Some of the most popular articles in Bella Voce are those that contain repertoire suggestions. With that in mind, the board decided to ask our R & S chairs to submit one repertoire selection each month to share with our membership. Below you will find some of these suggestions. Please refer back here periodically as we continue to update our list with more suggestions.
Note that each R & S chair submitted his or her recommendations in a different manner. This actually represents an opportunity for our membership to comment on which format they prefer. We would love to have you share comments about our repertoire selection and the way you would like to see it presented on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/ACDA-Michigan/161417723013. Perhaps reading some of these titles will lead you to share ideas of your own! Ultimately, our goal is to help you become the best possible choral conductor you can be. Happy browsing!
Presented in no particular order:
1. From Michael Mitchell, Ethnic and Multicultural: “Ergen Deda,” SATB. Please refer to this site for more information: http://www.voxbulgar.com/ergen-deda.html
2. From Richard Phelps, High School: Looking for a fun, clever, and slightly challenging Christmas song? Here’s one I just discovered in my files this year.
“Dashing Through The Snow: A Jingle Bell Spectacular!”
arr. Leavitt
SATB, SAB, Two-Part; piano
Alfred #SV9828
$1.90
Leavitt sets the familiar tune with a clever use of mixed meter, bouncing from 4/4 to 8/8 (3+3+2), 2/4, 3/4, and 9/8. The conducting challenges are really minor for most, but if you’ve never tried mixed meter before, this is a nice introduction to it without the challenge of 5/8 or 7/8. Just realize that the 8th note stays consistent through each meter change and you’ll get it!
The mixing of the meters lends the tune a lightheartedness of rhythm that differs from the song we all know and are a little tired of. With a few false fits and starts your kids will be singing it with ease and loving it.
“Dashing” opens with a four-bar piano intro. Girls start the rhythmically altered tune and the boys sing an ostinato rhythmic figure below. Thirty-one bars later roles are reversed, with guys on the melody and gals in a three-part ostinato. From time to time the “normal” tune and rhythm return, adding a refreshing dose of “familiar” to the piece–and catching the unwary conductor off guard!
Take time to secure entrances, especially when the meter changes. I taught my top small ensemble the essential parts of the song in about three 15-minute rehearsals by focusing on one or two small bits at a time. Today we put the whole song together (our third rehearsal on it) after solidifying starting and stopping notes or chords. The only thing left for us to learn is the coda.
And that is the final bit of music education for your students. The arrangement has a clearly laid-out DS al Coda, so if you encounter this infrequently it is a perfect and easy way to remind/re-teach/introduce this common musical concept to your singers.
Practical matters: Girls are divided into three parts (divide them as you see fit for balance). Boys are in two parts.
Ranges (middle C is C4)
S C4-F5
A C4-Db4
T C3-F4
B C3-C4
“Dashing” is appropriate for choirs of basic ability to advanced small ensembles. I’m performing it with my 16-voice select vocal jazz group for our Christmas luncheon season. They are very smart, so they learn quickly, but they don’t read very well, so it is both fun and challenging for them.
Enjoy!
3. From Jennifer Breneman, Boys/Children: “Across the Sea” by Frank DeWald, SSA – a beautiful piece for a little more advanced treble choir
4. From Eugene Rogers, College/University: “Little Man in a Hurry,” SATB, piano, Shadow West Music/ commissioned by a consortium of choruses in support of Chorus America
From Eric Whitacre’s cycle “The City and the Sea,” this piece uses the evocative poetry of e.e.cummings and makes use of what Whitacre coins “the oven-mitt” technique. Instead of his normal thick vocal textures, this setting is extremely rhythmic and motivic. The clusters are now in the piano, which gives minimal support to the choir, but the overall aural experience is worth every minute of rehearsal. A refreshing change!
5. From Thomas Blue, Jr. High/Middle School:
“Cantate Domino” by Dave and Jean Perry
“Yonder Come Day” by Judith Cook Tucker
“Shoshone Love Song” arr. by Emerson
Oliver Twist (6th grade musical) by Donelly and Strid
Tom Sawyer (6th grade musical) by Donelly and Strid
……
This is just a “teaser.” Check back soon for more repertoire ideas!
