Programming with Passion Choosing exciting and appropriate literature for our choirs Dr. Jeffrey Benson San Jose State University
Digging for Great Repertoire CRITERIA EXcellence Challenging Accessible Vitality Audience Text Evocative
Digging for Great Repertoire EXcellence Is the music of good quality?
Digging for Great Repertoire Challenging Does the piece challenge the singer? the listener? Will it sustain and feed you & your singers for 8 weeks? Accessible Will the choir be able to perform the work artistically?
Digging for Great Repertoire Vitality Is it alive? Energizing? Exciting?
Digging for Great Repertoire Audience Will the piece serve the audience--both the singing audience and the listening audience?
Digging for Great Repertoire Text Can the text stand alone? Is it meaningful? Evocative Does the music evoke emotion? Is it memorable and meaningful?
Repertoire as Curriculum What concepts can you teach through the music? Vocal technique & healthy tone Musical style Phrasing Historical perspective Meaning of Text Motivation & Inspiration
Vocal Health Is the tenor tessitura too high? Is the alto part too low? Will the tessitura for the women encourage belting and too much chest register? Is the bass line out of range for young basses/baritones? Does the soprano tessitura sit too high?
Musical Style & Phrasing Can you teach stylistic traits of the music through transfer? Articulation? Phrasing? Baroque Classical Renaissance Modern Romantic Modern
Musical Style & Phrasing Tallis: O nata lux Whitacre: Water Night
Musical Style & Phrasing Tallis: O nata lux Whitacre: Water Night
Repertoire as Curriculum Historical Perspective How does the piece fit into history? Who are the contemporary visual artists of the composer?
Francisco Goya s The Dog
Repertoire as Curriculum Meaning of Text Can our singers connect in a meaningful way? How can we facilitate that dialogue?
Repertoire as Curriculum
A Balanced Diet The wedding mantra: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue
A Balanced Diet Do we have a vision? Overall concert experience Entire year of choir Can we think with a long range plan? 3-4 years in the choral program
Programming over time Year 1 - Schubert: Mass in G Major Year 2 - Pinkham: Christmas Cantata Year 3 - Mozart: Coronation Mass Year 4 - Vivaldi: Gloria Year 5 - Faure: Requiem Year 6 - Mozart: Requiem
Where to look Conferences (ACDA, NAfME, CMEA) Reading sessions & Concert sessions Colleagues Concerts & conversations Websites State approved lists
Where to look Choralnet.org & online forums Textbooks Garretson: Choral Music GIA: The School Choral Program GIA: Teaching Music Through Performance in Choirs (3 volumes)
Entertainment or Greatness? Shall music making be for purposes of entertainment, public relations, as a means to win administrative support, or as a way to explore the unique and powerful realities in aesthetic education? Make no mistake, either we opt for music which has popular appeal or we decide that music which has been considered great, because of the compositional genius and the test of time, is the rightful heritage of our students. Where do you stand? Entertainment or greatness? -Howard Swan, The Conscience of a Profession
Do we have to choose? For me the most important measure of any music is that it represent superb craft motivated by the most profound human and spiritual impulses masterworks, folk songs, spirituals and the best of musical theatre When [people] are led into a repertoire that springs from a deep well of meaning, they will respond to it and their lives will be changed. - Joseph Flummerfelt
Programming with Passion Choosing exciting and appropriate literature for our choirs Dr. Jeffrey Benson San Jose State University