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ChorTeach is ACDA’s quarterly publication for choral conductors and teachers at all levels. It is published online, and each issue contains four practical articles. If you are not already a member of ACDA, you can join as an Associate for $45 per year and receive access to ChorTeach and the Choral Journal online. The annotated ChorTeach index (found here) has seventeen categories […]

#38. “A Round For Hildegard” by Luke Mayernik
Text from a traditional English carol
SSSSAAA, viola, cello, percussion

On first glance, “A Round for Hildegard” may seem a bit daunting, with a listed voicing of SSSSAAA. Do not be deterred though! At its core, it is a large round in seven parts. With strings, percussion, and handclaps, this song joyfully rings in the holiday season for your advanced or small-but-mighty women’s/treble ensemble.

“Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.” Leonard Bernstein We all know music’s ability to heal and sooth. We know how it comforts the ill and the despondent. Music can help both the dying on their trip “home” and the woman giving birth as she brings new life into the world. It teaches […]

This week on Going Beyond Words and ACDA Radio/ChoralNet, host Stan Schmidt continues his Advent journey with choral and vocal music from seven countries. Composers represented are Georgi Svridov, Bob Chilcott, Stephen Chatman, John Rutter, Dan Forrest, Giacomo Puccini, Alfred Burt, Enojuhani Rautavaara, Benjamin Britten, Folke Bohlen (Sweden), and Georg Schumann.  The choral ensembles used […]

All Voice Experts advocate warm-up exercises. The lack of a proper warm-up may contribute to vocal fatigue and even dysfunction in singers as well as anyone that uses the voice throughout the day. Poorly warmed-up voices are less durable and less sustainable!

This is a reminder that ACDA’s annual free summer workshop and festival listing will appear in the April issue of Choral Journal for events taking place May 1 – Sept 1, 2019.  Submissions are due by January 15 to . Please format your submission as follows: Date of EventEvent TitleLocation1-2 sentence description of the eventContact nameContact email/phone *This is a text listing only. If […]

Why do we go caroling?  How can we be most impactful to both our community members and our singers? How can we spread the most spread joy?  Here is the blog post: 15 Tips for Caroling with Seasonal Spirit & Maximum Impact

#37: Friday, December 14, 2018
“Ardaigh Cuain,” arr. David Mooney
Traditional Irish words and melody
SSAA, harp (or piano)

In “Ardaigh Cuain,” David Mooney has arranged a traditional Irish text and melody into a lovely, lilting selection for women’s/treble choir and harp.

“To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.” Leonard Bernstein If you are anything like me, your December concert and worship music for this year was planned during the summer or before. Your plans are coming to fruition or close to it. You are calm, knowing things are […]

This week on Going Beyond Words and ACDA Radio/ChoralNet, host Stan Schmidt continues his Advent journey moving closer to the Christmas celebration. This visit is titled I Wonder As I Wander.  You will hear from Baroque composers J.S. Bach and Dietrich Buxtehude; two new carols by composers from England; “A Coventry Carol” with a new […]