tomorrow shall be my dancing day

[fox]

New girl in the sop1's this year is English, and I'll tell you what, I'd forgotten how I had to concentrate (for about twenty minutes) on my vowels when I was singing in England, in e.g. the line above - until we got to break time and she said to those of us around her in general, "So - can I hear your vowels again, on sought and bought?" Poor thing is from Kent. I don't think she has anything as far forward as the vowels we tend to sing in those words, much less the ones we say when we speak them. After some experimentation she agreed that starting from (her pronunciation of) last and rounding it a bit she'd be more likely to hit something matching the rest of us than if she started from (her pronunciation of) the words in question.

Could have given her the vowel in dance, as well, now that I think about it. :-)

Comments

[kass]

I... had not considered this! Yes, I can see where it would be a terrific challenge, in either direction.