Students will be assigned an internationally-renowned choir to review. The review will consist of a 10-minute Prezi presentation about the choir and its organization. The presentation should include listening to excerpts (no more than 2 minutes) of two contrasting tracks from one of the CD recordings (not a YouTube recording). A single-page handout should be prepared and distributed to the class (11 copies). The handout should include some background on the choir and its conductor(s), 5 repertoire recommendations from the choir's CDs/videos (with specific supporting reasons), and other recommendations (e.g., chorister resources, handbooks, marketing ideas, recruitment strategies, programming for concerts, etc.) from the choir’s website. It is essential that you are specific with your recommendations and articulate in how/why you made your repertoire choices. Post your Prezi presentation and your handout to your choral blog. Presentations will be October 4 and 6.

Here are the assigned choirs:

Canada

Jacob Elkins

Amabile Choirs of London, Ontario

Brenda Zadorsky, Carol Beynon, Jacquelyn Norman (John Barron) 

Heather Stein
Calgary Girls Choir

Elaine Quilichini

McKenzie Squires

Cantabile Choirs of Kingston

Mark Sirett

Cody Silliker

Kokopelli Choirs

Scott Leithead

Carolynne Ball

Toronto Children's Chorus

Elise Bradley (Jean Bartle)

Adrienne Janes
Shallaway Youth Choir 
Kellie Walsh (Susan Knight, Ki Adams)

Charlene Feltham
Saskatoon Children's Choir 
Phoebe Voigts 

USA       

Terrilynn Noseworthy

Indianapolis Children's Choir

Henry Leck

Emma Clark

Young People's Chorus of New York City

Francisco J. Núñez 

International

Sarah Loveys
Carmina Slovenica 
Karmina Šilec
 
Mitchell Hamilton
Tapiola Choir 
Pasi Hyökki (Kari Ala-Pöllänen, Erkki Pohjola)

Sacred Harp Singing

Here is the Sacred Harp Singing video that we watched in class.

I just came across an interesting quote about Sacred Harp Singing: "I wouldn't walk across the street to hear it, but I'd walk all day to get to sing it." What a powerful statement about the value of making music in community with others.

Why choir?

Two choral composers speaking about the importance of choral singing in the lives of human beings.

Paul Mealor is the Welsh composer of the Ubi Caritas performed at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011. I met him at Podium 2016 in Edmonston last May where he was the composer-in-residence for Pro Coro Canada, conducted by Michael Zaugg.




John Rutter is a British composer, conductor, editor, arranger and record producer. His choral works are loved by choirs and audiences around the world.

Welcome to the E2520 Voice and Choral Methods blog....the fourth one for this course but possibly the first blogging experience for many of us. I am excited about the potential for learning from and with each other. 

Your first task is to create your own blog. Here are some directions:
1. Use Blogger to create your blog.
2. Email me the URL for your blog.
3. Create a 'welcome' post where you simply welcome the reader to your blog. Explain the purpose of your blog. Remember that you anything can be edited at a later time. You don't have to worry about everything being perfect at the beginning.
4. Play around to become familiar with what blogs are and discover what you might be able to do with the blog.
5. Write your second post: View the TEDTalk by Itay Talgam (Lead like the great conductors). Write a 200-word response....what did you learn, what was insightful, what did you enjoy, what was your take-away, what questions/concerns did it trigger. Remember that now your work will be public.
6. The deadline for creating your blog and creating your first two posts is Monday, September 19.
7. Read each other's work and comment/ask questions where appropriate. Once you begin generating discussions with the ChoralNet assignment, there will be more opportunities for comments/questions.

We're off and running....it's going to be a fabulous ride!