Seeking Sight

through song

 

Choir

.

This week's assignment: Zuckerkandl, pages 80-88

The ETS choir is an opportunity to learn to experience and understand the nature of beauty through its practice in the form of music.  Students not only learn to sing, but will study music theory so they can become articulate in the language of musical description.  By becoming capable of describing music through words, they are better able to appreciate their own musical experience.  Choir is a two year sequence that begins each odd year, so students can begin during the GBT I or III year.  Local GBT students are required to complete to two semesters of choir before during GBT I or III.  In order to complete a semester, students must attend the entirety of 14 practices during the semester and sing in our final concert.

All choir students need to download Finale Notepad in order to practice at home. It can be downloaded here and is free! The finale version can easily be used to practice your part with by opening the instrument list or score manager and removing or adding various parts to practice either with or against. You can find finale tutorials on youtube.com by doing a search for "finale notepad tutorial". You can find links to download all the songs we sing on the music page - https://gbt.org/music/Default.asp. You will have to use "Save link as" on your browser and then once it is saved to your computer, open Finale Notepad and go to Open File.

If you are new to choir, the most difficult challenge that you may face is learning to sing on pitch. One nice way to practice this skill at home is singing for a tuner. There are a number of inexpensive tuners available on the Internet. A simple version can be found at here, however, my favorite is called gstring tuner and is available through the android marketplace for free. Once you have a tuner, try playing a series of notes such as a,b,c,d,e on piano or some other instrument and then try singing them and see if the tuner says you sung the pitches correct. It can be very challenging because the tuners are very precise, but the more you work at it, the better you will become at holding your pitch.

Once I have assigned our pieces for the semester, please see our musical resources page for the music for each piece.

Another great resource for learning choir parts is Choir Parts on youtube.  A good video for learning about intervals is the Music Theory Song.   The following TEDx talk is a good description of what it is like to sing in a choir.  The first 20 minutes of each choir will be spend on music theory.  Choir members need to purchase the music theory text- for more information please see the music tutorial page.
If you have not had any prior musical experience, it would be helpful to watch some videos on basic music theory, there are many but here are my recommendations.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAnYuVrD4t0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLfzXg7BygM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1gyZ4Z_Z2w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FNZqlXK2mE

The date of our first semester performance will be at the end of January. Our second semester performance is at the fling recital during the third week of June.

The book we will use in this tutorial is Victor Zuckerkandl's The Sense of Music.  Please make sure to have this book before the first class.


Music charms us, even though it beauty consists only in the harmonies of numbers and in a calculation that we are not aware of, but which the soul nevertheless carries out, a calculation concerning the beats or vibrations of sounding bodies, which are encountered at certain intervals.  The pleasures that sight finds in proportions are of the same nature, and those cause by the other sense amount to something similar, even thought we migth not be able to explain it so distinctly.  Leibniz- Principles of Nature and Grace



  • Fall 2009
    Palestrina - Jesu, rex admirabilis; Palestrina - Sicut Cervus; William Byrd - Mass for three voices - Kyrie - 1; Mozart - Ave verum corpus; Bach - Matthaus Passion - 3. Choral - Herzliebster Jesu; Orlando di Lasso - Jubilate Deo; Dies Irae - Mozart Spring 2010
    Star Spangled Banner; Hymns - What a Friend We Have in Jesus ; Vois Sur Ton Chemin - Rameau; Caresse sur l'Ocean - Rameau; Gloria - Vivaldi

    Fall 2010
    Josquin Des Prez - El Grillo; Hinrichs - Greek Alphabet Song; Josquin Des Prez - Mille Regretz; 
    J.S.Bach - Choral Nr. 10- St. Matthew Passion; Gloria from Missa Kenya

    Spring 2011
    Palestrina - Sicut Cervus; Orlando di Lasso - Jubilate Deo; Ave Verum Corpus - William Byrd; He Shall Purify - Handel; Hallelujah Chorus - Handel

    Fall 2011
    Gloria -  Vivaldi
    Piano- Ashley;Violin (Clarinet 1)- Christopher; Violin (Clarinet 2)- David ;Viola (Alto Sax 1)- Jonathan; Viola (Alto Sax 2); Cello (Baritone) Alyssa- ;Bass- ;Flute- Vicki
    Hallelujah Chorus -  Handel
    Piano- Ashley; Flute- Vicki ;Violin 1 - Christopher; Violin 2 - David ;Viola- Jonathan Cello- Alyssa; Bassoon- Jeff 
    Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring -  Bach
    Piano- ;Flute (Oboe)- Vicki ;Violin (Flute)- Christopher/David ;Viola (Clarinet)- Jonathan Cello (Bassoon)- Alyssa 
    Ave verum corpus -  Mozart
    Piano- ;Flute (Violin)- Vicki;Violin1 - Christopher; Violin 2 - David ;Viola- Jonathan Cello (Bass)- Alyssa
    Sicut Cervus -  Palestrina
    Von Himmel Hoch- 
    Bach

    Spring 2012
    Sicut Cervus - 
    Palestrina
    Von Himmel Hoch- 
    Bach
    Men- Te Deum Laudamus
    Ladies- Vois Sur Ton Chemin
    Ladies- Caresse sur l'Ocean
    He Shall Purify- Handel
    Piano- Bennett; Oboe 1- Vicki ;Violin 1 - Christopher; Violin 2 - David ;Viola- Jonathan Cello- Alyssa; Cello- Jeff 
    Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates - Handel
    Piano- Ashley; Oboe 1- Vicki ;Violin 1 - Christopher; Violin 2 - David ;Viola- Jonathan Cello- Alyssa; Cello- Jeff 
    Hallelujah Chorus - Handel
    Piano- Ashley; Flute- Vicki ;Violin 1 - Christopher; Violin 2 - David ;Viola- Jonathan Cello- Alyssa; Bassoon- Jeff 

    Fall 2012
    Worthy is the Lamb and Amen - Handel
    Their Sound is Gone Out - Handel
    Hallelujah Chorus - Handel
    He Shall Feed His Flock - Handel (Solo)
    Kyrie- Dvorak
    El Grillo - Josquin Des Prez 
    Mille Regretz - Josquin Des Prez 
    Jesu, rex admirabilis - Palestrina 
    Sicut Cervus - Palestrina

    Spring 2013
    Messiah

    Handel- #12- For Unto Us a Child is born
    Handel- #17- Glory to God
    Handel- #24- Surely He hath born our griefs
    Handel- #37- The Lord gave the word
    Handel- #44- Hallelujah Chorus
    Dvorak- Gloria
    Vivaldi- Gloria
    Be Thou My Vision
    Star Spangled Banner -
    F. S. Key
    It is Well with my Soul
    Sicut Cervus - Palestrina
    Jesu, rex admirabilis - Palestrina 
    Beati Quorum Via - 
    Stanford
    Angel's Carol- Rutter

    Fall 2013
    Messiah-  Handel
    #44- Hallelujah Chorus
    #
    4- And the Glory of the Lord
    #21-  His yoke is easy 
    # 22- Behold the Lamb of God 
    Beati Quorum Via - Stanford
    Angel's Carol- Rutter
    Sicut Cervus - Palestrina
    Happy Birthday
    Holy, Holy, Holy- 
    Dykes
    When I Survey the Wondrous Cross- 
    Watts
    Gloria- Dvorak
    Gloria Patri- Sicut Erat in Principio - Perti
    XVI Bendicam Dominum a 6- 
    Rota

    Spring 2014
    Sicut Cervus - Palestrina

    Messiah- Handel
    #12- For Unto Us a Child is Bor
    n
    #17- Glory to God
    #7 And He Shall Purify
    #44- Hallelujah Chorus
    Beati Quorum Via  - Stanford
    Angel's Carol - Rutter
    XVI Bendicam Dominum a 6 Rota
    Greek Alphabet Song- Hinrichs
    O Magnum Mysterium
    - Laurdison
    Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring - 
    Bach

    Fall 2014
    Sicut Cervus - 
    Palestrina
    Jesu, rex admirabilis - Palestrina 
    Star Spangled Banner  - F. S. Key
    Gloria- Vivaldi
    -
    El Grillo -Josquin Des Prez 
    Mille Regretz -Josquin Des Prez 

    Messiah- Handel
    #44- Hallelujah Chorus 
    #12- For Unto Us a Child is born
    #53- Worthy is the Lamb and Amen- Handel


    Spring 2015

    HALL CHOIR
    Treemonisha- 
    Joplin
    Von Himmel Hoch - Bach
    Messiah- Handel
    #21- His yoke is easy
    MISSION  CHOIR
    XVI Bendicam Dominum a 6
    - Rota
    It is Well with my Soul-  Spafford
    Te Deum Laudamus 
    Messiah
    - Handel
    #4- And the Glory of the Lord
    MISSION ALL
    Sicut Cervus
    Palestrina
    Angel's Carol -
    Rutter
    #44- Hallelujah Chorus

    Fall 2015
    Sicut Cervus  -  Palestrina
    Jesu, rex admirabilis - Palestrina 
    Be Thou My Vision
    Ave verum corpus - Mozart
    Choral 72 Saint Matthew Passion -
    Bach
    Messiah Handel
    #44- Hallelujah Chorus
    Worthy is the Lamb and Amen- Handel

    Spring2016
    Sicut Cervus  - 
    Palestrina
    Star Spangled Banner - F. S. Key
    It is Well with my Soul
    Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring - Bach
    Angel's Carol- Rutter
    Beati Quorum Via - Stanford
    Messiah- Handel
    #44- Hallelujah Chorus
    #53- Worthy is the Lamb and Amen

    Fall 2016
    Sicut Cervus - Palestrina
    Happy Birthday
    Holy, Holy, Holy- 
    Dykes
    When I Survey the Wondrous Cross- 
    Watts
    Messiah-  Handel
    #44- Hallelujah Chorus

    Spring 2018
    Be Thou My Vision
    Ave verum corpus - Mozart
    Rex Admirabilis - Palestrina 
    Sicut Cervus  - 
    Palestrina
    Choral 72 Saint Matthew Passion 
    - Bach
    Jesu, 
    Gloria- Vivaldi


 



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