"I don't feel I should work my Church choir too hard. After all, most of them have worked hard all day."
Read More > >A Few Thoughts on Rehearsal Techniques
Posted on Jun 18, 2012 9:02:16 AM by Ronald A. Nelson in Choral Techniques and Repertoire, in review-prelude
Scripture Based Children's Anthems
Posted on May 21, 2012 8:23:58 AM by Sarah Hawbecker in Choral Techniques and Repertoire, in review-prelude
The texts we choose for children to sing are as important as the musical qualities of an anthem. What better texts are there to teach our children than words of scripture? The following anthems are just a few of the ones I have found to be worth teaching and repeating.
Read More > >Music Literacy Techniques
Posted on May 14, 2012 7:00:12 AM by Jonathan Busarow in Choral Techniques and Repertoire, in review-prelude
We have all done it. Step 1: We pass out new music to the choir. Step 2: Plow through the piece at performance tempo and play parts so loudly that they will have to hear how it is supposed to go. Step 3: Repeat Step 2 until is sounds good enough. Sound familiar? What if we did not have to pound out the notes? What if we could increase a choir’s reading abilities with every piece we sing?
Read More > >Teaching Hymns and Liturgy to the Children’s Choir
Posted on Apr 30, 2012 7:40:16 PM by Sarah Hawbecker in Choral Techniques and Repertoire, in review-prelude
I no longer assume that the children entering into my choir are familiar with the Lutheran liturgy and standard hymns, even Christmas carols. There are several reasons, including the lack of sacred music in the schools, families’ sporadic worship attendance, and attendance at “alternative” services. Our staff is making more deliberate efforts to encourage families to worship together regularly. I schedule our 2nd-6th grade choir to sing for worship at least once a month. One of the third grade boys recently told his mother that church was more fun when he was in the choir, because he had more to do. Yes, indeed - church is much more fun when you can participate because you have rehearsed the responses and know the hymns!
Read More > >The Renaissance We Need
Posted on Sep 13, 2011 10:54:26 AM by Mark Patterson in Choral Techniques and Repertoire
Church music today is in need of a renaissance--a rebirth, a renewal, a fresh beginning. On too many Sunday mornings congregations hear our choirs survive the anthem of the day. While we should be beautifully expressing a worshipful text and leading God’s people to prayer, we’re busy praying that we simply get through the piece!
Read More > >Conducting Gesture as It Shapes Tone
Posted on Jul 18, 2011 11:40:42 AM by Bradley Ellingboe in Choral Techniques and Repertoire
I have long operated on not only the obvious assumption that singing relies on the breath, but also upon the not-so-obvious assumption that the type of breath taken in is critical to the type of sound the singer produces. Our singers are, in fact, dependent upon our gestures in order to be better singers than they know how to be. And as such, we need to deserve to be looked at.
Read More > >