Correct pronunciation and emphasis of certain words is an ongoing challenge. My theory to explain this is simple. It's not that easy for the amateur singer simultaneously to process:
- notes -- pitch and time values
- changes in key and time signatures
- dynamics
- tempo variations
- lyrics
- instructions from the director in addition to those on the printed page
As tenor Bob told Rick, "you can have the right note or the right word -- take your pick!"
Of many examples I could give, here are two recent ones – both pertaining to music for this Sunday’s service:
- In "Marching to Zion", it is "ZI-un" -- not "ZI-ON"
- The "Kum" in "Kum ba ya" does not rhyme with "plume"; the "u" sound is more like the diphthong in "look"
How many times has Rick reminded us of the correct way to sing these words? I lost count a long time ago. Will we, as Eliza Doolittle did, finally "get it"? We’ll find out Sunday.
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