7. 'Best Supporting Actor'
8. Fourth number
9. 'Best Female & Male Actor' 
10. Fifth number
11. 'Best Director' & Closing Speech 

Knowing that I must perform 3 contrasting solo songs I will use youtube and my previous experience with songs to choose ideal songs to perform. To please a public audience I feel there should be a popular song that is known by perhaps a few more people, but then a chance to perform some that are not as well known. 

Opening – duet, solo (carys), solo (poppy)

1 – ensemble

2 – solo(poppy)

3 – optional 

4 – solo (poppy)

5 – ensemble 

Moving one of my solo's to the opening/entrance music means that the audience won't be solidly listening to a programme of songs performed by me. Alternating between groups and others with myself means the audience will be listening to something different after every time. 

I am also thinking of working with 2 other singers Carys and Abbie in ensemble pieces that we can perform. These will be songs that can bring energy to the performance. 

For the entrance music I feel it should be soft music that can be listened too at a distance. One song I think would be good for this is 'Falling Slowly' from the musical 'Once'. Although usually a duet between male and female, I feel that me and Carys could sing it together as the audience comes in. I also think this is an opportunity for Carys to sing a song as her voice is soft and will be nice for background music, this could be another song from 'Once', or perhaps a more well known musical song such as 'Castle on a Cloud' from 'Les Mis'. One song that I might try to do is the duet 'Freedom' from 'The Unauthorised Biography of Samantha Brown' - a more upbeat song that has talking sections with some great harmonies and could be when the audience is almost settled. 

One song I might consider for my first solo for the audiences entrance is 'Someone Else's Story' from 'Chess'. This is because it's a fairly relaxed song but still allows me to sing through my range and express emotion. It's fairly repetitive which is why I wouldn't do it if there was a definite focus on myself singing as it could become boring, but singing it as background music would allow for people to listen when they wanted. 

For the opening number it needs to be something high energy. Thinking of a popular musicals Hairspray's 'Mama I'm a Big Girl Now' would be fun to do if we also brought in a few of the boys to play the mothers it would be more entertaining, as well as bringing forward and showcasing some of the N2C members. We can also make this a visually entertaining piece that will contrast to the solo songs. 

For my second solo song I feel I will be able to sing something that is a lot slower, and perhaps more sad. 'I'll Be Here' from 'Ordinary Days' is a song I have started to work on and would like a chance to showcase. It follows a story of a woman trying to move on from a love that was lost in the 9/11 attacks and tells the story of how she met that man and why she finds it so hard to let go. It's an emotional yet fairly cheesy song, but it takes the audience on a journey. This contrasts to 'Someone Else's Story' as it is from a contemporary musical that is not as well known as 'Chess'. Someone Else's Story is more sung, whereas 'I'll Be Here' is singing conveyed in a very talk-like style. 

For the next ensemble piece I would probably place 'Naughty' from 'Matilda' - this is to contrast with the low energy piece that has just been sung. Although this song is originally written as a solo, there has been a performance where the four Matilda's from the London cast sung it has four. This is what myself, Carys and Abbie would do, this makes it more fun as we would try and replicate the movements as well. 

For my final solo, I feel I should do something more upbeat so I think 'Pulled' from 'The Addams Family' would work. This song starts off with a slightly angry tone which is something I haven't done in the previous songs. It then progresses to be a lot quicker with a happier tone as she has fallen in love, but this contrasts to the happy tone in the previous song as it's more in the moment than nostalgic, it's full of excitement and the tempo is contrasting. 

The last song will be an ensemble number, and I was thinking of doing 'Seasons of Love' as a trio or quartet. This is a more serious ensemble piece that we would divide equally to the parts that suit whoever's voice the best.