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Shelbie L. Wahl-Fouts

One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choir

March 17, 2021 by Shelbie L. Wahl-Fouts 1 Comment

#68: Wednesday, March 17, 2021

She Rises
by Catherine Dalton
SSAA double choir, a cappella

This is one of those pieces that I picked up at a conference 5 or 6 years ago, and have been wanting to do since. But I was always a little tentative about the combination of rhythm complexity and double choir together. Enter the pandemic. With shorter group rehearsals to allow for air change, and restrictions on practice room usage to one student only, my singers are doing more work on their own, outside of class, and away from each other. For my advanced group, one-on-a-part work makes a lot of sense this term. 

I was initially hesitant to program this with only 9 students, but I played the piece for my singers and they were instantly hooked. To a one, they jumped at the chance for individual accountability and personal responsibility. And they loved the idea of something rhythmically challenging. (This semester’s advanced group is a unicorn – and I love them!)

It stretches me too, as a teacher. I’ve been solid at teaching them rhythmic music literacy in both simple and compound meter. But, I’ll be honest, I hadn’t pushed them to compound subdivision (and subdivision syncopation, and subdivision with dots), yet. Well, “yet” is here now. 🙂 We started the semester with compound meter boot camp – flashcards, worksheets, echoing, dictation, composition cards, the whole bit. I told them we couldn’t open the music until we could perform all of the rhythmic components separately. And wow have they stepped up. 

We had a rehearsal earlier this week where we ran down our worksheet of all the different subdivision permutations, and they nailed it. Then I promptly handed out the music, assigned one-per-part, and we started reading. Lots of prep work to get us to the point of “open and read,” but so worth it. We are still taking baby steps with Dorian mode, but we’re getting there! 

But, enough about my teaching approach. Let’s talk about the song! I’ve long been a fan of Catherine’s work, and this piece is no exception. Its energetic and tuneful, and feels like its constantly coursing with life. There’s a Celtic style folded into the writing – both rhythmic and tonal.

The poetry, also written by Catherine, focuses on the life cycle of the Sun. There are section headings in the work for “Night is ending,” “The Sun Appears on the Horizon,” “The Height of the Day,” “Color Floods the Horizon,” and “The Sun Disappears.” Each section of music speaks (sings?) to that particular point in the day. You can feel, and hear, all the moments: shafts of light through clouds, blazing midday, the briefest of pink light on the horizon. But, do not be fooled. This piece is not just about the Sun. It’s about energy, and life, and illumination – including the light and strength we find within ourselves.

The topic is all the more poignant because this past week there have been particularly beautiful sunrises over the Blue Ridge mountains. Breathtakingly glorious. I anticipate asking my students, in a few weeks, to take some time to snap some photos of the sun at various points in the day, and then share. Then we can arrange the photos in the order we best think goes with the song. Who knows – maybe that will be the visual backdrop for a recording we can share at the end of term?

Mode. The piece is primarily in D Dorian, with the occasional Bb tossed in (making it standard D natural minor). La minor has been a great option – la ti do re mi fi so la. Only one affected note. The choir was familiar with la-minor already, so the jump to Dorian has been fairly smooth. On the flipside, if you want to teach the pitches by rote, there is motivic repetition in terms of pitch patterns. So it sticks in the ear. (And there are part tracks available for purchase by third-party retailers, if you google.) 

The double choir part. Truth be told, it’s not as scary as “SSAA/SSAA” might seem! There are a number of places in the piece that are traditional SA, or SSA, or SSAA, or even a few unison phrases. And in the double choir section, it is rare for a voice to be truly alone. Choir 1 S1/S2 might be similar. Or all sopranos, from both choirs, might be on the same rhythms, but different harmonic points of the chord. 

This is an excellent lesson in analysis. Look up and down, who is your part paired with? Who sings the same pitches as you? The same rhythms? How long does that partnership last? When does it change? We did a little of that at our first handout of the music, just scanning up and down the staff, and I heard some “ohhh” moments. When they realize it isn’t as scary as 8-part looks. Think of it like a big group-dance number in a musical, or a courtly dance scene from Tudor England. Partners are changing constantly, but there’s a design and a purpose and an order to it. Plus, many of the motives in the big double choir section are phrases that have been heard before in the piece, so it’s not all new material. 

The piece itself also has some intermittent vocal percussion – some rhythmic consonants and variations of vowels. From the programs notes that Catherine included in the front cover, these are perceptions of the ‘sounds the sun makes.’ Yet another aspect that my students are really enjoying. 

So, if you have a small ensemble and are looking for a one-on-a-part piece, this is a great choice. Alternately, if you have an ensemble of any size and are looking for divisi with rhythmic complexity, or a chance to work on compound subdivision or Dorian mode, this selection is excellent for that as well. The energy is undeniable!

Title:She Rises
Composer:Catherine Dalton
Date of Composition: 2014
Text Author:Catherine Dalton
Subject(s), Genre:Sun, light, illumination, personal drive, inner strength
Language:English
Voicing Details:SSAA double choir (SSAA/SSAA); Not all of the song is double choir – some is unison, SA, SSA, and SSAA.
Ranges:S1: (Choir 1) C4-A5; (Choir 2) C4-F5
S2: C4-E5
A1: A3-D5
A2: G3-D5
Accompaniment:A cappella
Duration:~3:40 total
Publisher: Hickory Street Publishing (www.CatherineDalton.net)

Composer’s website, including perusal score, and audio by Vox Femina Los Angeles (Iris Levine, artistic director):
http://www.catherinedalton.net/works/she-rises

Atlanta Women’s Chorus Virtual Choir (Melissa Arasi, artistic director)
https://youtu.be/r8A4vYLB8nU

Until next month!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts 

p.s. As an aside, I’m currently pairing this song with “Cool Moon” (SSA by Richard Williamson). Click here for the blog post. So that’s a Sun-themed rhythmically-complex, 8-part divisi, modal piece to focus on individual work, and a Moon-themed rhythmically-simple, three-part, diatonic, easy-solfege piece to work on balance, blend, phrasing, and tone. So far so good!


Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is Director of Choral Activities and associate professor of music at Hollins University, a women’s college in Roanoke, Virginia. 
Email: 
Bio:     https://www.hollins.edu/directory/shelbie-wahl-fouts/

For a listing of all current and past blog entries by this author, click here.
For a spreadsheet of all blog posts and their repertoire, click here.

Filed Under: One From the Folder, Treble Choirs, Women's Choirs Tagged With: Catherine Dalton, divisi, double choir, SSA, SSAA, treble choir, Women’s choir

One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

January 1, 2021 by Shelbie L. Wahl-Fouts Leave a Comment

#67: Friday, January 1, 2021

2021: The Year Ahead…

I suspect that many of us are in a similar place right now: still reeling from the challenges of the semester/quarter/season that just finished, and overwhelmed with contemplating the one that is very soon to come. On top of that, we find ourselves divorced from our regular year-end concerts, holiday performances, and religious musical traditions. And, quite possibly, spending hours in front of a computer doing music-adjacent work for a virtual song/project/concert, but without any of the actual community music-making that feeds us as musicians. And that’s just the choir-related part of things! Suffice to say, it’s been a rough 2020 all ‘round.

So…what should I write on this first blog of 2021, on New Year’s Day no less?

The old adage is: “The show must go on.” But I’d like to propose an update: “The show will go on.” Somehow, some way, music will find a way to continue. Group music-making of all kinds has been hard-hit this past year, choral music in particular. There are so many questions for the next months ahead, which vary drastically depending on your state, your type/level/age of ensemble, your audience, vaccine availability, etc. The “how” of things will look different for each choir and each director and each school or program.

But the bottom line is this – at some point in the future, it will be safe to sing again. And people will be drawn to that – singers and audience alike. The show, in fact, will go on. (Just thinking about that future concert, even just a future “normal” rehearsal, makes me tear up a little.) It is so hard to see that far forward right now, when we’re all in the middle of the weeds, but it will happen.

When that day finally comes, we need to be ready. For that inevitable beautiful, amazing, and magnificent future time, I have a few repertoire suggestions from past blogs. Uplifting, empowering songs for that first concert, or that first season. Works about the beauty of music and the beauty of life. It will take a lot of work and patience to rebuild our programs, but those first beautiful notes of group singing will be more than worth it. And I for one cannot wait.

“Breakable” by Jenni Brandon
Text by Annabelle Moseley
SA, piano

“I Started Out Singing” by Jocelyn Hagen
Text by Naomi Shihab Nye
3pt Treble, piano (or piano & string orchestra)

“Be Like The Bird” by Abbie Betinis
Text by Victor Hugo
5-part canon 

“Leave My Heart Its Songs” by Dominick DiOrio
Poetry by Amy Lowell

SSA, piano, two violins, viola

“Kidsong” by Stephen Caldwell
Traditional text
SSA, piano

“Music of Life” by B.E. Boykin
Text by George Parsons Lathrop
SSA, piano

To see all my repertoire blogs [67 and counting!], click here.
To see a spreadsheet list of all blog posts and their repertoire, click here.

Goodbye to 2020. Hello to a happy, healthy, and reinvigorated 2021.

Until next month!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts


Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is Director of Choral Activities and associate professor of music at Hollins University, a women’s college in Roanoke, Virginia.
Email:
Bio:     https://www.hollins.edu/directory/shelbie-wahl-fouts/

Filed Under: One From the Folder, Treble Choirs, Women's Choirs Tagged With: 2021, Repertoire, SSA, SSAA, treble, women's

One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

December 4, 2020 by Shelbie L. Wahl-Fouts Leave a Comment

#66: Friday, December 4, 2020

“Music of Life” by B.E. Boykin
Text by George Parsons Lathrop
SSA, piano

A few months back, a fellow choral conductor suggested I look at the works of contemporary composer B.E. Boykin, and I am glad they did!

B.E. Boykin

In listening to Boykin’s pieces for women’s/treble ensemble, “Music of Life” jumped out at me. I liked the sound, the tone, the style. I liked that there was frequent unison, but also some lovely harmony. I liked the text. I hadn’t yet seen a score to peruse, but I knew I wanted to investigate further.

Boykin self-publishes through her own site, Klavia Press. https://www.klaviapress.com/ “Music of Life” is one of seven treble selections listed there. Only thumbnails are listed; you cannot view perusals on this site. But, you can get a perusal pdf by emailing the customer service address.

The text is a beautiful homage to music, nature, and life. It is one of those feel-good-about-music texts you could use in most any concert, and in some sacred settings as well. Great for a MIOSM event. Post-Covid, when we can safely get back to singing in person, in large groups, with actual audiences, I expect everyone will be looking for pieces that celebrate music and art and singing. This will be a great option!

The selections opens with a brief piano intro, and moves into unison choir. Compound meter lilt, with flowing piano. Minor. All very ethereal and beautiful.

The first idea, and much of the second, is all unison, which makes this a great start-of-semester piece. Lots of opportunities to work on vowels and phrase-shaping, without chasing notes/parts. The second section includes some 2-part divisi, but returns to unison at the end of the phrase.

The third section is written in three parts, but scaffolded as in a partner-song, working up to tutti SSA. The note in the score says to sing this section multiple times – with each part presenting their line alone, and then all parts together. So, the end result is a lovely 3-part harmony with a polyphonic feel. But, much like a partner song, there is reinforcement of each line first, before singing together. [The music is marked Group 1, 2, & 3, but the ranges aren’t equal, so standard SSA works out well here.]

From there, the song moves into a nice solid homophonic SSA ending, closing in a strong major chord.

The work is in d-minor, with only diatonic notes (except that Picardy third in the final chord). It is easily learned on solfege, and a good piece to teach or reinforce minor-key reading. Ranges are limited. Melodic motion is often step-wise with tonic-triad leaps; there are few jumps of awkward intervals. Rhythms are all entry-level compound meter: eighths, quarters, and dotted quarters, with only the occasional tie.

My only complaint with this selection is the layout. There are some places where it goes between 2-note harmony and 3-note harmony, but all on the same staff. So, you will have to take a moment to assign which note the S2s sing, when there aren’t three pitches. Additionally, dynamics and phrase markings are absent. Arguably, this could be a great teaching moment for the ensemble, to work through phrasing and dynamic decisions corporately, and add them in together! Again, the song itself is lovely, but the printed layout isn’t 100% polished, which might lead to some extra moments needed for clarification in rehearsal.

Separate from considering the text or the music itself, which makes this a great piece on its own poetic and musical merits, I can see this piece fulfilling a number of needs when it comes to choosing repertoire:
–If your groups are primarily comfortable in unison, but you want to expand into some harmony
–If your groups are comfortable with multi-part music, but you want to re-focus their vowels and phrasing through unison work
–If your group sizes and part distribution and rehearsal plans are all over the map due to Covid, and you want a piece that will be successful even if your numbers/parts/modality keep changing
–if your groups are used to “harder” music, but you are looking for an anthem to bring them together and energize them
–if your groups are strong with minor solfege and compound meter, and you want a sight-readable piece for them
–if your groups are just beginning to explore compound meter and/or minor sight-reading, and you want a piece to tie-in to your literacy teaching
–if you have multiple groups of differing levels, and want a feel-good “music is amazing” piece they can all sing together

I could go on. I really do see many many scenarios in which this piece could be used – by groups of all sizes and levels. The text paints a beautiful picture. The music is hauntingly elegant. And the piece is neither childish-sounding, nor too difficult, which is its own sweet-spot for treble/women’s repertoire. I strongly encourage you to take a look at this selection for an upcoming concert. Plus, make sure to take a look at the composer’s other works for treble/women’s choir as well.

Title:Music Of Life
Composer:B.E. Boykin
http://beboykin.com/
Date of Composition:2015
Text Author:George Parsons Lathrop (“Music of Growth” from Rose and Roof-Tree: Poems, 1875)
Subject(s), Genre:Music, song, nature, earth, growth
Language:English
Voicing Details:Unison, SA, and SSA
Ranges:S1: D4-F#5
S2: D4-D5
A: D4-Bb4
Accompaniment:Piano
Duration:~3:30 total
Publisher:Klavia Press
https://www.klaviapress.com

Performance Recording:
https://soundcloud.com/user-539063463/music-of-life

Until next month!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts



Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is Director of Choral Activities and associate professor of music at Hollins University, a women’s college in Roanoke, Virginia.
Email:
Bio:     https://www.hollins.edu/directory/shelbie-wahl-fouts/

For a listing of all current and past blog entries by this author, click here.
For a spreadsheet of all blog posts and their repertoire, click here.

Filed Under: One From the Folder, Treble Choirs, Women's Choirs Tagged With: boykin, SSA, treble, women's

One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

November 6, 2020 by Shelbie L. Wahl-Fouts Leave a Comment

#65: Friday, November 4, 2020

“Cool Moon” by Richard A. Williamson
SSA, a cappella or optional piano

For those of you familiar with my blog, this piece may seem an outlier as a choice. In general, I try to focus my work on repertoire originally written for women’s/treble voices, not something first written for SATB and then rearranged. And I usually try to lift up the creations of women composers and authors, and/or have texts with strength, often from a woman’s point of view. More recently, I’ve been purposely trying to expand my familiarity with works by authors and composers of color, knowing that I’m lacking in that area. And overall, I try to focus on music that is self-published or from smaller publishing companies, not from the large corporations. I give presentations titled “Fierce and Feisty Repertoire” and the like.

I’ll be honest – “Cool Moon” doesn’t fit in any of those categories. But I will tell you what it is. It is an absolutely perfectly teachable piece for my early-intermediate group, especially in these strange Covid-times.

This semester, like many of you, I find myself teaching in a space that isn’t my regular choir room. Many choirs/schools/states are mandated to rehearse fully outdoors. Whether we are in our assigned “alternate” room, or having rehearsal outside, I don’t have a piano available. Some would argue this is ideal, as it forces me to work on my singers’ musicianship, and their ability to learn music without a piano banging out notes for them. To be sure, we are spending much more time on music literacy this term. (Yay!) And they are getting stronger. (Yay!) But still, finding repertoire that is at the appropriate level for their nascent reading skills, without being “Mary Had A Little Lamb” in unison whole notes, is a pretty short list.

I also have my choirs split up into smaller groups, with fewer singers per rehearsal than normal. For my advanced singers, they can make this work. But for my less experienced students who are used to strength in numbers and group courage and aurally/visually following the leader, it is tough – very tough. They can’t hear each other well, with the masks and 10-12 feet distance and strange acoustics (and distractions from squirrels and airplanes and groundhogs and lawn mowers…). The safety and solidarity of being with, and within, their section is considerably lessened. They feel tentative and scared and shy.

All of which leads me to “Cool Moon.” I first found this selection at a Carol Krueger Music Literacy Workshop, in the music packet. [If you haven’t been to one of her workshops – GO! You will not regret it!] The piece was scored for SATB, but otherwise hit all the criteria for “easy enough to do with beginning literacy skills, and not boring and not childish.” I put a note on it, to circle back and see if an SSA version was available. Fast-forward to 2020, and here it is. Perfect timing.

Some key points:

It is 99.9% solfege-able. (There is one non-diatonic pitch in the whole selection.) And most of the motion is stepwise, with some thirds and the occasional fourth. Once your students learn the major pentachord, and the major scale, and can audiate small intervals within the major scale, they are ready.

It incorporates some repetitive phrases and motives, so singers can latch on to patterns. Additionally, the form is A B A’, so the work you do on the first 15 measures comes back to help with much of the last 15 as well. There is a key change for the B section, which can help cement the idea that “do” is movable.

It is rhythmically readable, very early in the literacy process. I don’t know how many times I’ve finally found a piece with all-diatonic harmonies, only to have the rhythms be too complicated for their reading level. 4/4. Quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes, and their rests. That’s it. No ties, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, syncopation, or triplets/borrowed. Basic read-in-week-one rhythms.

The tonal harmonies are crunchy enough to be intriguing to my less experienced groups, but not too difficult for them either. My intermediate group is always a little jealous of the crunchy stuff that my advanced group gets to sing; this is a great piece for that niche. “Cool Moon” has some of that crunchy flavor, while still being within the grasp of a less experienced group.

The opening phrase, for instance, starts in unison, but then fans out into a chord with pleasantly-dissonant seconds. It sounds neat, and they can do it. We started work on the song on solfege, in sectional circles outside (with the fully-online students joining via breakout rooms over Zoom, connected to the phone of a designated face-to-face zoom-facilitating partner). They had no idea yet what was happening in the other parts. Then we came together and sang just the first few measures. Everyone got goosebumps. It was one of the first times we sang together this term, and it was magical. They were successful at something that sounded cool, and they knew it. And they were making music together, with other humans, even with masks and distance and everything.

Looking at the text, the subject matter is secular, with just enough depth to find favor with my older students, without being too much for my younger students. It does talk about love, but is isn’t schmaltzy butterflies and flowers. Or whining. (So much historical/secular women’s chorus music is so…whiny! P.S. Scott Tucker’s “No Whining, No Flowers” commissioning project with the Cornell University Chorus is a phenomenal antidote!)

It is an SSA selection with a little bit of part independence, but not too much. My intermediate group usually sings in 3 parts, but they also usually have twice the numbers, or more. The students still want to sing SSA stuff as they are used to, but there are half as many of them, or less, per part. So it needs to be easier than usual. “Cool Moon” keeps them in SSA, but still mostly homophonic movement without tricky entrances.

It has an optional piano accompaniment, but works perfectly well without piano too. So, if you have the ability and desire to use piano, you can. But if you find yourself (expectedly or unexpectedly) without piano capabilities, this works too. It is flexible – just as we all have to be this year. Ranges are limited, which suits beginner/intermediate groups well, especially when singing in a mask may make them more hesitant on higher notes.

There is much phrasing, dynamic contrast, and musicality to include. Plus good vowels to practice shaping and matching (lots of [u]). So even though the base material is at the literacy level of a beginner/intermediate group, the final product isn’t boring or “easy-sounding” by any means. In fact, it has quite a lot of life and energy to it, with some great opportunities for text stress and phrasing and line.

As I said, this usually isn’t the type of piece I focus on, in my research, presentations, or blogs. Not that it isn’t a good piece, but is isn’t the specific niche I usually write about. But this particular semester, with these particular students in this particular rehearsal configuration, it is exactly the piece I need right now. I am thrilled to be working on it with my singers. Take a look. It may be just exactly what you need too.

Title: Cool Moon 
Composer: Richard A. Williamson 
Date of Composition:  2016, 2020 
Author: Richard A. Williamson 
Language: English 
Listed Voicing: SSA 
Voicing Details: SSA 
Ranges: S1: Eb4-F5 
S2: C4-Eb5 
A: G3-G4 
Accompaniment: A cappella or optional piano 
Duration: ~2:45 total 
Publisher:  Heritage Music Press, Lorenz Corporation 

Until next month!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts


Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is Director of Choral Activities and associate professor of music at Hollins University, a women’s college in Roanoke, Virginia.
Email:
Bio:     https://www.hollins.edu/directory/shelbie-wahl-fouts/

For a listing of all current and past blog entries by this author, click here.
For a spreadsheet of all blog posts and their repertoire, click here.

Filed Under: One From the Folder, Treble Choirs, Women's Choirs Tagged With: solfege, SSA

One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

October 2, 2020 by Shelbie L. Wahl-Fouts 1 Comment

#64: Friday, October 2, 2020

Missa Brevis by Adolphus Hailstork
SSAA, a cappella

This four-movement Missa Brevis by Adolphus Hailstork is a gem for unaccompanied treble or women’s choir, with unexpected strengths both for teaching music literacy and for performance.

Adolphus Hailstork

I learned about this piece, along with additional works by Hailstork and others, from Dr. Marques L. A. Garrett’s excellent resource: Beyond Elijah Rock: The Non-Idiomatic Choral Music of Black Composers. If you haven’t yet studied Dr. Garrett’s research, go there now.

Once I ordered a copy and studied this Missa Brevis, I put it on my “for fall” collection. It is an interesting SSAA selection, with many different applications. Dr. Hailstork is a prolific and award-winning composer, currently serving as Professor and Eminent Scholar at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. For a complete bio, please see https://www.odu.edu/directory/people/a/ahailsto

I & IV.
The opening and closing movements (Kyrie and Agnus Dei) are squarely in G Major, with not a chromatic note to be found. Both are marked Lento, QN=56. In fact, the fourth movement is a motivic and stylistic recap of the first, so once your singers have learned the concepts in the first movement, they have already almost learned the fourth as well (different text, and some different rhythms to suit).

Both movements are perfect for diatonic solfege – very tonal. Harmonies are primarily homophonic, with a few measures of motivic echo. Lots of step-wise motion, minimal large leaps. On first glance, my beginning-of-the-semester students, many of whom are just learning solfege, will soon have the skills to approach these movements.

Additionally, the rhythms almost exclusively incorporate beat, beat division, beat rest, and elongated notes (with one 1-beat figure that includes beat subdivision). Essentially, if your singers can read quarters, eighths, half notes, and ties – with the occasional dotted quarter or rare 16th – they are ready for these movements.

While marked as SSAA, neither movement is what I would consider four-part. Often the writing is SA, with some unison, some SSA, and some SAA. The only point at which there are four simultaneous pitches is on the last chord of each movement.

Because it switches between SSA and SAA frequently though, I would still definitely assign parts as SSAA, in order to avoid the singers in the middle filling their music with arrows jumping between staves. Thankfully, the music is written on two staves, instead of four, so when S1/S2 are in unison (or A1/A2), it is 100% apparent. This is key for less experienced singers, as they may not easily notice unisons between voice parts on four staves, since that requires looking up or down to another line.

These two movements are absolutely a great place to start, especially for ensembles who may not be ready for four distinct parts yet, or ensembles at the start of their music literacy journey. I plan to use short sections for sight-reading examples in the rehearsals leading up to introducing the piece, to ensure students know they have the skills and abilities needed (and the confidence to go with it).

II & III.
If the outer movements are a solid early-semester option in terms of literacy skills, the inner movements are the opposite. The second movement, Gloria, is marked Vigoroso and QN=82. Not only is it faster and more energetic than the outer movements, as is typical with a Gloria, it also incorporates a few borrowed figures (8th note triplets) and a phrase with beat subdivision and syncopation (16ths, ties over the barline).

These ideas do repeat themselves multiple times in the movement, so once singers know it, they are set. But it will require a slightly higher level of rhythmic literacy to read it initially, as compared to I & IV.

Like I & IV though, the part-writing is often SA, with frequent SSA and SAA. What little SSAA writing there is, is limited to static chords. However, there is a bit of an S-A polyphonic feel to this movement – with the soprano voices (in unison or in harmony) set against the alto voice (in unison or in harmony). At max though there are only two ideas happening at once, with added vertical harmony (S-AA or SS-A).

In the third movement, Sanctus & Benedictus, the rhythmic focus lessens, shifting to Adagio and QN=52. These rhythms are similar in level to movement I & IV – quarters, 8ths, half notes, quarter rests. Minimal syncopation, no beat subdivision (16ths). All homophonic movement, with all voices reading each rhythm together.

The harmonic structure is where both II and III become challenging from a literacy perspective. The Gloria starts with a key signature of A major/f# minor, but focuses on repeated B naturals. The B becomes a Bb, and now a new key signature appears, and it looks like we are in the key of F major/D minor. But, the music has accidental Ebs and more easily reads like its in g minor. However, then an Ab pops up, and the Eb becomes an E natural.

You could perhaps still read most of this section as if it were g minor, but there will be altered pitches to contend with in solfege. Then some Ab Major triads present themselves, as well we a few other chords requiring altered solfege, and we’ve definitely lost the functionality of solfege, at least for singers at a beginner or intermediate level.

The harmonic structure of the Gloria isn’t strongly dissonant; it is still quite tonal and consonant. But, it is not strongly diatonic in the way that would allow for functional use of solfege, especially in a setting where the singers are still learning how to apply nascent music literacy skills to their repertoire. The Sanctus/Benedictus is not dissimilar, with a fairly-consistent tonal structure that doesn’t directly match the key signature, and then additional chromatic pitches in certain places.

I anticipate focusing on I and IV in the fall term, as we still get used to ensemble singing in the time of Covid. (Fewer singers per choir and not always of the ideal part-balance, large distances between singers, no “strength in numbers” to help out less experienced singers, appropriate breathing in a mask, etc). Right now, we need music that is engaging and relevant, but not rhythmically/tonally difficult or vocally taxing (and without piano, in my particular Covid non-standard rehearsal space).

Once my ensembles have a chance to find their new cohesion in the current constraints, then we can begin to look at II and III in the spring term. All four movements have lovely dynamics and phrase shaping, which I look forward to exploring with my singers.

All in all, this work by Dr. Hailstork is a lovely piece of music that I’m glad I have learned more about, and one I look forward to experiencing throughout the coming year with my singers. It is a chance to have a long-term relationship with a multi-movement work, that can grow with your ensemble and serve different functions as their skills evolve.

Title:Missa Brevis (4 movements)
Composer:Adolphus Hailstork (b.1941)
https://www.odu.edu/directory/people/a/ahailsto
https://www.presser.com/adolphus-hailstork
Date of Composition:Copyright 2008
Test SourceLiturgical Latin
Subject(s), Genre:sacred, mass
Language:Latin
Listed Voicing:SSAA
Voicing Details:SSAA, though frequently SA, SSA, or SAA.
Ranges:S1: D4-G5
S2: D4-F#5
A1: G3-D5
A2: E3-D5
Accompaniment:A cappella
Duration:~10:00 total
Publisher:Theodore Presser Company
www.presser.com  

Until next month!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts


Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is Director of Choral Activities and associate professor of music at Hollins University, a women’s college in Roanoke, Virginia.
Email:
Bio:     https://www.hollins.edu/directory/shelbie-wahl-fouts/

For a listing of all current and past blog entries by this author, click here.
For a spreadsheet of all blog posts and their repertoire, click here.

Filed Under: One From the Folder, Treble Choirs, Women's Choirs Tagged With: hailstork, missa, SSAA, treble choir, Women's Chorus

One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

September 4, 2020 by Shelbie L. Wahl-Fouts 1 Comment

#63: Friday, September 4, 2020

Four Rounds to Start this Brave New Year
——Back to the Heart (Timothy Takach / Julia Klatt Singer)
——A Path To Each Other (Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy Takach / Julia Klatt Singer)
——When I Rise Up (J. David Moore / Wendell Berry)
——Build The Sky (Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy Takach / Julia Klatt Singer)

As I sat down to write September’s blog, I was panicked, anxious, and overwhelmed—in the midst of preparing for a fall semester full of unknowns. Like many of you, I had no concrete idea of what the day-to-day of my teaching would look like, or the logistics of how to keep a program alive during this pandemic. And even if I had answers, they kept changing.

Are we online or in person? If in person, how long will that last? Who will be in my groups? How do I recruit new singers, if all the normal ways are temporarily disallowed? How far apart to stand? Where can we rehearse? For how long? What’s the air exchange rate and filter rating in whatever room I can fit in? What about zoom/remote rehearsals, and latency, and connectivity? How about SoundJack or JackTrip or Acapella…or Loom or Padlet or FlipGrid? Or virtual choirs? Will my students’ technology and mine allow me to consider any of that? Will anyone even come back to my program? What will the long term impact be on my program, with losing current students and missing out on new recruits? Will singers agree to sing in a mask, or just quit over the adjustment? Are concerts even a thing this semester? WIthout concerts, will students stick around? And absolutely most importantly, is it even safe to sing at all?

As we all were, I was impatiently awaiting the results from the ACDA & NAfME summer research endeavors, not knowing what to expect. Tying to plan for multiple scenarios, all of which could change with one new administrative edict.

You know what wasn’t on my list of questions? Repertoire. My specialty and passion is repertoire, and yet I had (and have!) so many unknowns related to everything else that choosing repertoire wasn’t anywhere on my radar yet.

Now that school is in session (face to face, for now), the questions continue. How do I teach students to sing healthily in a mask? Can I teach without losing my voice? Is Zoom going to crash today? Do the online students feel like they are part of the group, even though they are not physically in the classroom with the rest of us and have to be muted most of the time? Did I charge my mic pack? (see the question about losing my voice) Are there enough wipes available? Did everyone remember to use them? Are all my 12-feet-distanced Xs still taped on the floor? Are the students engaged and enjoying rehearsal? Can I even really judge mood when I can’t see their faces? Will we all be sent home for remote learning, or will we make it to end of term? Do I space in my capacity-cap for an accompanist?

You know what still wasn’t on my list of questions? Repertoire. The idea of finitely choosing appropriate music for three different choirs, whose moving-target size, voicing, and experience level may change at the drop of a hat (or an internet connection or a test swab) seemed an insurmountable hurdle.

Enter these four rounds. All available from Graphite Press, these four pieces of music are timely, relevant, flexible, engaging, and just what I needed to start the semester. [Plus, budget-friendly and immediately-available for download…even better!] Additionally, Abbie Betinis’ “Be Like the Bird” is another wonderful option – see my blog post from June 2018 for more info on that piece.

Back to the Heart
Composer: Timothy Takach
Poetry: Julia Klatt Singer

-D mixolydian (do re mi fa so la te do – F#, C natural, with one C#)
-compound meter, 12/8
-3 part round, with optional piano; descant/semi-chorus closing to unison ending
-connectivity, passion, belonging, music, song
–https://graphitepublishing.com/product/back-to-the-heart/

A Path to Each Other
Composers: Timothy Takach and Jocelyn Hagen
Poetry: Julia Klatt Singer

-3 part round, a cappella
-F Major/d minor
-simple meter, 4/4
-empathy, connectivity, walls vs. bridges, compassion
–https://graphitepublishing.com/product/a-path-to-each-other/

When I Rise Up
Composer: J. David Moore
Poetry: Wendell Berry

-bright, joyful, uplifting
-compound meter, 9/8
-G major
-3 part round, a cappella
-arguably, this one may be the easiest to learn, but it also has the most opportunity for solo voices and small group exploration of individual style
–https://graphitepublishing.com/product/when-i-rise-up/
-See also: https://jdavidmoore.net/works/flexible/a-little-book-of-rounds/

Build The Sky
Composer: Jocelyn Hagen and Timothy Takach
Poetry: Julia Klatt Singer

-C Major
-simple meter, 3/4
-2 then 3pt round, a cappella
-music, singing, community, connection
https://graphitepublishing.com/product/build-the-sky/

Grab one or more of these rounds for your start-of-year repertoire. You won’t be sorry. Be ready for whatever this fall throws your way, by relying on flexible but beautiful repertoire, with texts that speak brilliantly to the situations we find ourselves in right now. My choirs have each just begun the year, and each have started to tackle one of these rounds. I look forward to following the evolution of the music, and my students, as we navigate this uncertain semester together. 

Until next month!
-Shelbie

Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is Director of Choral Activities and associate professor of music at Hollins University, a women’s college in Roanoke, Virginia.
Email:
Bio:     https://www.hollins.edu/directory/shelbie-wahl-fouts/

For a listing of all current and past blog entries by this author, click here.
For a spreadsheet of all blog posts and their repertoire, click here.

Filed Under: One From the Folder, Treble Choirs, Women's Choirs Tagged With: rounds, SSA, SSAA

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