News and Notices

“Singing to him before bed is my chance to connect with him, to tell him everything I love about him, to thank him for the happiness he brings us.” – Veronica Toracca-Bragdon, Poet

As I was organizing some of my work, I came across “Lullaby,” and it occurred to me that this is something that might work well for a virtual performance. It is non-divisi and accompanied by piano, violin, and cello. Veronica’s beautiful text echos the sentiment of her quote above, and combined with a complementary melody, you may find yourself singing it to little one’s as sleep draws near.

Below is a link to a demo if you’d like to listen: https://youtu.be/ywwFyoJLFqs

Tucson-based True Concord’s Founding Music Director Eric Holtan has curated a Playlist, which utilizes imagery of water and the heart as sources of life, with music of Barber, Howells, Whitacre, excerpts from Haydn’s The Creation, and an arrangement of Carly Simon’s award-winning Let the River Run.

Listen and learn more here: http://www.trueconcord.org/2020/04/09/playlist/.

To hear the playlist on YouTube, click here:

Click here to listen on Spotify:

3 beautiful scores for 3-part choirs!

Contributing Editor: Jonathan Campbell

As choral musicians we live in a tension between programming what we “like” and what’s best for our ensembles. This challenge is enhanced if you’re conducting a middle school choir, a church choir, or a small community group. In other words, the market for three-part mixed music is often a tricky one. But there is a solid body of SAB repertoire that is both practical and musically satisfying.

Many of us know Emerson’s lovely “Shoshone Love Song” for SAB and piano. It was a lovely piece when it was published in the 1990s and it’s still lovely today. I have used it several times with middle school choirs. It speaks to the student’s developing emotions and they love to sing it. Emerson’s piece is available in several arrangements from Hal Leonard.

Graphite and Graphite Marketplace have some SAB pieces that pair well with “Shoshone Love Song.” “Where there is Light in the Soul,” by Elizabeth Alexander, is a lovely unaccompanied piece that’s upbeat and life-affirming. The text is a Chinese proverb, which works perfectly with the Emerson; both pieces are settings of texts from non-Western cultures. “Where there is Light in the Soul” uses some sophisticated harmonies and gentle dissonances that will also challenge a blossoming choir and help them to grow.

If a conductor wished to further explore texts from the Native American tradition, another piece to consider would be Joan Szymko’s “Sioux Prayer” for unaccompanied voices. It’s a reflective, thoughtful piece that would also be good for practicing intonation and shaping phrases.

About the composers

Elizabeth Alexander grew up in the Carolinas and Appalachian Ohio. Her love of music, language, and challenging questions is reflected in her catalog of over 100 songs and choral works, and a style that moves effortlessly between concert stage, choir loft, and jam session. Her music has been performed by soloists, chamber musicians, and orchestras around the world, as well as by thousands of choirs.

Joan Szymko is a composer and conductor living and working in Portland, Oregon where she is entering her 23rd season as the Artistic Director of Aurora Chorus. As a frequently commissioned composer with a catalog of over 100 published choral works, her music is performed by ensembles across North America and abroad. She has served on the choral music faculty at Portland State University (2013-15). As a visiting artist, she workshops her music with choirs in a variety of educational settings across the US and most recently, in the Netherlands.

Our Contributing Editor

Jonathan Campbell received his B.A. from Luther College in 1998, a Master of Sacred Music degree from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota in 2002, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting in 2015 at North Dakota State University. As a composer, Jon has received numerous awards and commissions, including a Faith Partner’s Residency through the American Composer’s Forum, as well as first place in the Morningstar College Choral Composition Festival. From 2004-2012, Jon conducted the Honors Choirs of Southeast Minnesota Chorale and in the spring of 2011, served as interim director of choral activities at Winona State University. At Augsburg University, Minneapolis, MN he recently served as faculty conductor of the Cedar Singers male chorus and the Masterworks Chorale. Jon is founder and was artistic director of Minnesota Renaissance Choir, and is currently Director of Music and Fine Arts at Claremont United Church of Christ and Lecturer in Music at Pomona College,
both in Claremont, CA.

URBANDALE SINGERS, Ted Brimeyer, conductor, of Urbandale, IA, is the winner of The American Prize in Choral Performance, 2020, in the high school choral division. Urbandale Singers was selected from applications reviewed recently from all across the United States. The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation’s most comprehensive series of non-profit competitions in the musical and theater arts, unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, ensembles and composers in the United States based on submitted recordings.The covid-extended deadline for applications to The American Prize contests for 2020-21 is Wednesday, September 9, 2020. Details on the website, http://www.theamericanprize.org/

Link to official announcement: http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2020/07/winners-choruses-2020.html

The organization provided this biographical sketch:

Urbandale Singers is the premier Urbandale High School choir of students who exhibit developed musical skill, are young people of high integrity, and are committed to excellence in choral music. Membership is earned through an audition comprised solo singing, sight-reading, and tonal memory exercises. Work in this choir emphasizes healthy singing technique, musical independence, advanced literacy, and precision with a deliberate emphasis on unaccompanied singing. Students in this ensemble volunteer for frequent performances throughout the community. Urbandale Singers performs a wide variety of choral repertoire in multiple concerts throughout the school year, often sharing concerts with renowned collegiate choirs. Each singer participates in the department’s solo contest. The choir’s success has recently been recognized with invitations to present solo programs for the 2016 North Central Division ACDA Conference, 2017 Iowa Choral Showcase in Pella, 2018 Dorian Vocal Festival at Luther College, and the 2019 American Choral Directors Association Conference.

Additional information about the competitions on the website:www.theamericanprize.org

For runners-up in this division and additional winners already announced in 2019-20 in other competitions, please follow this link:
http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/

Winners of The American Prize receive cash prizes, professional adjudication and regional, national and international recognition based on recorded performances. In addition to monetary rewards and written evaluations from judges, winners are profiled on The American Prize websites, where links will lead to video and audio excerpts of artist performances. The 2020-21 covid-extended deadline for applications to The American Prize contests is Wednesday, September 9, 2020. Details on the website.

THE AMERICAN PRIZE—History & Judges

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts grew from the belief that a great deal of excellent music being made in this country goes unrecognized and unheralded, not only in our major cities, but all across the country: in schools and churches, in colleges and universities, and by community and professional musicians.

With the performing arts in America marginalized like never before, The American Prize seeks to fill the gap that leaves excellent artists and ensembles struggling for visibility and viability. The American Prize recognizes and rewards the best America produces, without bias against small city versus large, or unknown artist versus well-known.

David Katz is the chief judge of The American Prize. Professional conductor, award-winning composer, playwright, actor and arts advocate, he is author of MUSE of FIRE, the acclaimed one-man play about the art of conducting. Joining Katz in selecting winners of The American Prize is a panel of judges as varied in background and experience as we hope the winners of The American Prize will be. Made up of distinguished musicians representing virtually every region of the country, the group includes professional vocalists, conductors, composers and pianists, tenured professors, and orchestra, band and choral musicians.

“Most artists may never win a Grammy award, or a Pulitzer, or a Tony, or perhaps even be nominated,” Katz said, “but that does not mean that they are not worthy of recognition and reward. Quality in the arts is not limited to a city on each coast, or to the familiar names, or only to graduates of a few schools. It is on view all over the United States, if you take the time to look for it. The American Prize exists to encourage and herald that excellence.”

By shining a light on nationally recognized achievement, winners of The American Prize receive world-class bragging rights to use in promotion right at home. “If The American Prize helps build careers, or contributes to local pride, or assists with increasing the audience for an artist or ensemble, builds the donor base, or stimulates opportunities or recruitment for winning artists and ensembles, then we have fulfilled our mission,” Katz said.

The American Prize is administered by Hat City Music Theater, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit performing arts organization based in Danbury, Connecticut.

To receive “On TAP,” the free e-newsletter of The American Prize, please sign up using this link: Newsletter Sign-up We never share email addresses with anyone, and you can opt out at any time.

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BAYLOR A CAPPELLA CHOIR, Brian A. Schmidt, music director, of Baylor University, is the winner of The American Prize in Choral Performance, 2020, in the college/university choral division. BAYLOR A CAPPELLA CHOIR was selected from applications reviewed recently from all across the United States. The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation’s most comprehensive series of non-profit competitions in the musical and theater arts, unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, ensembles and composers in the United States based on submitted recordings. The covid-extended deadline for applications to The American Prize contests for 2020-21 is Wednesday, September 9, 2020. Details on the website, http://www.theamericanprize.org/

Link to official announcement: http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2020/07/winners-choruses-2020.html

The organization provided this biographical sketch:

The Baylor A Cappella Choir is the flagship choral ensemble at Baylor University. Selected by competitive audition, the choir combines some of the most advanced singers at Baylor, both music majors and non-music majors, and focuses on cultivating meaningful fellowship and rich, artistic singing. The A Cappella Choir performs a wide variety of musical styles, both solo performances and collaborative projects with other areas of the School of Music. Additionally, the choir is involved with performances for Family Weekend in the Fall, the annual televised “A Baylor Christmas” production, the Baylor Choral Invitational, and is active in the community, throughout the state, and across the country. The Baylor A Cappella Choir has performed by invitation for the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Texas Music Educators Association Convention, the Texoma Region of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the prestigious National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association.

Additional information about the competitions on the website:www.theamericanprize.org

For runners-up in this division and additional winners already announced in 2019-20 in other competitions, please follow this link:
http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/

Winners of The American Prize receive cash prizes, professional adjudication and regional, national and international recognition based on recorded performances. In addition to monetary rewards and written evaluations from judges, winners are profiled on The American Prize websites, where links will lead to video and audio excerpts of artist performances. The 2020-21 covid-extended deadline for applications to The American Prize contests is Wednesday, September 9, 2020. Details on the website.

THE AMERICAN PRIZE—History & Judges

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts grew from the belief that a great deal of excellent music being made in this country goes unrecognized and unheralded, not only in our major cities, but all across the country: in schools and churches, in colleges and universities, and by community and professional musicians.

With the performing arts in America marginalized like never before, The American Prize seeks to fill the gap that leaves excellent artists and ensembles struggling for visibility and viability. The American Prize recognizes and rewards the best America produces, without bias against small city versus large, or unknown artist versus well-known.

David Katz is the chief judge of The American Prize. Professional conductor, award-winning composer, playwright, actor and arts advocate, he is author of MUSE of FIRE, the acclaimed one-man play about the art of conducting. Joining Katz in selecting winners of The American Prize is a panel of judges as varied in background and experience as we hope the winners of The American Prize will be. Made up of distinguished musicians representing virtually every region of the country, the group includes professional vocalists, conductors, composers and pianists, tenured professors, and orchestra, band and choral musicians.

“Most artists may never win a Grammy award, or a Pulitzer, or a Tony, or perhaps even be nominated,” Katz said, “but that does not mean that they are not worthy of recognition and reward. Quality in the arts is not limited to a city on each coast, or to the familiar names, or only to graduates of a few schools. It is on view all over the United States, if you take the time to look for it. The American Prize exists to encourage and herald that excellence.”

By shining a light on nationally recognized achievement, winners of The American Prize receive world-class bragging rights to use in promotion right at home. “If The American Prize helps build careers, or contributes to local pride, or assists with increasing the audience for an artist or ensemble, builds the donor base, or stimulates opportunities or recruitment for winning artists and ensembles, then we have fulfilled our mission,” Katz said.

The American Prize is administered by Hat City Music Theater, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit performing arts organization based in Danbury, Connecticut.

To receive “On TAP,” the free e-newsletter of The American Prize, please sign up using this link: Newsletter Sign-up We never share email addresses with anyone, and you can opt out at any time.

—end—

DALLAS CHAMBER CHOIR, Jon Culpepper, music director, Dallas, TX, is the co-winner (with the choral ensemble mirabai, of East Lansing, MI) of The American Prize in Choral Performance, 2020, in the professional choral division. Dallas Chamber Choir was selected from applications reviewed recently from all across the United States. The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation’s most comprehensive series of non-profit competitions in the musical and theater arts, unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, ensembles and composers in the United States based on submitted recordings. The covid-extended deadline for applications to The American Prize contests for 2020-21 is Wednesday, September 9, 2020. Details on the website, http://www.theamericanprize.org/

Link to official announcement: http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2020/07/winners-choruses-2020.html

The organization provided this biographical sketch:

Founded in 2014 by its artistic director and conductor, Jon L. Culpepper, The Dallas Chamber Choir delivers choral programs of stylistic, linguistic, and cultural significance with interest in works of contemporary and emerging composers whose music and texts explore a decidedly humanistic perspective. The professional ensemble of 24-30 singers, comprised of exceptional vocal talent with diverse careers, skills, and interests in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, has collaborated with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Hans Zimmer, and Ramin Djawadi, score composer for the Grammy-nominated 2008 Marvel film, Iron Man, and the TV series, Game of Thrones and Prison Break, among others. DCC has released its debut album, Love Manifested (2018), and has recorded the Mozart Requiem with chamber orchestra at Moody Performance Hall in Dallas, Texas, due to release in 2019. https://dallaschamberchoir.org

Additional information about the competitions on the website:www.theamericanprize.org

For runners-up in this division and additional winners already announced in 2019-20 in other competitions, please follow this link:
http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/

Winners of The American Prize receive cash prizes, professional adjudication and regional, national and international recognition based on recorded performances. In addition to monetary rewards and written evaluations from judges, winners are profiled on The American Prize websites, where links will lead to video and audio excerpts of artist performances.

THE AMERICAN PRIZE—History & Judges

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts grew from the belief that a great deal of excellent music being made in this country goes unrecognized and unheralded, not only in our major cities, but all across the country: in schools and churches, in colleges and universities, and by community and professional musicians.

With the performing arts in America marginalized like never before, The American Prize seeks to fill the gap that leaves excellent artists and ensembles struggling for visibility and viability. The American Prize recognizes and rewards the best America produces, without bias against small city versus large, or unknown artist versus well-known.

David Katz is the chief judge of The American Prize. Professional conductor, award-winning composer, playwright, actor and arts advocate, he is author of MUSE of FIRE, the acclaimed one-man play about the art of conducting. Joining Katz in selecting winners of The American Prize is a panel of judges as varied in background and experience as we hope the winners of The American Prize will be. Made up of distinguished musicians representing virtually every region of the country, the group includes professional vocalists, conductors, composers and pianists, tenured professors, and orchestra, band and choral musicians.

“Most artists may never win a Grammy award, or a Pulitzer, or a Tony, or perhaps even be nominated,” Katz said, “but that does not mean that they are not worthy of recognition and reward. Quality in the arts is not limited to a city on each coast, or to the familiar names, or only to graduates of a few schools. It is on view all over the United States, if you take the time to look for it. The American Prize exists to encourage and herald that excellence.”

By shining a light on nationally recognized achievement, winners of The American Prize receive world-class bragging rights to use in promotion right at home. “If The American Prize helps build careers, or contributes to local pride, or assists with increasing the audience for an artist or ensemble, builds the donor base, or stimulates opportunities or recruitment for winning artists and ensembles, then we have fulfilled our mission,” Katz said.

The American Prize is administered by Hat City Music Theater, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit performing arts organization based in Danbury, Connecticut.

To receive “On TAP,” the free e-newsletter of The American Prize, please sign up using this link: Newsletter Sign-up We never share email addresses with anyone, and you can opt out at any time.

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