Latest Blog Posts
“Five from the Folder: Church Choir” by Terre Johnson
FIVE FROM THE FOLDER: CHURCH CHOIR by Terre Johnson 1. "He, Watching Over Israel." Felix Mendelssohn, G. Schirmer 50293760 The perfectly useful chorus from an extended work. Singable counterpoint and beautiful expressive elements. 2. "There Is a Balm in Gilead." William L. Dawson, Neil A. Kjos T105 Deeply moving, and valuable for working […]
“Five from the Folder: Mixed Voices” by Steve Barton
FIVE FROM THE FOLDER: MIXED VOICES by Steve Barton 1. O Magnum Mysterium SSAATTBB (Acapella) Kevin Memley Pavane Publishing P1395 Gorgeous. Full textured, colorful, delicate. Great piece to create a profound sense of intimacy without suppressing voices. 2. Sure on this Shining Night. SATB with piano. Morten Lauridsen. Peer Music 0124115 Lyrical with gentle harmonies. Very […]
GUEST BLOG: “The Students’ Challenge to Directors” by Taylor Jack Conley
THE STUDENTS' CHALLENGE TO DIRECTORS, by Taylor Jack Conley Dear Choir Directors, We singers are lazy by nature. It’s part of being human, really. We will accomplish as little as you let us if you set the standards low enough. Yet, if you raise that bar higher, we will attain and accomplish […]
GUEST BLOG: “Life-Long Singing: An ACDA Priority” by Tim Sharp
LIFE-LONG SINGING: AN ACDA PRIORITY by Tim Sharp Of the many areas of interest that overlap the attention of choral directors, lifelong singing opportunities is a topic that unites and captures all of us. Knowing that singing can be enjoyed at many levels, throughout all stages of life, motivates our profession, and keeps […]
CJ Replay: Between the Beats
(An excerpt from the Choral Journal article, Between the Beats, by William Simon) Almost anyone can beat time, but it is what a conductor does between the beats that indicates his ability to develop an interpretation. I like to call the period of time between one beat point and the It is […]
CJ Replay: Adjudication
(An excerpt from the Choral Journal article, A Casual Look at Adjudication, by Willard Schmitt) During his tenure at the University of Southern California, Ralph Rush was a mentor of many of the nation’s music educators. He has given us a cogent comment concerning adjudication when in 1955 he pointed out: 1. Nothing […]
August Choral Journal Now Available
The August issue of the Choral Journal is now available at the ACDA website. The issue includes such articles as: “Missa Dei Filii ZWV20: An Introduction to the Late Masses of Zelenka (Corbin) “In the Footsteps of Bach: An Interview with George Christoph Biller) (Rothlisberger) "Love and Music Are the Last […]
New Choral Journal Index Available
The Choral Journal: An Index to Volumes 19-53 has been updated to include annotated and cross-referenced entries for the latest volume year (Vol. 53). The current Index includes entries for 4,307 articles published in the Choral Journal from 1979 through the June/July issue of 2013. It is available to anyone – ACDA member and non-member […]
It Might Be Happy After All
When you gather a few friends in restaurant to celebrate a birthday, the server might take note of the celebration and arrange for the establishment to provide a small candle-lit dessert for the birthday-girl/boy. It’s a thoughtful gesture. The wait-staff might also serenade the party, standing beside your table screaming some raucous, utterly unintelligible […]
Intonation – Visually (had to post this!)
Sorry, I really AM done with the series, but couldn’t avoid posting this–credit to ToneDeafComics.com: