Dona Nobis

Hello everyone,

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.

Thank you

Mrs. Christy

Here is the link to Dona Nobis

Jazz Choir Auditions

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

Ella Fitzgerald- Cry Me a River

Frank Sinatra- Come Fly With Me

Sarah Vaughan- Lullaby of Birdland

Harry Connick Jr- It Had To Be you

Welcome to another year!

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.

-Mrs. Christy

Dates to Remember

Here are the final dates for you to remember:

Wednesday, May 30- NIGHT REHEARSAL 6-7:30 pm
Friday, June 1- NYSSMA MAJORS 10 am
Tuesday, June 4- SPRING CONCERT 7 pm

-Mrs. Christy

Spring Concert

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.

-Mrs. Christy

Alive Inside

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.

Alive Inside clip:

The music never stopped, trailer:

Senior Pick, Spring Concert

Hi Seniors,

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