Choral Caffeine: Strange But Cool

Over the next few weeks, many of us will feel it.

 

We’ll be sitting at the ACDA Conference listening to a brilliant performance that includes avant garde repertoire, and we’ll think to ourselves, “Wow, that piece is cool. Strange but cool.  Shoot . . . there is no way my choir could possibly sing that.” 

 

The avant-garde repertoire encompasses a huge variety of vocal techniques, un-voiced sounds, and non-traditional notations.  Some avant-garde pieces have become well-loved additions to the standard repertoire, while others have remained in an orbit reserved for somewhat more esoteric works.

 

Rather than dismiss the avant-garde, Nancy Curry suggests that we embrace that literature.  In her article, “Singing Avant-Garde Compositions with Youth Choirs? Yes!” (ChorTeach, Volume 3, Issue 3), Nancy does more than simply promote the literature; she provides a concise daily methodology for approaching the avant-garde repertoire.

 

“Every day’s lesson followed a plan: (a) ear cleaning, (b) vocal exploration, (c) voice work, and (d) repertoire rehearsal. Ear cleaning, to use Schafer’s term, introduced musical elements with activities suggested in his book. Vocal exploration included playing with the voice, investigating the sounds in the alphabet, creating sound effects with the voice, and listening/imitating games. Voice work was a basic introduction to vocal function, using demonstrations and games to talk about breath, resonance, and registers.”

 

Whether navigating the rhythmic roadmap of Toch’s Geographical Fugue or swimming in the tonal sonorities of Schaefer’s Epitaph for Moonlight, the exploration of avant-date choral repertoire is a trip worth taking.

 

(To access the full article, simply click the highlighted title. For additional articles on a dazzling array of choral topics, visit  ChorTeach.)