(An excerpt from the Choral Journal article, “From Youth to the ‘Sins of Old Age:’ The Choral Music of Rossini,” by William Braun) While a student, Rossini wrote some sacred music and a secular cantata for tenor, chorus, and orchestra, entitled Il pianto d’Armonia sulla morte d’Orjeo, for which he won an academic prize […]
CJ Replay: Choral Works with Woodwinds
(An excerpt from the Choral Journal article, "Choral Music Accompanied by Woodwinds: An Annotated List," by Jan DeShera) Programming choral pieces with instrumental accompaniments other than keyboard can be difficult. Accomplished string players are often scarce, and brass accompaniments create balance problems for the small choir. Woodwind accompaniments for choral pieces may be a […]
You Needn’t Be Bond to Beat the Timer
In many James Bond movies, 007 saves the day by stopping a ticking timer with only seconds to spare. You may not be Bond, James Bond, but if you look at the ACDA website, you’ll notice that your timer is ticking, too. Is it a bomb? No . . . the timer is counting down […]
Scholarly Abstractions: African-American Spiritual
Weldon, Brady. Sing Me to Heaven: The History, Music, and Character of the African American Spiritual. Bachelor of Music Education Senior Thesis. Stephen F. Austin State University, forthcoming.. Hailed as one of the most important and influential musical genres in the developing United States, the African-American spiritual, through its heart-breaking melodies and daring messages […]
We’re on a First-Name Basis
Ever notice the name tags at an ACDA conference? They use our first names. Not degrees, not titles, not ranks or appointments. Just plain ol’ first names. Those who stay in the choral conducting profession long enough typically accumulate a string of letters after their name. Some of us have an additional couple before […]
Composition Spotlight: Hymns and Songs of the Church/There is a Green Hill Far Away
COMPOSITION SPOTLIGHT ~ by Jack Senzig (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!) Hymns and Songs of the Church/There is a Green Hill Far Away by Antony Pitts SATB a cappella (click for PDF and […]