book one - directors' edition Singing The Dots a collection of songs for choirs to learn sightsinging Composed by Jodie O Regan

Transcription

1 ook one direcrs' edition Singing The Dots a collection of songs for choirs learn sightsinging Composed y odie O Regan

2 Singing The Dots is a collection of SATB songs specifically composed for community choirs uild confidence in sightsinging and music literacy. Many choristers kno eing ale read music ould improve ir experience in choir, ut singers come choir sing. t can e hard find time, enthusiasm and suitale material ork on music literacy. With Singing The Dots, choristers can develop musicianship skills through singing songs ger, immediately connecting sightreading real choral reperire. The songs are composed for adults. The ranges are comfortale and ords are settings of eautiful, ell knon poetry. Musical elements are introduced one at a time, ith simple explanations and short, ligharted exercises. The material is crafted e practical and accessile, and adapts highly successful Kodály approach needs of adult choristers. Choirs are elcome use Singing The Dots focus on explicitly developing musical literacy or simply as a collection of songs sing. The material can stand alone, or e used in conunction ith or musicianship training. Thanks generous support from Australian Kodály Scholarship, Singing The Dots is free. t is free costise and copyright licence means songs and resources are free donload, copy electronically or on paper, share, perform and record. n Singing The Dots, Australian composer odie O Regan dras on her many years of ork conducting, teaching and composing for community singers create a collection of songs and supporting material that choirs can oth learn ith and enoy singing. odie arranges and performs folk songs in an acapella duo ith her husand, and holds a Masters in Music from The University of Queensland specialising in Kodály pedagogy. She has extensive experience adapting Kodály ols create and deliver sightsinging training specifically for adults.

3 Singing The Dots a collection of songs for choirs learn sightsinging ook one direcrs edition odie O Regan Adelaide 2018 odieoregan.com This resource as made possile through generous support of Australian Kodály Scholarship

4 All of material in Singing The Dots is free for amateur choirs phocopy copy electronically share online perform and record. f you ould like do something commercial (eyond normal ticket/cd sales for amateur groups) or derivative please contact composer odie O Regan odie.oregan@gmail.com discuss.

5 Contents 1 Foreord 2 3 Acknoledgements Beat Songs The First Three Notes ntroducing So ntroduction Blood Red Roses Song Ro Ro Ro Song Blo The Wind Song Spping By Woods ntroduction Beat Song Unquiet Grave ntroduction Beat Song Break Break Break ntroduction Song An rish Blessing ntroduction Song Find My Way ntroduction Song Tiger Tiger ntroduction Song Psalm 23 ntroduction Song Deep n The Night 90 ntroducing La Heard A Bird Sing Ludlo Toer Loose Canons The World s Round 112 ntroduction Song ntroduction Song ntroduction Song ntroduction Song ntroduction Song

6 Singing The Dots Book One Foreord Choral singing in community context remains a prolematic issue in minds of many. Some conducrs expect that choristers ill e ale sing ell and read fluently efore y can enter choir, and in this sense, group operates along lines of an auditioned or professional group. n some circumstances, re is no expectation that singers can read music and even after many years of community choir singing, some participants cannot read even simple music ith any independence. Neir scenario provides clearly defined pathays for musical learning; choral activities are most often focussed on performance of set reperire and re is little opportunity for roader musical development and understanding. s it possile incorporate an educational program in community choir setting? Can choirs maintain high level performance outcomes hile delivering a program hich systematically enhances audiation skills? s it possile engage community singers, particularly older singers, in a ongoing program hich provides interesting and satisfying musical material for performance ut hich also delierately contriutes development of music literacy capailities? The author of this volume ould respond se questions ith a resounding yes, and materials presented in this volume exemplify her understanding of a model of choral music education hich elcomes all ho are interested in singing, ut hich also set out delierately develop singing, audiation and literacy skills of all ithin group. The Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodály elieved that reperire should rightly serve a fold purpose: performance and education. He advocated a sequential approach so that individuals ere ale grasp inherent musical content through processes of performing. Hs philosophy has een adopted y many music educars resulting in rigorous music education and convincing performances not only in his native Hungary orldide. This compilation of songs is oth a onderful collection of materials e sung and enoyed, as ell as a fine example of sequential methodological ideas in context of choral community music education. The author has a depth of experience in orking ith older singers ho, as a group, lack musical reading and audition skills, and she is commended on her understanding of nature of prolem and her excellent response this prolem. Dr ames Cuskelly 1

7 Singing The Dots Book One Acknoledgements Thank you ames Cuskelly for eing an extraordinary teacher, menr, supervisor and friend. Thank you ason Goopy and National Council of Kodály Music Education nstitute of Australia for funding, support and encouragement that made this ork possile. Thank you proofreaders: Kerry O Regan, Fergus O Regan, Monica Christian, B Moore, Margaret Piech, Clare Faurie, Michele de Courcy and Wendy Stann. You guys are aesome. Thank you all singers have orked ith in Adelaide and around Australia, ith a special shout out Voices n The Wilderness ho ere such illing Kodály guinea pigs. Thank you for teaching me ho teach music. This ook couldn t exist ithout you. Thank you community choir direcrs ho kindly shared ir thoughts and insights in ir choirs learning ants and needs. A special thank you Ben Leske hose reflections shaped direction of this ook. Thank you memers of Australian Kodály community ho have ecome eloved friends and inspirational teachers and colleagues especially Ali O Connell ho teaches adults so eautifully. Thank you friends and family for all your practical, emotional, intellectual and musical support. Thank you Emlyn for everything. 2

8 Singing The Dots Book One ntroduction Welcome Direcrs t is onderful that you and your choir have decided learn sightreading. f you haven t taught sightreading efore, you are amazing ecause you are going learn and teach something completely ne. Go you! Here is an outline of ho material orks, and some suggestions for ho you might approach it. learning sightsinging Singers need hear sounds efore y can sing m. When a choir first learns a song through note ashing, singers hear notes on piano efore singing. Through repetition, over time singers gradually memorise ir notes. When a song is memorised, singers imagine sound of notes efore y sing, using inner hearing. To develop musical literacy, singers need learn ho inner hear imagine sounds simply y looking at sheet music, ithout hearing notes from piano, or anyhere else external. The good nes is this is doale. t ust takes right ols and some time. As children, e learn do this ith language, hen e learn read ooks. Language literacy is taught y connecting smallest constituent sounds of our language ith ritten symols. (A teacher might lead a class say d is for dog. d d d. hile draing d on oard.) Once this connection is undersod, it is reinforced through practise until it is haitual, and n applied increasingly sophisticated literacy scenarios. Singing The Dots uses Kodály ols and techniques develop musical literacy in same ay. The smallest sounds in music are individual notes, ith asic dimensions pitch and rhythm. The Kodály method uses solfege (or solfa) for teaching pitches and rhythm names (such as ta, titi and tikitika ) for rhythmic patterns. 3

9 Singing The Dots Book One ntroduction Using Singing The Dots adapt material have created material for choirs go as deeply in process of musical literacy as y ish. Some choirs ill simply ant increase ir general feeling of ease and confidence orking ith sheet music. Or choirs ill ant rigorously develop ir musicianship. You kno hat your choir ants and needs. Ultimately, good humour and oy of your singers ill guide ho you use Singing The Dots. reuse and recycle There is a vast difference eteen understanding musical elements intellectually, and having connection eteen symol and sound so deeply ingrained it ecomes natural. As a musician, you ill e acutely aare that this difference is ridged through practise. Take time repeat songs and exercises consolidate elements presented in material. Your lovely community choristers may not e terrile enthusiastic aout repetitive practise if it ecomes dull, so it s essential do this ithout oring and alienating your singers. n folloing section, list a fe ideas for ays you could consolidate material. make learning oyous Adults can feel intimidated y sheet music, and afraid of learning ne things. m sure you kno ho this can manifest in a variety of ays ithin a choir. Please approach this material ith a light uch. You ll notice ne in choristers ook is delierately light. Although it s important progress through ook as sloly as your choristers good humour ill allo, during rehearsal keep each sightreading activity short. t might take three minutes chant through rhythm of a song hilst keeping eat. You could do it tice if your choristers are super keen, and n move on a different activity. Leave each session hile your choristers are still enoying mselves. Don t e o concerned aout her everyone is managing material perfectly. f your choristers are improving and enoying ir on progress, that s onderful. Hoever, you can improve your choristers confidence y adusting activities right level of challenge for your choir s aility so that learning sightsinging is a series of tiny, vicrious moments. eat in room Please keep eat henever you sing. For songs, have selected poetry ith a strong sense of eat and meter, so all songs ork ell ith a strong eat in room. Not only is a shared eat at heart of making music ger, ut rhythmic elements in Kodály only make sense in terms of eat. These four notes share one eat. This note goes for eats. etc. You can involve everyone in eatkeeping, for example hile one section of choir is learning ir part, or choristers could count or tap eat. 4

10 Singing The Dots Book One ntroduction Using Singing The Dots Continued shut up and sing t s tempting talk in rehearsal. t s tempting have long discussions aout musical symols. t s tempting go off on a tangent here efore you kno it, a simple question aout a key signature has turned in a lecture series on cycle of fifths! This can feel onderful, ut it on t help train symol sound connection. That comes from doing! The older your choristers are, more important this ill e, as older rains find it harder filter irrelevant information. Please steer folks aay from discussions and ards singing and or active music making. Look for ays you can actively demonstrate rar than explain musical ideas. For example consider folloing options for introducing quaver pulses in rehearsal. You could say, Guys e ve een looking at eat, hich is a crotchet. You ill rememer e call it a ta for rhythm reading. Each crotchet eat divides in quaver pulses. Which are different eat. This means if re are four eats in ar, re are eight pulses for each eat. Does that make sense? A pulse is different from a eat. Do you rememer ho eats sudivide and Alternatively, you could simply start clapping quaver pulse during a song. This option ill e much more efficient. t s amazing ho many opportunities you ill find, once you start looking, sp talking and start doing. prepare and consolidate Your sightreading sessions ill e more fruitful if you prepare ground eforehand. For example, if you plan introduce a certain time signature in sightreading, sing a song that choir knos and likes, in that time signature, prior session. After introducing a ne element, it is similarly helpful consolidate ne knoledge. After a sightreading sesion, you could sing a song that your choristers already kno that contains this element, and ring your choristers attention this element. solfa in tune Choristers reinforce sound/symol connection y hearing mselves sing. t s important refore for choristers sing solfa in tune. m sure you kno many community singers have a tendency flatness due poor technique. have een fascinated oserve in my ork ith adults, hen singers don t have vocal technique sing in tune, y can t actually hear ir innation issues. Through focusing on vocal technique, singers tuning improves and ir aility hear ir tuning improves. f you teach your choristers sing solfa ith good vocal technique this ill help ir innation and help ir aility listen. Singers can also learn directly listen innation. Silent practise is an excellent ol for strengning intune inner hearing. Encourage your singers practise silently as often as possile. For example invite everyone sing through a sightreading melody ith only do s out loud and or notes silent. Or hile some sing full melody, have or choristers only sing notes on do, trying sing each do at exactly same pitch. This use of an anchor note (one note here choristers listen for and calirate ir pitch) can n e used hile all notes are sung out loud. 5

11 Singing The Dots Book One ntroduction Teaching The Songs The material introduces one idea at a time, starting ith simple elements and songs, and steadily uilds in complexity. Before each song, have included preparary exercises, that estalish time signature, key, and explain musical sound/symol introduced in song. For your choristers get most from this material, please approach ook like a course or a turook (rar than a dip in here you like songook) and ork through from eginning end. Most of choral pieces are ased on a simple melody designed for sightreading. These melodies are crafted help your choristers learn and consolidate different musical elements covered in ook. composed m feel like folk songs, ith simple, natural feeling tunes, and delierately selected text here rhythmic elements required ere found in natural speech rhythms of ords. n early songs melodies are initially sung in unison and n harmonised. n later songs, melodies are shared amongst different vocal parts during song. To approach each song, it ould e useful for choristers all learn melody. Then singers can discover song s structure y finding ho melody is treated ho sings it and hen, and hat or voice parts are doing. This analysis can lead exciting, musically informed decisions aout performance and interpretation. Squeeze as much music making out of se melodies as patience of your choristers ill permit. Speak through rhythm ith ords and rhythm names. Sing tunes ith ords, solfa and rhythm names. Sing songs hilst keeping eat, and/or quaver pulse. You could sing melodies as canons. You could have some voice parts sing melodies hile or parts hold a drone like a hurdy gurdy on nic or as an open fifth. f your choristers are adventurous you could try singing melodies in organum. Use inner hearing and have choristers sing some of notes silently. This could e pitch ased only sing notes on do out loud, or rhythm ased only sing notes on first eat of each ar. Challenge your choristers sing a melody from memory. Using se ideas ill allo your choir go over same material many times reinforce and consolidate sound/symol connection, ithout feeling like y are engaged in mindless drilling. Please use any of elements and ideas from this ook henever you can help your choristers learn or reperire. You could find songs in same key, or same time signature, or containing same musical element, as songs in this ook. For example, gospel song t s Me, t s Me O Lord, has a do, re, mi ased melody. An arrangement of this song ould e a onderful reperire choice for your choir sing hilst orking on do, re, mi songs here. The English folksong The Keel Ro features dotted quaver rhythms, and ould e an excellent song for exploring this rhythm. Selecting reperire in this ay ill not only help your choristers secure ir sightreading skills, ut demonstrate that sightreading ill open up access ne reperire. 6

12 Singing The Dots Book One ntroduction Working With Adults Thoughts For Kodály Trained Direcrs The learning needs, capacities and interests of adult community singers ho are often older folks are very different from those of young children Kodály rote aout. f you are trained in and ork ith young people, you may e interested in this adultfocused material. Here are a fe of my reflections on orking ith adult choristers. Older adults have listened music for decades. Community choristers are experienced music makers. This means normal three tiered approach introducing early elements can e reduced tiers: unconscious preparation is redundant. Pedagogy for children relies on orking memory. A childfocused approach involves teaching songs y ear, and or memory ased games and activities. Consider ho much a student needs use ir orking memory anser question, hat happened in third phrase?. This isn t appropriate for older adults, ho need unrushed time asor ne information. Older rains are perfectly capale of learning if need for slo and steady consolidation and repetition is respected. For this reason, introduce longer notes (minim, dotted minim and semireve) early in material. t gives adults time undertake memory reliant aspect of sightreading, here singers simultaneously rememer hat y are currently singing hilst reading ahead. also set reflective and sad text for early do, re, mi songs encourage a slo tempo. Older adults are calmer, iser and more patient than children. They don t require constant activity stay engaged in learning, and have often learnt ho e kind mselves as learners. Adults are intellectual learners and like kno hat s going on. Waiting discover identity of a ne mystery note ust irritates m. A chorister in her 70s once said me, ust tell me hat it is. haven t got time mess around. Fair enough! This can also mean you may find that modelling/copying approach you use ith children doesn t translate ell adult learning. Adults can require more explanation and intellectual understanding of an activity than is provided through mimicking. Older adults often spend more time talking than running. They are comfortale relating rhythm patterns language rar than gross mor movement. ve never had an issue introducing triple and quadruple meter (intrinsic our language) early in a sightreading course. nfact 2/4 can create a feeling of urgency that runs counter slo learning tempo of older adults, and is est introduced later. Games and activities that rely on coordination may e helpful for hilarity ut are unlikely e pedagogically useful. Older adults vary greatly in ir capacity move in time. f your choristers are akard ith gross mor movement, this ill distract from musical learning you are trying impart. Older choristers can also have health concerns hich can impact on ir enoyment of and capacity move. Be sensitive se possiilities. Be flexile and accommodating in first three songs, here focus is on moving eat. 7

13 Singing The Dots Book One ntroduction Working With Adults Thoughts For Kodály Trained Direcrs Continued Partly ecause older adults have varying levels of competence ith movement and partly ecause adults are very experienced and confident reading symols, don t use handsigns. n my experience y are difficult for adults master, and an unnecessary step. Adults can e anxious and unenthusiastic aout learning sightreading. They have had many years collect evidence that y cannot read sheet music, and can have a deeply ingrained self identity as eing musically illiterate. Sometimes you ill need address this y donplaying significance of sightreading sessions. t s ust a thing e do here. Give it a go. Not a ig deal. Sometimes, hoever you ill need tell your choir truth. You are incredile. You are choosing deepen your understanding of and access music, and this might e one of most amazing things you ever do. t is a privilege ork ith you. Thank you. And Thoughts For Direcrs Who Aren t Kodály Trained You ill e learning asic Kodály ols alongside your choristers. Good for you! Perhaps you ill e learning sightread for first time. That s onderful. hope you discover ho useful this method is, and experience that it actually orks! f you ant find out more, re are Kodály associations around orld. f you are in Australia, association s esite is.kodaly.org.au ith information aout state chapters, training opportunities and or resources. 8

14 Singing The Dots Book One Beat Songs At heart of music is a eat. Adults generally understand concept of eat. These eat songs are a chance for your choristers ensure y can feel and keep a shared eat as y sing. This sense of shared eat is foundation of a choir eing ale sing ger ell. f you have singers ho race or drag, y proaly do not have a good feel of eat. When you teach parts for Blood Red Roses and Ro Ro Ro keep eat yourself, so your choristers alays hear se songs ith a eat eing sounded. While you teach one part, you could ask folks ho aren t singing chant eat as oth ta and one three four. f your choristers are completely ne reading sheet music, it ould e valuale for se folks read feet line as y count. Moving eat isn t aout fancy foork, it s aout getting ody saying so that eat is experienced through hole ody. feel eat starts in my trunk (ok my um) and radiates outards. (You ill kno if mentioning ums is appropriate for your choir.) The actual foot movement can e very small. f your choir is physically confident, you may like get everyone moving in same direction, feeling offeat through ir steps. f you have an older choir, your singers may e more comfortale tapping eat hile y sit. f your choir finds it difficult create a cohesive eat you can get everyone stand in a circle and keep eat y patting ir neighour s left shoulder ith ir right hand as y sing. This ill create a uniform eat around room, and give your choristers a chance literally pat each or on ack. (You re elcome use that line.) When everyone can happily sing and keep eat in oth songs, encourage your choristers feel eat ithout moving, unless your choir alays moves eat. f your choir isn t used folloing your eating, this might e a good chance sho m ho you keep eat for m. You can consolidate this eat ork y conducting se songs ith different tempos and having choir follo you. f it suits culture of your choir, you can exaggerate your tempo changes for comic effect. When your choristers can confidently feel eat and sing ir parts, introduce feel of quaver pulse. The easiest ay do this is start clapping pulse as choir sings. When you ve explained hat you re doing, you could sing song again, ith some choristers keeping eat on ir feet hilst ors clap quaver pulse, n sap ho is doing hat. (Do you notice this is repeating same material ith small changes, so singers practise ithout getting ored?) This ill segue nicely in Blo The Wind, hich is in compound time ie re are three pulses for each eat. haven t explained ars in material ll leave that in your capale hands! When you explain that first eat is strongest eat in ar, you ll create a reason for choristers sing song again experience feel of strong and eak eats. 9

15 Singing The Dots Book One 10 Blood Red Roses This piece is inspired y a traditional halyard sea shanty sung y sailors as y hoisted sails. Singing ger ensured everyone pulled ropes ger. f your choir doesn't meet on an eighteenth century sailing ship, you may sustitute foot smps for rope hauling. Sop 4 4 Hang don Al 4 4 ye lood red Hang don Tenor Bass 4 4 Hang don ye lood red Hang don ye lood red? Hang don ye lood red ye lood red ye lood red Hang don ye lood red Hang don Feet ye lood red 4 4 Hang don? 4 4 ros es hang don. ros es ros es ros es ros es ros es ros es Ó hang don. Ó hang don. Ó hang don. ros es Ó hang don. t's hang don. t's hang don. t's hang don. t's

16 Singing The Dots Book One time for us roll 'n' go, ye pinks time for us roll 'n' go, ye pinks time for us roll 'n' go, ye pinks go, ye pinks? time for us roll 'n' Hang don ye Hang don ye Hang don ye? Hang don ye lood red lood red lood red lood red ros es ros es ros es 'n' po sies ay e oh. 'n' po sies ay e oh. 'n' po sies ay e oh. 'n' po sies ay e oh. ros es 11 Ó hang don. Ó hang don. Ó hang don. Ó hang don.

17 Singing The Dots Book One 12 Ro Ro Ro There are great reasons use this song as a eat song. Firstly it's ased on a gospel song, a style of music here eat is often strongly sounded y singers. Secondly if e are going ro ger, e need keep in time or e'll go round in circles! Sop arr 4 4 Ro Al 4 4 Bass 4 4 Ro? 44 Ro 4 4 Feet Ro no Ro no ro ro. Ro Ten0r ro ro. ro ro. ro ro. Mi chael Mi chael Ro no Mi chael Ro Ro no Mi chael? Ro Ro Ro shore. shore. shore. shore. Mi chael Mi chael Mi chael Mi chael ro. ro. ro. ro. Ro ro ro ro. ro ro. Ro Ro Ro ro ro. ro.

18 Singing The Dots Book One 13 Blo Wind Sourly nstead of foot smping this eautiful folk song, try saying. Notice ho different this song feels, ith three pulses eat. Perhaps eat evokes a rocking feeling for you, like a oat in aves. Sop 6 8 Blo ind south er ly, Al 6 8 Bass south er ly, south er ly. Blo ind lo Blo ind lo. Tenor English Folk Song arr 6 8 Blo ind lo. no.? 6 8 Blo ind south er ly, Blo ind lo. south er ly, south er ly. 3 Blo ind south o'er Blo on ny lue sea. Blo ind lo. ind lo. Blo ind lo.? Blo ind lo. Blo ind south o'er on ny e lue sea.

19 Singing The Dots Book One 14 5 Blo ind south er ly, south er ly, south er ly. Blo ind lo Blo ind lo. Blo ind lo. Blo ind lo.? south er ly, south er ly. 7 Blo on ny reeze Blo my ind lo.? Blo on ny reeze lov er Blo ind lo. no. Blo ind south er ly, me. Blo ind lo. my They They Blo ind lo. e lov er me. 9 ld me last night re ere Told me ships in off ing. So Blo last night re ere ships in no lo ind. Blo no lo. Blo no lo ind. Blo no lo.? off ing. So

20 Singing The Dots Book One 11 deep roll ing sea. But my Blo hurr ied don no lo ind. Blo no see is arque Blo? Blo ev er might e ring ing my ring ing my no lo no lo. no lo. lov er me. lov er ind. Blo Blo no lo. it, it, no lo ind. Blo arque that it here 15 lo. ev er might e no lo ind. Blo Blo it here? eyes could not Blo sea. But my no lo. eyes could not see deep roll ing no lo ind. Blo? 13 Blo n hurr ied don 15 me. no lo. no lo.

21 Singing The Dots Book One The First Three Notes You may e surprised y ho little time spend in choristers ook discussing staves and letter names. This is partly ecause many adults are already familiar ith se aspects of music, and partly ecause at this stage ant focus on solfege. To e lunt, letter names are a distraction. For singers, using solfege or solfa is a very effective ay learn sightsinging and develop connection eteen symols and sounds. Singers learn hear pitch of note names in relation each or. For example, in a maor scale mi is third, and singers ill learn hear mi a third higher than do. This is a much easier ay learn sightsinging than using letter names hich ould effectively require you teach your choristers perfect pitch! Letter names also require an understanding of key signatures and accidentals and ecome very complicated teach in an applied singing ased approach. t is a good idea rite three pitches of do,re and mi on oard (y ay get a oard) and make sure all your choristers can sing three notes hen you point m. This ill egin training your singers hear connection eteen symol and sound for three note scale. (The maor scale is only a seven note scale you re asically halfay re!) recommend having do as E, in preparation for next song Spping By Woods On A Snoy Evening. Encourage listening. You could ask your choristers sing one pitch out loud, and hear or notes in ir heads as you point m. This ill give m a chance listen pitch of sung note and try match it each time y sing it, as ell as learning inner hear each music symol as y see it. Generally hen choristers egin singing solfa, y sing do flat, particularly hen singing do after a higher note. f choristers listen pitch of do hilst y are singing it, ( tell my choristers lock it in ) y can aim return same pitch. Vocal technique also helps ith tuning. Singing do ith an talian voel ( o of orange ) ill help keep it in tune. Similarly if re is sung as reh instead of as a dipthong, it ill e more likely stay in tune. You may find it helpful ask your choristers imagine voels lift up from consonants. f consonants feel like y are in mouth, voels feel higher in head: on roof of mouth, ehind nose, or in forehead. Try this idea. Aandon it if it doesn t ork. You can alays lame me! f your choristers have een haitually flat, learning sing in tune ill take time develop. Without alienating your singers, please reinforce need for tuning every time you sing in solfa. t ould e more enoyale for you and your choristers prepare for a solfa session ith a quick revision of in tune technique, than have correct choristers after y launch in a song and are flat. 16

22 Singing The Dots Book One Spping By Woods On A Snoy Evening ntroduction Rhythm An important part of Kodály approach is teach y asking questions. Questions encourage people think and stay engaged. For example, in choristers ook you ll see that ask choristers figure out length of a minim. The rhythm exercises on this and folloing page are a chance for your choristers consolidate ir sense of eat and pulse, and start reading rhythms. ve chosen ords in exercises fit rhythms so speaking ords ill help your choristers feel timing. To reinforce this material and give your choristers a chance practise, you could try different cominations of speaking ords, speaking rhythm names, tapping rhythms, tapping eat and (over page) tapping quaver pulse. For your choristers, hardest part of se exercises ill proaly e learning rhythm names, hich ill e completely ne. A crotchet is ta. Quavers are titi (pronounced tea tea). A minim is. Depending on ho your choristers progress, you may decide dedicate a fe sessions reading se rhythm notes from oard ensure your choristers are confident. (No dout you can hip up some short rhythm reading exercises for your choristers.) You may ant use 3/4 time, in preparation for Spping By Woods On A Snoy Evening. 17

23 Singing The Dots Book One Spping By Woods On A Snoy Evening ntroduction More Rhythm 18

24 Singing The Dots Book One Spping By Woods On A Snoy Evening ntroduction Even More Rhythm Before full song, ve included a page ith rhythm of tune, so you can ensure your singers are secure ith this efore reading pitches. This is an example of reaking don learning a song in steps that can e mastered in short sessions. The only issue ith this exercise is that rhythms don t alay make sense on ir on, ecause in tune, some syllales are sung over different pitches. The melody starts ith an anacrusis, hich explain in choristers ook. 19

25 Singing The Dots Book One Spping By Woods On A Snoy Evening ntroduction Pitch n choristers ook explain various squiggles at eginning of sheet music as riefly as possile. Hopefully se explanations ill suffice reassure your choristers and let you get on ith singing! The folloing pages have some do, re, mi exercises ith E as do, if your choir ants spend some time securing se notes. The exercises are designed lead in song. There are copies one ith exercises in trele clef, one in ass clef. Throughout ook give exercises in oth clefs. Given that you proaly ant tenors learn read oth, it may e simplest and most egalitarian get everyody read through exercises in oth clefs. Before you egin exercises, you may ant revisit everyone reading do, re, mi from oard ger. Starting a ne sightreading session ith a task people can already do helps your choristers feel capale! These exercises have oth rhythm and pitch elements. You can pull this apart as much as you ant, for example read rhythm names, and n trying singing ith solfa. n Spping By Woods On A Snoy Evening do, re, mi melody is unison in verse one. Everyone can read this ger. have added harmonies susequent verses so your choir can have satisfaction of singing a four part song. 20

26 Singing The Dots Book One Spping By Woods On A Snoy Evening Pitch Consolidation Trele Clef f you ould like spend time consolidating do, re and mi efore singing Spping By Woods On A Snoy Evening, here are some additional pitch exercises. This page is in trele clef, next page is in ass clef. 21

27 Singing The Dots Book One 22 Spping By Woods On A Snoy Evening Pitch Consolidation Bass Clef Here are same pitch exercises in ass clef..

28 Singing The Dots Book One 23 Spping y Woods on a Snoy Evening Music Text Roert Frost 3 4 Verse One Sop Whose oods Al 3 4 Bass 3 4 Whose oods? 43 Whose oods think are se think are se think kno. His se are think kno. His se are Whose oods Tenor kno. kno. His His 5 house is in house is in is in is in house? house vil vil vil vil lage though. lage though. lage though. lage though. He He He He

29 Singing The Dots Book One 24 9 ill ill? ill ill not see me spp here here ing not see me spp ing not see me spp ing here not see me spp ing here his 13 atch atch? atch atch 17 oods fill up his oods fill up his oods fill up ith sno. his oods fill up ith sno. litt My? litt My ith sno. ith sno. Verse To My My le horse le horse must think must think it's queer it's queer litt le horse must think it's queer litt le horse must think it's queer

30 Singing The Dots Book One sp ith out sp? sp ith out ith out sp a farm house near. Be a farm house near. Be ith out a farm house a farm house near. Be near. Be 26 lake, lake, oods and fro teen? oods and fro oods and fro zen lake, oods and fro zen lake, est ev' est ev' teen teen teen zen zen 30 dark dark dark? dark ning of ning of year. year. est ev' ning of year. est ev' ning of year.

31 34 Singing The Dots Book One Verse Three He gives his He? He 26 He gives gives his his gives his har ness ells shake, a har ness ells har ness shake, a shake, ells a shake, ells a har ness 39 ask if re is ask if? ask if mis is re is re is take. The some mis if ask some re take. mis take. The mis take. The some The some 43 on ly on? on on oth ly oth ly oth ly oth er sound's er sound's er sound's er sound's seep of seep of seep of seep of

32 Singing The Dots Book One ind sy ea sy sy and ind and don y flake. y flake. don y flake. don and ind don y flake. Verse Four The oods The? are oods love love are love are are The oods The oods and ind sy ea ea ea? 51 ly dark and ly dark ly dark and deep. and deep. But But But dark and deep. But ly deep. love 56 have prom have? prom have prom have is is es. keep. And es keep. And prom is es keep. And is es keep. And

33 Singing The Dots Book One miles e fore miles? go e go miles miles go fore sleep. And sleep. e fore sleep. And go e fore And sleep. And sleep. sleep. fore sleep. fore 64 miles miles? miles miles go go go go e e e e fore fore sleep.

34 Singing The Dots Book One The Unquiet Grave ntroduction Rhythm And Pitch n The Unquiet Grave, do, re, mi melody is sung in unison in first and last verses. n middle four verses, each part has a turn at this melody, hile or parts eir have a rest or sing a harmony line. n choristers ook ask choristers identify hich part has melody in se verses. This means your choristers can apply ir nefound sightreading skills score analysis. When you have learnt song, you could ask your singers ho y might adust ir singing depending on her y have melody or a harmony. The Unquiet Grave has four eats per ar. (You may like prepare y singing through Ro Ro Ro or Blood Red Roses.) At this point in choristers ook descrie ho time signatures ork. There are some ne rhythms in this piece. Dotted minim tree Semireve ur Rests crotchet, minim, dotted minim and semireve The choristers ook asks singers find se in song. (This ill involve a little arithmetic ased prolem solving. You may need help your choristers ith this, ith questions like, n this four eat ar re is a eat note and a rest. Ho long must rest e? ) You may like go over se rests on your oard. n practice se rests ill feel straightforard for your choristers, if you count eat hile y read rhythm ith ords and rhythm notes. n The Unquiet Grave do is F. After last song, in E, choristers may need some gentle reassurance that different songs can have different do s. Hopefully an explanation like it s fine. This song is ust a it higher than last one, ill suffice. Before song, folloing pages have some onus preparation exercises in trele and ass clefs, if you ould like prepare various rhythm and pitch sequences that appear in song. 29

35 Singing The Dots Book One The Unquiet Grave Rhythm And Pitch Consolidation Trele Clef Here are some onus exercises in preparation for singing The Unquiet Grave. This page is in trele clef, ith ass clef on folloing page. Pull se apart as much as your choir needs feel confident. You could read rhythm names first and n add pitches. You could ask your choristers keep eat hilst singing. t may help your choristers do something during rests such as tapping ir hands. 30

36 Singing The Dots Book One The Unquiet Grave Rhythm And Pitch Consolidation Bass Clef Here are onus exercises in ass clef.. 31

37 Singing The Dots Book One 32 The Unquiet Grave Trad English Ballad Music y Sop 4 4 Cold los ind Al Bass my true love, and my true love, and one true love, and in green fields he lies slain, one true love, and in green fields he never had ut gently falls rain.? never had ut 4 4 Cold los ind my true love, and gently falls rain. never had ut Cold los ind gently falls rain. 4 4 Cold los ind Tenor my true love, and lies slain, gently falls rain. in in? one true love, and in green fields he lies slain, in in never had ut lies lies slain. greenfields he lies lies Cold Cold slain. greenfields he slain. greenfields he greenfields he one true love, and in green fields he lies slain, Cold slain. Cold

38 Singing The Dots Book One los ind love, and gen tly falls? one true love, and ind gen tly falls and falls my true love, gen tly falls rain. love, and in green fields he love, 22 do as much for slain, in lies green fields he lies slain, in slain, in Ó slain, my true love as an y young girl as much for my true love as an y young girl nev er had ut lies slain. 'll Ó lies lies slain. 'll slain. greenfields he ut greenfields he had greenfields he nev er had ut greenfields he lies 'll 'll sit and mourn all may. Ó slain. may. do lies one true love, and in green fields he lies one true love, and in green fields he rain.? rain. one true nev er had ut los my true 17 los ind rain. los ind my true sit and mourn all?

39 Singing The Dots Book One 27 on his grave for? telve months and a on his grave for day, for day, for telve months and a telve months and a 34 day. telve months and a Ó Ó day. Ó And Ó And 32 hen telve months and a day as passed, ghost did rise and? hen telve months and a 37 speak. "Why on my grave and ill not let me sleep?? on my grave and ill not let me sleep? Ó Tis, tis, tis, thine, thine And ill not let me sleep?" sitt est thou all Ó Tis sitt est thou all ghost did rise and speak. day as passed, "Why Tis, tis Ó And ill not let me sleep?", thine

40 Singing The Dots Book One 43 on true on true love, on true love,? 47 love, sits all on your grave. sits all on sits all on your that that that your seet lips, and that is all grave. grave. ask one kiss ask one kiss from ask one kiss from crave, crave, your seet lips, and that is all your 35 and that is all When crave. When ill e meet a ill e meet a your seet lips, and that is all crave, and that is all crave. When ill? 53 gain seet heart? When Ó ill e meet a ill When ill e meet?? gain seet heart? ill e meet a a gain? gain seet heart? When meet? e meet When gain? gain? When When When e ill e meet a When from crave. and that is all au tumn leaves fall ing au tumn leaves fall ing leaves fall au tumn leaves fall

41 Singing The Dots Book One 57 from trees are green and loom a from trees are from? from trees gain, green and loom a gain, green and loom a trees are gain, green and loom a gain, 36 are green and loom a are are are los ind gen tly falls my true love, and gain. Cold nev er had ut rain. nev er had ut my true love, and gen tly falls lies slain, one true love, and in green fields he Cold? one true love, and in green fields he gain. 67 rain. gen tly falls Cold los ind my true love, and gen tly falls rain. los ind gain. los ind my true love, and Cold green and loom a gain. green and loom a green and loom a 62 lies slain, rain. in? one true love, and in green fields he lies slain, in nev er had nev er had lies slain. greenfields he one true love, and in green fields he lies slain, in greenfields he in lies slain. greenfields he lies slain. greenfields he lies slain. ut ut

42 Singing The Dots Book One Break Break Break ntroduction Rhythm This song is in 6/8 time. You could prepare your choir for Break Break Break y singing Blo The Wind, or anor 6/8 song your choir knos and likes. Break Break Break introduces quavers and crotchets in compound time. t contains a quaver rest, and explains that dotted crotchet is called tum. n choristers ook sho rhythm and ords ith a line of quaver pulses. You can use this exercise a fe different ays: ith ords or rhythm names, adding pulses, and adding eat. These could e tapped, clapped, smped or chanted. n melody some single syllales are sung over multiple pitches, so rhythm y itself can look a it odd. For this rhythm only exercise choristers can sound out se repeated notes. For example, in second eat of first ar you can say rayayayk.. 37

43 Singing The Dots Book One Break Break Break ntroduction Pitch n this song, do is F. On next pages, efore song, ve included some preparation exercises hich introduce rhythmic and pitch elements in song. Adults can get flustered if y feel rushed, and hole aim of my ook is have choristers realise, ith every exercise, that yes y really can do this! For se first fe sightsinging songs, have delierately picked ords that suit a slo tempo, so choristers have time think and uild ir reading confidence. The only issue is that slo songs can lack energy. ill leave o in your capale hands of taking se songs sloly enough that your choristers feel calm, ut not so sloly that songs drag and lose energy. Thanks. The sightsinging melody is sung in unison in verses one and four. n verses and three, sopranos retain this tune. The al line is similar. The tenor and ass lines are similar each or, ut have a different flavour upper voices. You may like teach song ith this in mind. Teach sopranos and als first and put ir parts ger, and n teach and put tenors and asses parts ger. Once se verses are secure in parts you could put all parts ger. There is a coda learn at very end. suspect notes ant e very quiet here, like an Amen. 38

44 Singing The Dots Book One Break Break Break Pitch And Rhythm Consolidation Trele Clef Here are some exercises prepare Break Break Break. Choristers could speak ords, say rhythm names, sing solfa and sing ith ords. When you say one eat rhythm of tititi you could demonstrate accenting first ti, encourage singing ith a feel of eat. 39

45 Singing The Dots Book One Break Break Break Pitch And Rhythm Consolidation Bass Clef Here are same exercises as preceding page, in ass clef. 40

46 Singing The Dots Book One 41 Break, Break, Break Text Alfred, Lord Tennyson 6 8 Music Verse One Sop Break, 6 8 Al Break, Ten Bass reak, reak, reak, 6 8 Break,? 6 8 reak, Break, reak, on thy reak, on thy reak, on thy reak, on thy 5 ould that my ngue could ould that my ngue could ould that my ngue could O Sea! And cold grey snes, O Sea! And cold grey snes, O Sea! And cold grey snes, cold grey snes, O Sea! And ut ter thoughts that a rise me. in me. ter thoughtsthat a rise in ut ter thoughts that a rise ould that my ngue could ut? in ut ter thoughts that a rise in The me. The me. The The

47 Singing The Dots Book One 9 in me. O in me. O thoughts that a rise thoughts that a rise thoughts that a rise? in thoughts that a rise in me. shouts ith his sis ter at shouts ith his sis ter at Break,? Break, reak, play! O, sings in his oat on ay! reak, reak, ell for sail or Break, Break, ay! reak Sea! O reak, that he lad, that he reak, O Sea! That he sings in that he Break, Sea! O lad, reak, ell for sail or Sea!? O, O reak, play! ell for fish erman's oy, Break, that he Sea! Break, ell for fish erman's oy, reak, O sings in his oat on me. 17 Verse To Break, his oat on ay! That he sings in his oat on Sea! Break, reak, reak, O Break, O O And ay! And Sea! Sea!

48 21 Singing The Dots Book One go on Verse Three state ly state ly ships ships go on To ir ha ven un der hill. To ir ha ven un der Break, reak, Sea!? reak, reak, Break, Break, O 43 Break, reak, O But hill. But Sea! reak, reak, 25 oh for uch of a oh for uch of a vanished hand and Break,? reak Break, reak, vanished hand and O reak, O Sea! Break, reak, a voice that is still. sound of Break,? Break, a voice that is reak, O O still. Sea! Break, Sea! Break, Break, reak, reak, reak, reak, And Sea! reak, O Verse Four Break, reak, And still. sound of sound of a voice that is still. Break, 29 sound of a voice that is Sea! reak, at reak, at reak, at reak, at

49 Singing The Dots Book One 33 O Sea! But O Sea! But foot of thy crags, O Sea!? foot of thy crags, foot of thy crags, foot of thy crags, O But Sea! But 37 me. me. nev er come ack nev er come ack nev er come ack? nev er come ack 41 Break, Break, reak, reak, O Sea! Break, reak, Break, reak, Will reak, O Sea! reak, O Sea! Will me. reak, O Sea! reak,? Will me. Will Break, Break, Break, Break, ten der grace of ten der grace of ten der grace of ten der grace of a nev er come ack day that is dead ill day that is dead ill day that is dead ill me. reak. Break. me. me. Break. Break. Break. Break. reak, O reak. reak. Break. day that is dead ill ne er come ack me. nev er come ack nev er come ack reak, O reak. reak, a a a reak, 44 Break. Break.

50 Singing The Dots Book One ntroducing So The next songs present pitch so. You and your choristers may e surprised that next note is so and not fa. This ook introduces notes of pentanic scale do, re, mi, so and la. (There is no fa or ti. ) This scale is a great first scale for singers consolidate ir sightreading skills. t is very tuneful and feels natural and comfortale for singers. mportantly, it avoids most difficult intervals hear and sing in tune that are found in maor scale minor seconds, maor sevenths and augmented fourths. The easiest ay uild an aural connection eteen so and three notes choristers already kno is through descending minor third from so mi. n choristers ook introduce leger lines here. n folloing pages, re are simple songs consolidate so. The first one, The Shakespearean Ner Ner is first song in 2/4. You may ant mention that choir has already sung songs ith eats in ar, in ir 6/8 songs. Your choristers can figure out here do is. This can e a chance for you sho (on that onderful oard of yours) ho do, mi and so sit in adacent spaces, or adacent lines. suspect choristers ill find rhythm in this so simple y on t need think aout it. f this is true and y read rhythm fluently you could take a moment point out ir amazing musical literacy achievement! The second song, Can Ye Se Cushions introduces fifth from do so. You ll notice se is on note so. love this pun, ut do appreciate that solfa okes are excruciatingly daggy! 45

51 Singing The Dots Book One ntroducing So Shakespearean Ner Ner Here s a little exercise consolidate ump from so mi, firstly in trele clef: and in ass clef: : 46

52 Singing The Dots Book One ntroducing So Can Ye Se Cushions Pitch Can Ye Se Cushions introduces fifth from do so. This short exercise scaffolds learning this interval. For trele clef folks: For asses: After singing this exercise, you could ask your choristers identify solfa of first four notes in Tinkle Tinkle Little Star. 47

53 Singing The Dots Book One ntroducing So Can Ye Se Cushions Why is my music smiling at me? Can Ye Se Cushions introduces ties. n choristers ook point out difference eteen ties and slurs. have used slurs throughout songs in ook, so you may have already addressed hat y mean. n song, fifth from do so i s presented oth melodically and harmonically. This is a chance for your choristers start tuning or parts. (As you kno this is one of great oys of singing in a choir. sn t it onderful hen choristers gain enough confidence enoy listening each or hile y sing?) f your choristers are happy sing se voel as talian O of orange this ill help tune fifth. t may also help innation ensure your singers approach notes of can you lightly, lifting all things you alays tell m lift. (eyeros, spirits, soft palate, pillars of fauces, cheeks, etc). This ill e especially important for loer voiced omen ho ill struggle sing se in tune if y are in ir loer mechanism. 48

54 Singing The Dots Book One ntroducing So Can Ye Se Cushions Trele Clef Notice this is a canon. 49

55 Singing The Dots Book One ntroducing So Can Ye Se Cushions Bass Clef 50

56 Singing The Dots Book One An rish Blessing ntroduction Rhythm And Pitch This piece uses a quaver rest in simple time. Your choristers have read quaver rest efore, in Break Break Break. n oth cases rest is on eat, pushing succeeding ord off eat. f your choir likes Break Break Break, it might e a good song sing through efore discussing use of quaver rest in An rish Blessing. The melody for sightreading is sung in unison from end of ar 8 ar 22. The sopranos sing variants of this melody throughout piece and ir line contains only do, re, mi and so all ay through. n interests of fairness, you may ant give everyone a chance read this line from eginning end. There is a rief section from ar 31 ar 40 hich has unique material. n rest of song, harmony parts use same material for each section. This makes An rish Blessing very quick teach. You ill notice many of phrases start ith asses on do and tenors on so. You could uild on choir s good ork learning tune this fifth in Can You Se Cushions, y encouraging se parts listen each or as y sing se notes. For oth parts most likely issue ill e flatness, so descriptions like sing up in fifth might e useful for your singers. n choristers ook mention idea of silent practise. This poerful ol helps develop connection eteen symol and sound. You can use silent practise in different ays. When everyone is looking at soprano line, you could ask people only sing one pitch out loud all notes on do perhaps, ith rest of notes silent. While you are teaching a harmony part, you could ask or parts silently read soprano line. also mention that even hen y aren t completely sightsinging, your choristers may e recognising more elements in sheet music. That s onderful. You may e ale use your choristers increasing literacy teach some aspects of harmony parts. For example, in this song, encourage als and asses notice hen y are singing do, and listen out for tuning on se notes. You may find you can use sightreading help teach or reperire your choir is singing. Fantastic! hope this results in reduced noteashing time, more in tune singing and more enoyment for everyone involved. 51