arrange • compose • conduct
Posts specifically about choral music
Pity it happens at the end. One of the great tragedies of school ensembles is that they end just when the group locks. My ensemble learned new notes and basic choreography in mere minutes today – things that would have taken much more time in September. They lock because they […]
Are your singers emphasizing words like they’re the TikTok text-to-speech voice? The ubiquitous text-to-speech voice from TikTok is immediately recognizable once you’ve heard it. And part of that is for the stilted, easily parodied diction. She! kind! of! emphasizes! every! word! excitedly! It’s clear that sometimes choirs can forget to […]
An overlooked part of the a commissioning party’s job comes after the premiere. So many wonderful commissioned works disappear into filing cabinets after their premieres. And whether a piece has a life depends a lot on it finding a second performance, a second performing ensemble, after that premiere. So I […]
I never want to put my ensembles in this position. So much of our students’ lives are in “It all comes down to this” situations. It could be the big football game, auditions for the musical, the SAT, term papers and final exams, GPA, Prom, college acceptance letters, or any […]
When did you learn the songs that you know cold? There are songs I sang 25 years ago that I could probably perform competently tomorrow. Maybe even without the music between now and the performance. Some of them are intricate arrangement by Darmon Meader or Gene Puerling. But if I […]
Some wisdom from Alice Parker today. I read this in the warmup room before the Aces’ performance at State Solo & Ensemble today, because we can all use reminding of the power of singing. “Sometimes I think that when I am singing I’m using all of my potential in a […]
Some pieces just…resist memorization. In my experience, the toughest pieces to memorize are not necessarily the most complex, or longest, or difficult. Indeed, it tends to surprise me when an ensemble struggles to put down their music. For the piece that my ensemble is dueling with at the moment, I […]
When do you schedule your choir travel? I’ve taken tours during two distinct parts of my yearly calendar. Several times, we have toured after the school year ended. May in college, July for high school. Other times, I have traveled during Spring Break, or thereabouts. This includes international tours over […]
How do you plan a tour program? Tour programming comes with some special challenges. These might include: Programming more sacred repertoire than usual, to meet requirements of religious performance venues. (You want to perform in these venues!) Programming for limited rehearsal time. (My touring choirs have almost always been ad […]
Choirs should travel. This week, I’m making a list of the reasons why. The memories. You won’t remember today’s rehearsal. You might not even remember next week’s concert. In the context of a choir life, the sheer number of rehearsals and choir concerts means you can’t create lifelong memories from […]