(Each week we look at a piece of useful repertoire from the ChoralNet Community Composition Showcase. A variety of voicings and levels of difficulty will be presented. Enjoy!)
Level: High School
Uses: General Concert Use
Program Themes: High School Life, Choral Comedy
This Piece Would Program Well With: PDQ Bach's My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth available from JWPepper and Sheet Music Plus.
High school directors, let me present your new best friend. Mike O'Mara is the Jonathan Coulton of the Madrigal! He has his finger on the pulse of youth culture and will have your students sharing that life with your audience. It is my opinion that we choral directors do not always have the needs of our audience in mind. We focus on moving the choir to the next level and desire to present masterworks because they are what we know and enjoy. Take a step back and think about what a little humor will do for the parents and families that attend your events. Laughing together builds community.
This is Why My Homework Isn't Done is one of ten modern madrigals written by O'Mara. My personal favorites have texts about why the science teacher must be an alien and why Facebook is keeping you up at night. See videos below. I think you will be seeing more from this composer. Watch the FEED in the Composition Showcase for a chronological list of new entries.
(Original publication: December 16, 2012)
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