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All together now

Suzie Harrison

Music is like a second language to this group. Even though it was

only their second day back from break, it didn’t seem like the Laguna

Beach High School Chorus had taken any time off.

Under the apt tutelage of Choral Director Roxana Ward, who kept

time on piano, the choir was learning new songs from The Kings

Singers “Lennon and McCartney Collection.”

“I’m learning a lot of good technique,” Jessica Murray, 16, said.

“You learn how to sing as one big group, which is different than with

yourself because you have to stay with everybody.”

Singing the song “You’ve got to Hide Your Love Away,” Ward gave

the students a method of reading musical notes. She told them that

the squiggly mark served as a tie.

“Hold it over, but don’t attach the note,” Ward said.

Next, it was the sopranos turn. They were asked if they knew where

they were at bar six. They learned that they had to hold out the word

“day” when they were singing “each and every day.”

Each group was set up with their part.

“All right, everybody from the top,” Ward said. “That’s it. It’s

so Beatles. It’s chromatic. You pulsate that -- it’s that feeling.”

The sopranos, baritones, altos and tenors’ sounds were woven into

a tapestry of song that would make the Beatles proud.

“This class is so much fun, everyone is such a character,” Marissa

Reisman, 16, said. “We learn to blend and to work together as a

group, and Roxana makes it so fun.”

Not only did the students want to learn every detail to make their

performance perfect, they also delved into questions about whether it

was McCartney or Lennon who wrote it and wanted to know the meaning

of each stanza.

“Most classes would be looking at the notes,” Ward said. “They

absolutely analyze the lyrics, wondering not only what does it mean

-- but what does it mean to me.”

They also learned “If I Give My Heart to You,” enjoying the poetry

of the Beatles and understanding where they were in their lives that

affected the lyrics they wrote.

For the finale, Marissa conducted the chorus in “The Star Spangled

Banner,” which gave a good idea of what to expect from the group at

their spring concert.

* SUZIE HARRISON is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. She may be reached at 494-4321 or [email protected].

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