Sloop John B

Listen to the Teach Tracks below, to download them click the relevant button.

Sloop John B

Teach Tracks2016

 

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Performance Notes

# Each of the four sections, two verses and two choruses, is an exact repeat of the melody and harmony lines ( closing phrases excepted.)

# There are no real dynamic changes. The whole song needs to be bright and breezy; which means extra effort in the second half to keep it ‘up’ and not let it die away.

# Tenor and leads both sing the main lyrical line together throughout the song. Basses have lots of  echoes from beginning to end, and are joined in these echoes by the Baris in the second part of each section.

## SPECIAL NOTE.     The demo. CD is different to the written  sheet music.

We sing the sheet music version:

  • Verse 1
  • Chorus 1                 
  • Verse 2     ( finishing with the key change )
  • Chorus 2   ( finishing with the extended ending )

The demo CD sings only ;             

  • Verse1      ( the key change is sung here )
  • Chorus ( finishing with the extended ending)

BUT !!…………………………………..We sing the slightly more elaborate key change that is on the CD.    

#  Some small, but important timing features. These would not matter for a solo singer but unless we all stick to the given timiing we will produce a ragged sound.

Verse 1 bar 10.   “Drinking all night -got- into a fight”   ‘got’ is a whole crotchet (held slightly)

In both choruses, bars 34 & 56 .  ” Call for the captain ashore and let me go home. -I- wanna go home”.   ‘I’ is a whole crotchet (held slightly)

In all four sections, bars 14,30,46 & 62. ” Well I feel so broke up, -I-  wanna go home. ‘I’ is a half note (skipped through)

Verse 2 bar 37.     ” -constable- had to come”   ‘con.sta.ble’ is a triplet ( three equal notes in the space of two beats)

It is always good to sing triplets when we get the chance. It adds that extra ‘flavour’.

# The song finishes with an extra long note held by the leads who have to use their own individual tactics to keep this as a smooth even sound.