Songs – Dawn. The Sparkle Diaries.

My visit to my vocal coach on Monday was brilliant. I always look forward to my session and I am constantly amazed at how my voice is improving, the clarity of notes, the pitch and the resonance. If feels wonderful, because I am doing something I love and also following a dream.

I’ve started over the past few months to download backing tracks and print off lyrics and learn the songs and the music, to inject emotion and passion although my confidence to do this is still not very good.

Last Monday I sang “Rose Garden” made famous by Lyn Anderson and more recently by Martina McBride. From there I moved to “Love of the Loved” by Cilla Black. A totally amazing song written by Lennon and McCartney in the early Sixties and was Cilla’s first single which I think entered the charts at Number 35 and she was disappointed at that. I first heard this song when I watched the film/documentary “Cilla” a couple of weeks ago. What a story. I think it made an impact on me because I grew up to the sounds of Cilla, I remember my family watching “The Cilla Black Show” on Saturday evenings and I remember Cilla hosting “Blind Date” and “Surprise Surprise” she was definitely a UK national treasure. This film brought to life her start and the whole music scene in Liverpool in the early Sixties, her friendship with Ringo Starr and the Beatles, singing at The Cavern, the fashion of the time and her wonderful friendship/relationship/romance with Bobby Willis who became her husband and was her only love. A truly fabulous story and I fell in love with that song, “Love of the Loved”. It is not easy to sing, it jumps up and down and there are a lot of lyrics to fit into a few bars of music but I still loved singing it.

From there I made a complete change to a rock song, “Home Sweet Home” by Motley Crue. Oh yes, a big change from Country Music and The Sixties. I have loved this song since I heard it in the 1990’s and wow – can I belt it out too – it is in my vocal comfort zone but still needs a lot of practice to perfect it.

So a few new songs to learn here, to sing out clear and brightly, to inject the emotion and to gain confidence. To record on my iPad and listen back to, to see where I can change a note or a phrase to make it mine.

Video’s shared from You Tube – I hope it is ok to do this, I just wanted you to get a feel of my mixed up music this week.

Thank you for reading my blog.

As you know I love to sing and I enjoy going to gigs to see my favourite singers, especially of the Irish Country kind. Music is an escape for me. It takes me into another world. I love singing the songs I remember from childhood and also new songs which I hear and have to make a note of immediately in case I forget them. I have a list on my iPad of songs to learn, songs to put my own mark on, to play around with how I can sing them. My head is always full of music, songs, dreams…

Last Sunday evening I was lucky enough to attend a wonderful concert. “Stars of Irish Country”. It was a fabulous evening. From long time singers such as John Hogan and Frank McCaffrey to a Queen of Irish Country, Louise Morrissey to the up and coming talents of Lee Matthews and Tracey Macauley. They were brilliant. From hits from the past to new material, engaging the audience, including the audience and singing their hearts out. The backing band “Keltic Storm” are awesome musicians and complimented the artists perfectly.

During the interval and after the show we had the opportunity to meet the stars and purchase their CD’s. I have waited two years for Lee Matthews to visit England and I wasn’t disappointed. A truly lovely lad who can really sing and entertain. He’ll surely go places. Meeting John Hogan was a delight, a favourite of my parents he is a true gentleman and with a unique voice. I can still hear him singing “Please help me I’m falling, in love with you”, in my head, just beautiful.

I was so happy to meet Louise Morrissey again. It has been a very long time since we met and she was still singing with her brothers then. A pitch perfect voice with such clarity and power, an inspiration.

It was the sort of evening you just want to relive over and over again, a rare evening out for me these days and a very happy one. If you get a chance, check some of their video’s out on You Tube.

A few pictures below of the evening.