HELIOsphere set list

I am about to go through my Discography for a fun a cappella song list to bring with me to HELIOsphere for our little 30-minute concert.

Songs should be:

• Fun to sing with audience participation
• Fun to sing a cappella or with light ukulele accompaniment
• Songs I’m already pretty familiar with, that require just a little rehearsal polish

All my songs are short-ish, but with patter between, the minutes add up quickly. Let’s see. I was thinking something like:

• Apex Predators (Corbeau Blanc, Corbeau Noir) – always good to START with this one, because it’s FUNNY, and it’s cute, and it’s a good story about Carlos and me.
• Fox Girl Song Cycle 1: Carnivora (Corbeau Blanc, Corbeau Noir) – it’s damn fun to sing, though a tongue-tangler in spots!
• The Lysistrata Strut (Alecto! Alecto!) – this one can be practically CHANTED, but it’s more fun with some kind of drum or percussion; we’ll see if Carlos wants to bring his cajon.
• Scylla on the Rocks (Alecto! Alecto!) – this is REALLY fun with the audience singing the “blub-blubs” on the refrain. A STANDARD!
• Sisters Lionheart (Ballads from a Distant Star) – a good chorus to sing along to! Also, I get to talk about the project!
• The Jub-Jub (Corbeau Blanc, Corbeau Noir) – always good to END with this one: ROUSING FUN for the WHOLE ROOM!

If Faye Ringel or Mary Crowell or my brother Jeremy (he sings with me on the album) were with me, I’d sing Black Widow’s Waltz and Headless Bride from Headless Bride, or Little Man Jamie from Ballads from a Distant Star. They’re far better as duets! (Or, in the case of “Jamie” as a triplet!)

You know, I love all of these songs. Now that I’m taking voice lessons with the wonderful Kiara Duran, wouldn’t I love, in another three years, to re-record ALL OF THEM with my new, stronger, more trained voice.

Speaking of Kiara, she does voice lessons OVER ZOOM. I’ll write more about her (and the lessons) sometime, but I couldn’t recommend her more highly, for those of you who live in different states or time zones, or don’t have time/spoons for lessons out in the world.