Training the Small Church Choir ~ A Surmountable Task
For years I've heard pleas by choral professionals faithfully working in a small church environment with small choral forces and limited financial resources to make suggestions of how to improve their musical situation.
Their dilemma became mine two years ago when I began working in some of the same circumstances at Messiah Lutheran Church in Lynnfield, MA. Dealing with changing personnel, a small budget, and choral literature of varying quality, were all daunting challenges as I tried to build a quality music program.When making music with small forces, there are a number of issues all musicians must understand and face:
1) Accepting a job in a small church usually means working with limited financial resources. This results in the inability to purchase music, hire instrumentalists for special services, and engage experienced singers to fill
the ranks.
2) The small pool of singers available to you often lacks vocal confidence and experience.
3) Some members may have been in the choir a long time. They are often set in their ways and may try to maintain the status quo.
4) Older members of the choir often have problems with pitch and struggle with vocal control.
5) Because of the need to constantly recruit, inexperienced singers are always joining the ranks.
6) When the church population is small, youthful singers must be mixed in with the adult members.
7) Finding appropriate music that challenges the singers yet fits into the service can be quite difficult.Although these seven areas are challenging, they are not insurmountable.
Limited Financial Resources
Making the decision to offer a quality music program, even with limited resources, is the key to solving this age old problem. Small congregations with small church choirs are always grateful and willing to do special
fundraisers if the music program is responsive to the church's needs. When the music minister presents the finest training for the choir through the selection of quality music, members of the congregation will contribute extra money earmarked for music.A Singer's Lack of Confidence
A constant problem for every church musician who deals with amateur singers is the confidence factor. This seems almost insurmountable when the ranks are small. A choir director's choral expertise, vocal aptitude, and positive attitude are critical ingredients in building the amateur singer's confidence. A positive rehearsal environment, where trust and confidence in your teaching skills are consistently felt amongst the majority of the
membership, is the key to success. Be sensitive to your singers. Respond in rehearsal and in private to their
anxieties and fears. Body language, the inability to vocally project, or confusion with the score are all indicators that special encouragement is needed. At first, the sound and performance may not be to your liking, but
it will improve if you project a positive air of confidence and patience.The Longtime Choir Member
This kind of member can be found in every church choir, both large or small. When conscientious members have put hours of faithful service to the church as part of the choir, they automatically feel a huge investment. The tendency of most choral professionals is to avoid situations where people suggest or appear to want to maintain the status quo. The best way to diffuse these situations and get these members on your team is to give them a job where they can make a special contribution. Some of the leadership assignments to help you run a better program:1) Librarian
2) Robe care and assignment
3) Music committee
4) Local newspaper publicity
5) Summer or regular service solo organization
6) Articles for the church newsletterAssigning a conscientious person to some of these duties builds unity and makes your life easier. It also provides a more thorough co-ordination of the church's music activities.
Working With the Older Singer
This area has always been a bone of contention with many church musicians. At Messiah Lutheran most of the singers are older. Rather than discourage the older members of the church from singing, I applied my knowledge of the voice to improve their vocal production. Using all the techniques I use with the Treble Chorus of New England, this wonderful choir of younger and older singers has improved immensely. Resources for training young voices, such as my own book Innocent Sounds, can be enormously useful for re-training older voices as well. Approaching all of the singers as needing to be trained or retrained has worked beautifully. The older singers have simply relearned how to sing with better breath control, well-enunciated consonants, beautifully formed vowels, and a tone quality with as little vibration as possible. All of them have expanded their range, tone, power, and the ability to take a deep breath. Of special note: Older adult choruses, both men and women, are being organized all over the country and are meeting with great success.Training the Inexperienced Singer
Many people who join the small church choir have never sung before. Their lack of experience makes them uncertain. Often they can't read music and don't realize that they have a natural ability to sing. Games and dialogue designed for children to build good intonation can often be modified to better approach the adult singer. After two years, members of my choir are beginning to understand how to read music and their tone production has improved enormously. The point here is that everyone can be trained to sing at any age. The conductor simply must have the tools and the patience to train the most inexperienced singer to sing correctly.Involving the Young Singer
Mixing young voices with older members can be tremendously successful. The adults act as role models and mentors for the younger members. The young singers quickly become excellent vocal models for the senior members of the choir. Another wonderful factor in combining the ages is that families can sing together. Begin including youthful members in the choir on or around the time they are confirmed. Certainly they should be of middle school age. Any younger, they feel uncomfortable and out of place. Try to have a group join the choir at one time. Boys whose voices are unchanged should be made to feel comfortable singing in the soprano or alto section. The older men in the choir will become great role models as their voices begin to change. Plan to give the younger members leadership roles by having them sing solos or perhaps play an instrument.Finding Quality Choral Literature
Locating fine editions of quality choral arrangements for small forces is truly a challenge, particularly in a liturgical setting. Fortunately, Messiah Lutheran had a number of good collections already in the library.From Concordia Publishing:
The Morning Star Choir Books
Compiled and Edited by Paul Thomas
The Church Choir Book~No 1 and 2
Compiled and Edited by Paul Thomas
Gloria Deo~Book 1 and 2
Edited by David N. Johnson
From ECS Publishing:
The Gateway Choir Book
Arranged and Edited by Matthew N. Lundquist
From MorningStar Music
Coram Deo~Set 1 and 2
Collected by K. Lee Scott
Select music of reliable publishers that will consistently offer you quality editions. In general, when music is edited, it is more reliable than music that is re-arranged from its original voicing. Some arrangements can be
excellent, but find the original source to understand what has been compromised.
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New Releases ~ Sacred SATB Voices ~ Sacred
Come Down, O Love Divine, by John Rutter, English text, Oxford, 350491-X, SATB/SATB/SATB soli a cappella. Written for the combined choirs of Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, and St. Paul's Cathedral in 1998, this powerful anthem is the perfect choice for a large festival. The text setting translated by R. F. Littledale from a poem by Bianco da Siena (d. 1434) is set with sharp musical contrasts. Difficulty rating 4. $2.50
Dostoyno yest (We Bless Thy Name), by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikowsky, Russian/English text, Hal Leonard, 08718031, SATB a cappella. This simple setting contains elegant counterpoint and luscious harmonic partwriting. Difficulty rating 3. $1.50
Eternal God, by John Rutter, English text, Hinshaw, HMC 1731, SATB & organ. The perfect choice for small forces on a Sunday that celebrates the beauty and joy of music, the piece is composed in three unison verses with a simple chorale setting of the fourth verse. Difficulty rating 2. $1.10
Hear My Prayer, O Lord, by Henry Purcell, English text, Oxford, 341806-1, SATB/SATB & organ. Written in 1682, this solemn and devout anthem could be sung by eight soloists or a perfectly balanced choir of large forces. Edited by John Rutter, the piece contains both a keyboard reduction and organ part. Difficulty rating 3. $1.40
Tantum ergo, by Anton Bruckner, Latin text, Hal Leonard, 08718030, SATB a cappella. Set to the famous text from Pange Lingua by St. Thomas Aquinas, this rich, mostly homophonic anthem is great for the accomplished choir with a limited learning time. Difficulty rating 2-3. $1.50
The Heavens Are Telling the Glory of God, by Franz Joseph Haydn, English/German text, Oxford, 341803-7, SATB, STB Soli, & keyboard or orchestra. Superbly edited by John Rutter, this popular chorus is from the oratorio The Creation. The publication contains historic documentation and program information. Orchestral parts are available on a rental basis from the publisher. Difficulty rating 3. $2.00
Three Israeli Songs, arr. Bob Chilcott, Hebrew text, Oxford, Mi y'maleil (386186-0), Mi zeh hidlik (386187-9), S'vivon (386188-7) SATB & piano. These wonderful Hebrew arrangements of traditional Hanukah melodies are part of an ever-growing catalogue of fine contemporary music by this alumni of the King's Singers. All three editions contain a pronunciation guide and translations from the Hebrew. Difficulty rating 3. $1.30 each
Extended Works for SATB Voices
Five Shaker Lyrics, arr. Karen A, Tarlow, English text, ECS, 5357, SATB a cappella. This fine collection includes little known tunes from the Shaker tradition. With Hands and Foot in Motion, I Have a Little Drum, Lay Me Low, Laugh a Little!, and I'm Lively in the Dances are welcome additions to the choral repertoire. The exposure to American hymn tunes of our historic past is important to our choral heritage. These pieces are perfect for the high school choir or a conductor wanting to explore our musical roots. Difficulty rating 2-3. $3.50Fragments from His Dish, by Bob Chilcott, English text, Oxford, 343212-9, SATB a cappella. Bob Chilcott uses humor in these clever pieces about the almighty. A choral cycle of six songs, this sequence of pieces about God's food is set in madrigal-like style to texts by Robert Herick, the Newcastle Chronicle, William Langland, Samuel Pepys, and G. K. Chesterton. The parts require a fine chorus that can sing divisi comfortably. Changing meters, thoughtful harmonies, brilliant text settings, and challenging melodic figures make this a work for the serious chorus that loves to have fun and work hard, while entertaining the audience. Difficulty rating 4. $5.95
Three Choral Pieces (The Land of Spices, A Gathering, & Sunrising), by John Casken, English text, Schott, ED 12421, SATB a cappella. This five-minute work commissioned by Hatfield College in Durham, England requires a choir that understands the small motivic gesture over long phrase shapes. The changing meters and intervalic relationships add to the challenge. Difficulty rating 4. $6.95
Vespers (1610) (Vespro della beata Vergine), by Claudio Monteverdi, Latin text, Oxford, 337588-5, SATB & orchestra. This fine edition by Jeffrey Kurtzman contains extensive editorial comments and thorough research. The scholarship makes this an excellent choice. Difficulty rating 4. $22.95
Treble Voices ~ Sacred
Cantique de Jean Racine, by Gabriel Fauré, French/English text, Hinshaw, HMC-1730, SSA & piano (opt. orchestra). An arrangement of this timeless melody by Jean Ashworth Bartle, the edition includes biographical information and an extensive pronunciation guide. A tape of the spoken French and an orchestration by John Rutter (SATB edition) are available from the publisher. Difficulty rating 3. $1.75Lacrymosa, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Latin text, Santa Barbara, SBMP 297, SSAA & piano. This arrangement from the Requiem by Michael Cleveland is adapted from the SATB version which was constructed by Süssmayr. In order to accommodate the range of this third movement Sequence, the altos must be able to sing a low f. Difficulty rating 4. $1.35
Miserere mei, Deus, by Johann Adolf Hasse, Latin text, Treble Clef, TC-149, SSAA, strings, & continuo. This single movement from Miserere in D Minor is scholarly edited by Ralph Hunter. Taken from the composer's autograph housed at the Biblioteca del conservatorio in Milan, the piece is most effective
with string orchestra. The keyboard reduction is a close transcription of the string parts and is best played on organ. Difficulty rating 4. $1.80Passages from the Mass, by Robert A. Harris, English text, Hal Leonard, 08501191, SSAA a cappella. A short mass of eight minutes, crossing voice parts, harmonic clusters, and off-beat rhythms make the piece a real
challenge. An excellent alternative for the Messe Basse of Fauré, the short work written for children's chorus would be quite effective on women's voices. Difficulty rating 4. $1.50Ubers Gebirg' Maria geht (O'er Judah's Hills, from Nazareth), by Johannes Eccard, German/English text, Treble Clef, TC-150, SSAA a cappella. Arranged by Johannes Brahms, this fabulous motet is a real find. Elegant counterpoint and warm harmonies make this the perfect work for the advanced children's choir or woman's chorus. This edition by Mary Lycan is based on a manuscript Brahms transcribed for the Hamburg Frauenchor from an SATB edition found in the Schumann library. A translation and editorial notes are included. Difficulty rating 4. $1.60
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New Releases ~ Secular SATB Voices~Secular
Dreamer, by Dave Brubeck, English text, Warner, OCT9921, SATB & piano (opt). Set to an image-charged text by Langston Hughes, this piece is filled with challenging harmonies. The divisi sections in the soprano and bass parts require a large chorus to make the piece work effectively. Commissioned by Sue Ellen Page and a consortium of choirs in New Jersey, the message is a powerful one. Difficulty rating 4. $1.30Flanders Fields, by Paul Aitken, English text, Warner, OCT9918, SSAATTBB a cappella. Winner of the 1999 ACDA Raymond W. Brock Student Composition Contest, this work is filled with atmospheric harmonies and counterpoint unusual for a young student. The minimalist tenor part requires a group of men who can float a double piano with ease, while the chorus sings the text by John McCrae. Difficulty rating 4. $1.30
Trois Chansons de Charles d'Orleans, by Claude Debussy, French text, Oxford, 341800-2, SATB a cappella. These fabulous French chansons by one of France's greatest impressionist composers are beautifully edited by John Rutter. The atmospheric writing, challenging counterpoint, and occasional divisi in the
voice parts require an accomplished choir. The edition also contains a comprehensive performance guide. Set to fifteenth-century texts by prince-poet Charles d'Orleans, it is suggested that modern pronunciation be
used unless a French expert is available. Difficulty rating 3. $2.50Two Lorca Songs, by Matthew Harris, Spanish text, Hal Leonard, SATB a cappella. Set to texts by the famous twentieth century Spanish poet Garcia Lorca, these two fine pieces, Crótalo (50483622) and Les seis Cuerdas (50483605), are filled with sonorous text painting. Using minimalist passages and musically descriptive counterpoint, these pieces will be very effective with the accomplished college choir or choral society. The singers will have great fun interpreting the wonderful texts. Difficulty rating 3-4. $1.75 each
Treble Voices~Secular
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Fairy Songs, by Alice Parker, English text, Treble Clef, TC-157, SA, Mezzo solo, & two recorders. Straightforward writing dominates the texture of these two Shakespearean settings. Minor seconds between the parts in 6/8 and canonic writing are part of the musical fabric. Students can play the recorder parts. Difficulty rating 3. $1.80
Che Bella Cosa (What Lovely Music), by Giovanni Carlo Maria Clari, Italian/English text, MorningStar, 50-9922, SA & keyboard (opt. cello). This little known piece from the Italian Baroque is great fun to sing. It is ideal for developing secure, accurate partsinging as the students learn to sing melismatic phrases with crossing voice parts. Perfect as a concert opener or encore, the duet charms both singers and audience. A teaching tool and pronunciation guide are included in this edition by Marie Stultz. Difficulty rating 3. $1.25
Die Schwestern (The Sisters), by Johannes Brahms, English/German text, Hal Leonard, 08718032, SA & piano. This clean edition of a charming duet about "we lovely sisters" is nicely translated from the original Mörike poem by editor Judith Blezzard. Difficulty rating 3. $1.50
Echo, by Joel Phillips, English text, Hal Leonard, 50483541, SA & piano. Set to a text by Christina Rossetti, close harmonies dominate the haunting text. Melodic and harmonic word painting contribute interest to this gorgeous work for the advanced women's chorus. Difficulty rating 4. $1.50
Ronde du crépuscule (Round Dance at Twilight), by Cécile Chaminade, French text, Treble Clef, TC-166, SSAA, Soprano solo, & piano. This charming piece uses the chorus as a background for the elegant solo. The saucy story of the Fairy Queen Mab's kissing and dancing makes this piece great fun to sing. Difficulty rating 3. $2.10
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