Video transcript
Warm-ups for your choir (secondary) - eClass 4 - Choral skills and songs for teaching choirs - 04. My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean

LIZ SCOTT: A lot of the rehearsal time will be spent sitting down because I know you're all very old, and you get tired very-- no. That's not my reason. My reason is, I know it's very tiring to stand the whole time. But just before we finish this warm-up session, I'm just going to make sure that-- because you now know how to stand beautifully, I want to make sure you know how to sit beautifully. So can you sit on the edge of your seat? And now, stand up again.

So you're going to keep this same posture, your beautiful tall bodies. Let's just remind ourselves. So stretch your arms up here. You're going to elongate your body. Bring your arms down. Make sure that your body is nice and long. Make sure your knees aren't locked. Make sure your head still moves. And now, gently sit down. And now, stand up.

So you should always be able to stand up. And we're going to test that by-- in G major, singing 'My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean'. Do you all know this song?

[students chattering]

So you do not need to move your legs. Hand up if you don't know 'My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean'? You will learn it very, very quickly. Trust me. Let's sing it through once.

[note played on piano]

All together-- no movement. 1, and a 2--

ALL: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocean.

LIZ SCOTT: Just hang on a second. The version I know doesn't go, (lazy singing) my Bonnie lies over-- (normal singing) my Bonnie lies-- (speaking) let's make it nice and clean. 1, and-- a go.

[piano playing 'My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean']

ALL: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocean.

LIZ SCOTT: Smile.

ALL: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the sea. My Bonnie lies over the ocean. So bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. You have to smile at the same time. Otherwise, it makes no sense. Your Bonnie is your love. She's over the ocean. Go visit her. All right.

So, you're going to sit-- if you're standing, you're going to sit when you sing a word that starts with 'b'. If you're sitting, you're going to stand. You're not going to move your legs other than-- you're just going to be able-- because your sitting posture will be so amazing, you'll just be able to stand straight away. Here we go.

Unfortunately, I don't have a chair. So I'll just have to watch. I'll do this to assist. Here we go. Just-- yeah-- morning squats. Here we go. 1 and a 2.

[piano playing 'My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean']

ALL: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocean. My Bonnie lies over the sea. My Bonnie lies over the ocean. So bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

LIZ SCOTT: Amazing! Some of you can't spell. But that's fine.

We're going to do a new one. We're going to do this [slap] on 'm' and this [clap] on 'b'. [hums note] In G major, I think.

[chord played on piano]

(singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocea-- (speaking) right? 'M' [slap]. 'B' [clap]. Here we go. A 1 and a 2--

ALL: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocean. My Bonnie lies over the sea. My Bonnie lies over the ocean. So bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

LIZ SCOTT: Sensational. We are adding in-- very-- feeling very creative. This is for a-- a dolphin dive for words that start with 'o'.

STUDENT 1: O.

LIZ SCOTT: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocean-- (speaking) Here we go. You know, let's go a little bit faster. Otherwise, I'm going to get bored. 1 and a 2--

ALL: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocean. My Bonnie lies over the sea. My Bonnie lies over the ocean. So bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

LIZ SCOTT: Excellent. This is for words that start with 's'. 1 and a 2--

ALL: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocean. My Bonnie lies over the sea. My Bonnie lies over the ocean. So bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. Words that start with 't' [snaps fingers]. That includes the word 'the' [snaps fingers]. Here we go. 1 and a 2.

ALL: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocean. My Bonnie lies over the sea. My Bonnie lies over the ocean. So bring back my Bonnie to me.

LIZ SCOTT: Smile.

ALL: (singing) Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

LIZ SCOTT: Good. Last word starts with an 'l'. Lies. Touch your nose. Don't get confused and clap your hands or do that by mistake.

[students laughing]

Here we go. Last time. Concentrate. A 1 and a 2.

ALL: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocean.

LIZ SCOTT: Hopeless. Ready? Lies.

STUDENT 2: Lies.

LIZ SCOTT:1 and a 2--

ALL: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocean. My Bonnie lies over the sea. My Bonnie lies over the ocean. So bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back, bring back, Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me. Bring back, bring back, Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

LIZ SCOTT: Sensational. Well done. Have a seat.

Now, we are doing arms.

[students chattering]

So any word that starts with 'b', we're going to move our arms. So start like this. Mirror me. Could we have a fabulous 'My Bonnie--'

[chord played on piano]

--chord?

(singing) My Bonnie--

(speaking) Right, you might need to angle yourself slightly so you don't knock the person out. Here you go-- 1-- other arm.

[students chattering]

Left arm high. 1 and a 2.

[piano playing 'My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean']

ALL: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocean. My Bonnie lies over the sea. My Bonnie lies over the ocean. So bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back, bring back, Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me. Bring back, bring back, Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

LIZ SCOTT: Excellent. Now, we're going to do words that start with 'm'. You're going to point one foot to this side. And you're going to do-- (singing) my Bonnie lies over the ocean. My bon-- (speaking) change feet. Here we go. 1 and a 2.

ALL: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocean. My Bonnie lies over the sea. My Bonnie lies over the ocean. So bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back--

LIZ SCOTT: Stay still.

ALL: (singing) Bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

LIZ SCOTT: I can't do the feet. Only one. Anyway, let's do it together.

[students chattering]

'M' is your feet.

[students chattering]

STUDENT 3: Ssh!

LIZ SCOTT: Opposite foot to leg. So this leg is out. My issue is I might fall off the podium. So if I do, again, it was nice knowing you. So this leg, this arm. Feet are 'm'. Arms are 'b'. Here we go. 1 and a 2.

[piano playing 'My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean']

ALL: (singing) My Bonnie lies over the ocean. My Bonnie lies over the sea. My Bonnie lies over the ocean. So bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me. Bring back, bring back. Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

LIZ SCOTT: And you should be how you started, in theory.

STUDENT 4: Yep, I did.