“It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.” Francis of Assisi I receive quite a few emails with people’s thoughts about my Choral Ethics project. Some folks tell me they are not exactly sure what Choral Ethics is, but will know it when they see it. Some tell me […]
Church Choir
From Antiquity to the Contemporary: The Story of the Choir Robe
By Richard Clark In their simplest form, choir robes and choral garments have been in existence since antiquity. The notion of a uniformed collective of singers extends almost as far back as civilization itself to the Ancient Greeks, as portrayed on classic ceramics and earthenware. The format of figures wearing similar, loosely fitting tunics, intermingled […]
Music Within Reach: Beginning Pieces for Men’s and Women’s Choirs
Like most high school choir teachers, only a couple of the ensembles I teach are auditioned. While I love it this way, as it allows me to keep recruiting and bringing in students to sing who may not be interested in a heavier commitment, it can make planning literature a nightmare. How many students will […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Much Ado About Nothing
“No man thinks there is much ado about nothing when the ado is about himself.” Anthony Trollope I have a soft spot in my heart for choir ringers. You know, those paid singers who help out, fill out and sing out for typical church or community choirs who need a little extra help. My own […]
Music Within Reach: Great Pieces for Your Smaller Men’s Choir
Many of us with smaller or limited men’s choruses are often searching for music in no more than two or three parts. The challenge here is that sometimes such music sounds too simple or is not “meaty” enough for our singers. This week’s post will glance at three pieces for men’s chorus that are musically […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Oh Say, Do You Sing?
“A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people. “Mahatma Gandhi Today we have two more stories from the Choral Ethics mailbag. Both seem pretty topical. One is from a male singer. The other is about three different church musicians who experienced the same thing, on the same day. The […]