Believe it or not, there are not that many rehearsals until our concert on December 13. Here are the links to our pieces for this concert. Remember, they will have to be memorized!
The Lauridsen 'O Magnum' has me nervous since we lost so many days to Sandy. I think you are up to the challenge, but since I still have to hand out the Hallelujah Chorus, we will see how the next week goes before I definitely include it in the program.
I truly hope you and your families are staying safe and as warm as possible after Hurricane Sandy last week. I am looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow and getting back to normal!
Just so you know, please DO NOT worry about making up last weeks lesson. I am going to treat is as if it was a vacation and continue on with the 11/5 week rotation. Hopefully that will alleviate a little stress from the work you have to make up.
I am SO sorry for the delay on this! I accidectally didn't press publish when I wrote this post.
Here is the rotational lesson schedule. Remember I should be seeing you in a lesson once a week for individual instruction. If you lesson falls on a day we do not have school, please attend the same period on the next day of school.
Here is the pdf for DONA NOBIS that we started in class. Please print it out at home or in the library and bring it to class by Wednesday, September 12 at the latest.
Next TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 I will be holding auditions for Jazz Choir after school. This is a select ensemble of about 20 students who perform frequently throughout the community. We rehearse every Tuesday. In addition they participate in concerts throughout the year and will hopefully be attending another competition this spring. While there is a high level of dedication needed, it truly is a blast and I hope you all consider auditioning. For this years audition you will be preparing a verse and chorus of a jazz standard, as well as a short sight-singing excerpt that will be given to you at the audition. If you have ANY questions about song selection, please COME FIND ME!! I have a lot of resources available to you and I am more than happy to help. Due to my schedule, you may need to email me your questions. My email is schristy@smithtown.k12.ny.us Listening is the KEY to success in vocal jazz. Jazz has a very special technique that it is easy to grasp when you hear it performed. Some artists or groups I recommend you explore are;
Jane Monheit Ella Fitzgerald Sarah Vaughn Billie Holiday Diana Krall Ray Charles Frank Sinatra Michael Buble Nat King Cole Harry Connick Jr. Jaime Cullum New York Voices The Real Group Singers Unlimited Manhattan Transfer
If you are wondering what I am looking for, it is NOT the biggest solo voice I've ever heard. Remember this is not theatre, so you should be singing with as choral or "classical" or a sound as possible. In jazz, the low register in my women sections can have NO BELT. The jazz vocals and harmonies require a round tone with little or no vibrato and lots of the lifted soft palette that we began to talk about in class. Remember you will be singing with a group, so blend, intonation, support and subtlety will be more important than projection.
Please come with questions if you have any!!! I can't WAIT to hear you all next week :) Sign up sheets for audition times will be on the board in the hall of the music suite.
Best of luck :)
-Mrs. Christy
ps... here are some videos that I've posted... remember to look and listen for more!! Some of these tunes are pretty complicated. Remember to come speak to me and we will figure out an audition piece that will work for you
Hello and welcome to another year of concert choir! I am excited to create more wonderful performances and musical moments with you.
While there are going to be some changes, they will not affect the success or progress that we will make as a group. Next week you will be given your lesson schedule and I will begin to hand out our concert music for the year.
Until then, please remember to come find me periods 1, 2 or 9 so that I can place you in the appropriate section. This needs to be done by THIS Friday.
The spring concert is RIGHT around the corner! Here are links to our songs so that you may practice for our performance.
Elijah Rock, arr. by Moses Hogan
Laudamus Te from Gloria, by Francis Poulenc
Ne Sedi Djemo, arr. by Steven Sametz
Shenandoah, arr. by James Erb
Make Our Garden Grow from Candide, Leonard Bernstein
**Remember we are also taking Ezekiel Saw de Wheel to NYSSMA on June 1**
Countdown is at 14, so be ready! I would like this memorized by Friday with the exception of Make Our Garden Grow.
Last year I completed my masters degree by researching how musical study impacts the connections in our brain between the two hemispheres. It was inspired after I read a book by neurologist, Oliver Sacks called Musicolphilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. His studies of brain synapses and musics influence upon them has made music therapy a growing field for treatment of disabilities and for children diagnosed with ADHD, asbergers, and autism (to name as few).
This weekend I got wind of two films that have been inspired by Dr. Sacks work. One is a documentary called Alive Inside which premeired April 18th. I have a clip from it that I found on YouTube. It is based around Oliver Sacks studies on using music as treatment for elderly patients in nursing homes. The other is a film that premeired at the Sundance Film Festival called, The Music Never Stopped. If you have some free time, I would encourage you to check out these films.
Here is the list of songs you performed as Freshman. Please let me know your pick for the spring concert by this Friday.
-Rytmus- Hrusovsky
-At the River- Copland
-Son de Camaguey- Hatfield
-In Time of Daffodils- Dickau
-Dide ta Deo- Brown Jr.
-Esto les Digo- Lange
-Salmo 150- Aguiar
-There Will be Rest- Tichelli
-Good News, Chariot's a Comin'- Hogan
-The Last Words of David- Thompson
-Ave Verum Corpus- Mozart
-El Grillo- des Prez
-Dirait-on- Lauridsen
-Elijah Rock- Hogan
Thanks!
-Mrs. Christy
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Here are the links to the choral pieces for Gala. We test the week after break so make sure you prepare!
Eric Whitacre's Cloudburst
Gyorgy Orban- O Mistress Mine
Caldwell- John the Revelator
Bogoroditse Devo- Rachmaninoff
The links to the Mozart are on a previous post. The Mozart will be tested with music. The others you should work to memorize. Make sure you practice over the break and sign up for your test before you leave on Friday! Good luck.
So the insanity of Mr. Cotignola and I continues!! We are beginning the requiem that we will be performing at Gala.
As a full choir and symphonic orchestra, we will be performing movements 1, 2 and 7. In addition, chamber orchestra and an octet selected from within our choir will perform movement 5. There is also a soprano solo within the first movement. Movement 1 is a particularly difficult piece and this will take some effort on your part outside of class to accomplish. I have attached a link to the Monteverdi Choir's performance of this requiem. This is the version that I am using to study this piece and we will be taking their tempos, dynamics, breath marks, etc. This choir only sings music from this time period, so they are the best of the best at baroque and classical repertoire.
So I have made a VERY exciting discovery. On April 1, Eric Whitacre will be conducting his works that will be performed by a choir that is currently auditioning. I have attached the website where you can find the audition information. Unfortunately, I cannot take all of you, but I wish you the best of luck if you take advantage of this opportunity! Here is the link Click Here
