| Comment: Re: Memorization vs. Using music folders | Cory Alexander | September 20, 2012 |
|
John makes some great points, as usual. Here are my two cents:
My opinion is that this is a practical consideration first. If your group can make the best art with scores in hand, then use them. If not, don't.
In my experience, choirs sing more musically and are much more resp... |
| Comment: Re: Student who smokes | Cory Alexander | August 5, 2012 |
|
Ben,
I would echo everything Ann said. If he is a voice major, I would give him an ultimatim: quit smoking or quit the program. I'm not saying "abandon him," but let him know there's a time limit. If he's having this much trouble as a college student, he will never have a career as a ... |
| Comment: Re: sounds of nature... | Cory Alexander | June 13, 2012 |
|
Janequin "Le chant des oiseaux" (and several others that mimic war, and other man-made sounds)
Copland "I Bought Me a Cat"
Josquin "El gillo" (melodic lines imitate cricket chirping, but doesn't actually employ "cricket noises")
|
| Comment: Re: Death and Mortality | Cory Alexander | May 3, 2012 |
|
A couple I don't see posted (maybe I didn't look hard enough):
O Danny Boy (I like the Flummerfelt arrangement, though Grainger's wordless setting is good if it works in this context)
Perhaps Adams' "Transmigration of Souls" would fit the theme
Cory
|
| Comment: Re: Is Messiah most performed work of all? | Cory Alexander | April 18, 2012 |
|
I can't fathom the amount of time it would take to perform the necessary research to validate (or negate) such a claim. I suppose finding a consensus of supposition might be possible.
Among major choral works in the western, classical tradition, it seems that "Messiah" COULD be the most f... |
| Comment: Re: choral lyrics from children's literature | Cory Alexander | April 18, 2012 |
|
Rutter's "5 Childhood Lyrics"
|
| Comment: Re: Your favorite funny/amusing choral pieces for HS and adult voices? | Cory Alexander | April 18, 2012 |
|
Gail Kubik's "Oh dear, what can the matter be" is amusing, particularly the part where the basses sing, "he promised he'd bring me a bunch of red roses," in a lower part of their range. I believe this is part of a two-song set with "Polly wally doodle." (??)
I had success once programming... |
| Comment: Re: Soloists from the Chorus | Cory Alexander | April 18, 2012 |
|
I can't offer any better advice than those above, but if you're looking for examples, there are a couple of major choral groups that sing everything one-per-part and sing the whole thing--for example Paul McCreesh's St. Matthew Passion, the Dunedin Consort's Bach B minor Mass, etc. There's also ... |
| Comment: Re: Choral/Vocal work featuring piano | Cory Alexander | April 18, 2012 |
|
If your choir is up to it, the third of the Badings "Trois chansons bretonnes" is pretty showy for the pianist, but also demands a lot of sensitivity and musicality.
Cory
|
| Comment: Re: The University of Michigan vs. St. Olaf College | Cory Alexander | March 30, 2012 |
|
Andrew,
Both schools have world-class music programs.
I think an important question would involve the size of school where you feel comfortable.
For example, I went to a private, liberal arts college (around 1,600 students) because I had no... |
| Comment: Re: JS Bach Motet "Lobet den Herrn" instrumental parts | Cory Alexander | March 30, 2012 |
|
PDF files of the string parts can be found here: http://www.copy-us.com/?opus=1190&lang=en&session=5d16daadbe7da248a6c0c605ca6db8b8
I stumbled upon this a few weeks ago. The parts seem accurate, but I haven't performed with them.
Cory
|
| Forum message: Looking for concerts in Dallas, TX area | Cory Alexander | February 23, 2012 |
|
Hello all,
I don't know where to post this question, but I am taking a group of around 30 college students to the Dallas/Fort Worth area at the last minute (it's a long story). I would love for them to see a concert--the more professional the better, but I would consider almost anything i... |
| Comment: Re: Renaissance -- Top Ten Greatest Hits | Cory Alexander | February 16, 2012 |
|
Purcell (1658-1695) is Baroque.
|
| Comment: Re: Renaissance -- Top Ten Greatest Hits | Cory Alexander | February 16, 2012 |
|
As far as "greatest hits" are concerned, are you talking "well known" or "historically important?" The ones you have listed are certainly among the most performed Renaissance sacred choral works.
I think one might add the Tallis "Spem in alium" and/or Allegri "Miserere" as among the mo... |
| Comment: Re: Brain Gym exercises | Cory Alexander | February 3, 2012 |
|
I learned this one from my supervising teacher while student teaching.
The group sings, "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean," but on every word that begins with the letter "B," they alternate sitting/standing position. For example, if they begin sitting down...
"My Bonnie lies over the ... |
| Comment: Re: Opera Chorus with Soprano Solo | Cory Alexander | February 1, 2012 |
|
Regina Coeli from Cavalleria Rusticana
|
| Comment: Re: Choral Psychology | Cory Alexander | January 20, 2012 |
|
Maria,
You might laugh at my reply, but I am actually serious.
A book I read that helped me was "How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend" by the Monks of New Skete. Although the book can be found in the "pets" section of your local bookstore, it teaches many fundamental elements of leader... |
| Community Forum Post: Recruiting strategies | Cory Alexander | December 30, 2011 |
|
Hello!
I am interested to know what you find to be the most helpful strategies for recruiting choral singers. I am looking for a sort of "top 10" list--nothing too scientific. I'm wondering if I've overlooked some important activity.
I teach at a small university with a young pro... |
| Comment: Re: Vocal Score for Sleigh Ride - Anderson | Cory Alexander | November 7, 2011 |
|
I have the Brymer arrangement for chorus and orchestra right here on my desk. It's published by Hal Leonard.
|
| Comment: Re: Messiah-Vowel on "Purify" | Cory Alexander | October 25, 2011 |
|
In my opinion, [I] is the right vowel; however, unless you could hear the choir from the outside (the conductor or audience perspective) it might be difficult to hear what the choir actually sounds like.
For example, when I was a doctoral student our chamber choir (made up mostly of grad... |
| Forum message: O Come All Ye Faithful for Orchestra | Cory Alexander | October 14, 2011 |
|
Hello all,
I'm looking for an orchestral accompaniment to "O Come All Ye Faithful" that matches up with a standard SATB arrangement for a choir/audience sing-along. I expected to find a lot online, but didn't. A search of the ChoralNet website didn't provide what I was looking for eithe... |
| Comment: Re: Voice part classification help | Cory Alexander | September 22, 2011 |
|
A helpful tool, and one of the best ways I am aware of to make a determination.
It's important that the singer trying to find the correct passaggio location is singing with good, relaxed technique. Even then, it is very easy to (unconciously at times) "make" the change happen rather th... |
| Comment: Re: Voice part classification help | Cory Alexander | September 22, 2011 |
|
John,
From Doscher again: "The singing voice is considered a young instrument from the time it changes during puberty to the age of 25. Muscular maturation continues during those years. For instance, ver few singers develop the extrinsic laryngeal muscles before 21 or 22 years of age...... |
| Comment: Re: Voice part classification help | Cory Alexander | September 21, 2011 |
|
Nick,
From Doscher, "Functional Unity of the Singing Voice": "Probably the least reliable and most dangerous way to classify a voice is by range," and later, "Tessitura and careful monitoring of bridges between registers is the most viable way to classify young voices."
Many singers ... |
| Comment: Re: Measures in music - how can I tell students quickly? | Cory Alexander | September 12, 2011 |
|
Kenneth,
If you train them to use (your example) "5-1-3-3" that's great. I've heard of that myself and it can be a great time saver. I usually say, page, system, measure, beat, but if there are rehearsal markings or numbers on the first measure of each system, I expect my (college) stud... |
| Comment: Re: Working on tone & blending while notes are still being learned? | Cory Alexander | September 8, 2011 |
|
Cathy,
My typical approach is two-sided. I work on elements of blend, balance, tuning, phrasing, etc. in every warm-up. I also typically focus on a small section of a piece (maybe a single phrase or maybe a verse--something short enough that they can get all the notes and rhythms correc... |
| Comment: Re: What is the vowel in the second syllable of "measure" "treasure" "pleasure" | Cory Alexander | July 25, 2011 |
|
I would tend to agree with John, David, Stephen, and Edward. My choice might be more in the direction of [ø] or [œ] in solo singing, or in a lighter style of music.
|
| Comment: Re: brahms requiem recording | Cory Alexander | July 19, 2011 |
|
I will second David Janower's recommendation. As for why, I think it's because, like most of the Gardiner recordings, it is rather intense. It's clean and more "baroque" than many recordings with a sort of transparency and forward motion.
I will say that the Gardiner was the first recor... |
| Comment: Re: B Minor Mass recording | Cory Alexander | July 19, 2011 |
|
Susan,
I own five recordings and have heard several others. My favorite all around is the Gardiner/Monteverdi Choir recording on the Archiv label. Others that I like very much are Suzuki, Parrott, Rilling (the 1999 recording with Quasthoff), and a relatively new recording conducted by J... |
| Comment: Re: Top DMA Programs | Cory Alexander | July 15, 2011 |
|
Kyle,
I would suggest that the program is less important than the person with whom you would work. Try to find a director with whom you get along well. The whole experience is likely to be more worthwhile and beneficial to you. The search for a mentor is more time consuming, but worth... |
| Comment: Re: Help with choral grad programs | Cory Alexander | June 11, 2011 |
|
Brandon,
I think you'll find the gradmusic.org website to be very helpful (I believe Alan is being modest by not telling you it's his brainchild). There are lots of strong programs all over, but I would suggest you contact the professors with whom you would work directly rather than relyi... |
| Comment: Re: be happy church choir leads | Cory Alexander | June 6, 2011 |
|
I've been a paid section leader at a couple of churches and a regular volunteer choir member at several others over the years. The two factors that most determined my satisfaction were 1) was the director an effective musician who was able to get the choir to improve as time passed? and 2) did t... |
| Comment: Re: To Memorize or Not to Memorize | Cory Alexander | June 5, 2011 |
|
John,
I like your checklist idea. I might use that, or something like it, in the fall.
Thanks,
Cory
|
| Comment: Re: To Memorize or Not to Memorize | Cory Alexander | June 2, 2011 |
|
When I was in school, all the way through my undergrad, choirs I was in almost always sang from memory. We used music for special events, but nearly all concert and competition performances were from memory (I can still sing two Bach motets and most of the Mozart Solemn Vespers from memory almos... |
| Comment: Re: Adding a third college choral ensemble | Cory Alexander | June 2, 2011 |
|
David,
You know best what would benefit your program, but I might do either of the things you suggest above. Here are questions I would ask myself in your situation:
Would starting a men's choir would help you recruit more male singers? Would having a women's choir help your fema... |
| Comment: Re: collaboration with other churches, schools and community organizations, and church music programs | Cory Alexander | May 26, 2011 |
|
Amalie,
I sang in a couple church/school events ages ago as a high school student and had a lot of fun. I actually ended up joining the church where I sang. I don't think that you are the one who has to worry about the church/state issue; that would fall to the school directors who woul... |
| Forum message: Repertoire for small, undergraduate choir | Cory Alexander | May 19, 2011 |
|
Hello all,
I teach at a small university with a tiny music program that's only existed for about seven years. In my two years here, the choir has doubled in size (to 20 singers--hoping for 25-30 in the fall) and is now able to sing literature appropriate for a small, undergraduate choir.
... |
| Comment: Re: Program Protocol | Cory Alexander | May 18, 2011 |
|
If memory serves, the song was a sobriety test of sorts--if one could still sing the song, one was sober enough to order another pint.
|
| Comment: Re: Program Protocol | Cory Alexander | May 18, 2011 |
|
I agree with the first two posts. I don't recall having ever seen the poet/lyricist mentioned in the "Program" part of the program, but in the translations or program notes instead. The one exception is, "The Star Spangled Banner" which was written by John Stafford Smith, although I usually se... |
| Comment: Re: pronunciation of often | Cory Alexander | May 18, 2011 |
|
After a bit of research, it appears that "often" was pronounced with the "t" until the 1700s when the "t" became silent. It has only been recently (latter half of the 20th century) that people began to pronounce the "t" again.
I have regretted for some time that there are not strict rules... |
| Comment: Re: Choral Music for King/Queen/etc. | Cory Alexander | May 11, 2011 |
|
Britten "Choral Dances from Gloriana" comes to mind. Also, there exist many settings of texts having to do with King David including lots of settings of "When David Heard" for example, or Thompson's "Last Words of David." John Rutter's "Sing a Song of Sixpence" from "Five Childhood Lyrics" has... |
| Forum message: Bach cantata 140 duet text | Cory Alexander | April 19, 2011 |
|
Hello Friends,
I am writing with a question about the bass/soprano duet, "Mein Freund ist mein" from Cantata 140. Specifically, the bass text, "und ich bin dein," or, "und ich bin sein." I must admit I am a bit confused regarding the reason for changing the text. Although the scriptur... |
| Comment: Re: Vocal Compass Question | Cory Alexander | April 15, 2011 |
|
In warming up, it is always good to start at the very beginning in the upper middle part of the range and work down for the reasons that Skye mentions in the last paragraph. I usually start on a lip trill 5 4 3 2 1 in F major (sometimes E or E flat in the morning). This forces most of the wome... |
| Comment: Re: MM Choral Conducting? | Cory Alexander | April 13, 2011 |
|
Andrew,
When I was calling and writing, I would often start with open-ended questions like, "what can you tell me about the choral program at ______." In some cases I got all the information I needed from that question (often from the way the question was answered rather than from the spe... |
| Comment: Re: Italian pronunciation question | Cory Alexander | April 13, 2011 |
|
Perhaps this has to do with everyone (at least everyone I've ever heard) mispronouncing "bruschetta" as though it was spelled "bruscetta."
I've taught Italian Diction courses a number of times. I've never been to Italy, but according to any textbook I've seen you are correct.
As... |
| Comment: Re: Fun rounds that can be performed? | Cory Alexander | April 12, 2011 |
|
While double checking the composer of "Sing dem Herrn" (Praetorius) I found this link:
http://www.choralnet.org/view/221737
Cory
|
| Comment: Re: Suggestions for balancing altos and sopranos | Cory Alexander | April 11, 2011 |
|
Without hearing them specifically, a diagnosis would be difficult. There may be some fundamental problems that would take months or years of one-on-one study to correct.
You don't mention the age of the singers. That could make a difference in this discussion.
Generally, I hav... |
| Comment: Re: MM Choral Conducting? | Cory Alexander | April 11, 2011 |
|
Andrew,
I agree with most of the other responses here. I always give the same advice to people in your situation: find a PERSON with whom you want to work--someone who will be a mentor and advocate for years to come. Simply looking for the "best" program or a big name conductor is a m... |
| Comment: Re: Credit for Recruiting Hours in FT TT position | Cory Alexander | April 11, 2011 |
|
Jeff,
In my current experience teaching at the smallest university in a very large state u. system, tenure-track faculty typically teach 3 courses per semester. We have a 1-course release for research, otherwise the load would be 4 courses. The release is not automatic, but it has been ... |
| Comment: Re: ACDA conference performances of a major work | Cory Alexander | April 5, 2011 |
|
When I was an undergraduate I attended the North Central division convention in Minneapolis where I heard Britten's War Requiem conducted by Robert Shaw. That was not only the highlight of the convention, but one of the highlights of my life. At that time, as a 19 or 20 year-old from rural Iow... |
