Latest Blog Posts
CJ Replay: When Basso-Continuo was New
(An excerpt from the Choral Journal article, “Instrumentation of the Basso Continuo in Early Seventeenth-Century Vocal Music,” by Steven Zopfi) During the first half of the seventeenth century, composers created enormous quantities of vocal music employing the new basso-continuo method. Inherent in this new method was a flexibility of instrumentation. Composers rarely specified […]
CJ Replay: Choir Tour Horror Stories
(An excerpt from the Choral Journal article, “What If . . . ? Dealing with the Unexpected in Tour,” by Nina Gilbert [p.55]) Debbie Coleman, now at Bonaire Middle School, Georgia, shares her bad driver story from her years at Warner Robins High School, Georgia. “At Six Flags, we instructed our students not […]
CJ Replay: Choirs & Tires (Both Go Flat)
(An excerpt from the Choral Journal article, “Choral Flatting: Sometimes it’a a Matter of Register Transition,” by Mel Unger) Have you ever wondered why it is harder to sing some pieces in tune than others? And why, when these pieces are raised a semitone, the problem disappears? Flatting seems particularly problematic in F […]
CJ Replay: Special Needs Students in the Choir
(An excerpt from the Choral Journal article, “Adapting Choral Rehearsals for Students with Learning Disabilities” by Vicki R. Lind) Although there has not been a great deal of research specifically on choral music participation, it is likely that choral music directors working in today's schools will have singers with learning disabilities enrolled in […]
“Five from the Folder: Mixed Voices” by Gregory Douma
FIVE FROM THE FOLDER: MIXED VOICES by Gregory Douma 1. “O Quam Gloriosum est Regnum.” Tomas Luis de Victoria. CPDL A great example of the Renaissance motet, this piece is accessible like Palestrina’s “Sicut cervus” but a bit more complex. 2. “Der Tanz.” Franz Schubert. CPDL As the title implies, this is a […]
Speaking of Voice: “My Go-To Warm-Up” by Jean Applonie
MY GO-TO WARM UP by Jean Applonie (Brigham Young University Women’s Chorus) The Brigham Young University Women’s Chorus works hard to connect their tone to their breath. Almost daily we do an exercise that guarantees the pressurization of airflow–lip trills or buzzing (if a singer cannot do a lip trill) Trill the lips or […]