Super Quick Post...
The odyssey has ended. On Monday, I signed my contract for the Music Director of Traditional Worship at Gethsemane Lutheran in Maplewood, MN. Today, I was offered the 0.6 FTE High School Choir Director Position at Richfield (MN) High School, and have verbally accepted.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Great Day at Iowa Choral Director's Association...
Quick post today...
I had a great day at the Iowa Choral Director's Association's 36th Annual Summer Symposium. The highlight of my day was co-leading the Ethnic and Multicultural Music Reading Session with Nick Page. The session was my last official duty as the out-going Repertoire and Standards Chair for E/M music. It was a pleasure to meet Nick, who is a wonderful person and a strong advocate for multicultural music as a bridge to understanding. Also, a special big thank you to my long-time friend Darcy Hendriks, who accompanied both Nick and I for the reading session.
Another great part of the day was the annual worship service held at the convention. This year's prayer service of hymns and scripture was lead by Michael Burkhardt. Dr. Burkhardt is a nationally renowned church musician, and he did a fantastic job creating this year's prayer service.
Carol Stewart's speech about the importance of our art upon receiving the Robert McCowen Award inspired and empowered. I hope to carry the echoes of her words a long time in my heart.
Finally, it was a bittersweet day for me. I have been an extremely active member of the Iowa Chapter of the American Choral Director's Association since joining in 2005. There are many men and women in the ICDA for whom I have developed a great deal of respect and admiration. Some of these colleagues have become like family. We rejoice in each other's success, and help each other in our moment's of professional frustration. It was humbling to hear so many of my colleagues who I admire, lament my departure from the state. It is great to feel that sense of belonging and appreciation.
As I re-establish myself in my home state of Minnesota, I am hopeful that I can develop similar professional connections. But to those brothers (and sisters) in song from Iowa, I will always remain close. I may make a point to come down to future ICDA conventions from time to time, but I will definitely see you at divisional and national conventions.
I had a great day at the Iowa Choral Director's Association's 36th Annual Summer Symposium. The highlight of my day was co-leading the Ethnic and Multicultural Music Reading Session with Nick Page. The session was my last official duty as the out-going Repertoire and Standards Chair for E/M music. It was a pleasure to meet Nick, who is a wonderful person and a strong advocate for multicultural music as a bridge to understanding. Also, a special big thank you to my long-time friend Darcy Hendriks, who accompanied both Nick and I for the reading session.
Another great part of the day was the annual worship service held at the convention. This year's prayer service of hymns and scripture was lead by Michael Burkhardt. Dr. Burkhardt is a nationally renowned church musician, and he did a fantastic job creating this year's prayer service.
Carol Stewart's speech about the importance of our art upon receiving the Robert McCowen Award inspired and empowered. I hope to carry the echoes of her words a long time in my heart.
Finally, it was a bittersweet day for me. I have been an extremely active member of the Iowa Chapter of the American Choral Director's Association since joining in 2005. There are many men and women in the ICDA for whom I have developed a great deal of respect and admiration. Some of these colleagues have become like family. We rejoice in each other's success, and help each other in our moment's of professional frustration. It was humbling to hear so many of my colleagues who I admire, lament my departure from the state. It is great to feel that sense of belonging and appreciation.
As I re-establish myself in my home state of Minnesota, I am hopeful that I can develop similar professional connections. But to those brothers (and sisters) in song from Iowa, I will always remain close. I may make a point to come down to future ICDA conventions from time to time, but I will definitely see you at divisional and national conventions.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
A preview for the Iowa Choral Director's Association Ethnic and Multicultural Music Reading Session
On Wednesday, July 27th, 2011 I will be presenting the ICDA Ethnic & Multicultural Perspectives reading session with the help of esteemed clinician Nick Page. For more information on Mr. Page please visit his website. The purpose of this blog is to provide as much additional information on the pieces printed for this year's reading session as possible. Where possible, I will provide the publishers link and any performance/recording links available. While compiling this years reading session list we tried to cover a variety of cultures. We also attempted to pick pieces that would cover ensembles from a variety of ages and ability levels. It was my goal to have an elementary music teacher and a collegiate choral director both have a couple pieces from this session worth considering.
I will write a second blog covering pieces suggested by Nick Page and a handful that did not make the final cut that I reviewed. Enjoy.
1. Bowling Green (2 part treble). arranged by Nick Page. Boosey & Hawkes (Hal Leonard) #48005003.
This selection is a Page arrangement of an American Bluegrass piece suitable for a middle school treble choir, originally commissioned by the Central Kentucky Children's Choir. This is an uptempo piece with sections of unison singing and simple harmonies. It is definitely a crowd pleaser. Originally performed and recorded by Cousin Emmy in the 1940s. Here is a decent live performance link via youtube.
2. Great Mornin' (2 part). arranged by Cristi Cary Miller. Hal Leonard #08552267.
This piece is a simple two part arrangement of four different African American Spirituals by Cristi Cary Miller. In my opinion Ms. Miller is one of the finest choral arrangers for developing voices active today. Her ability to interweave melodic material and create counter melodies that makes 2 part and Three Part Mixed choral music interesting for students to sing is outstanding. If you are not familiar with her arrangements, I highly recommend them. Here is the Hal Leonard link, with studio sound clip. Here is a youtube link that I found. Not the greatest video quality, but quality age appropriate performance.
3. "We're Goin' Around" from Treemonisha (SSAB). Scott Joplin / arranged by Nick Page. Boosey & Hawkes (Hal Leonard) #48019422.
This piece is another Page arrangement of a piece from Joplin's second opera, Treemonisha. Suitable for high school or more advanced junior high choirs, this piece exposes choral students to the ragtime genre. Ragtime of course is covered prominently by piano students, and its place in the history of African-American music is essential when one seeks to see the evolution of the spiritual to later styles like jazz, blues, and gospel. Here is the Hal Leonard link with a studio recording. Here is a youtube clip from the 2008 Windy City Youth Choir Festival - good quality.
4. Alma Llanera (SATB). Pedro Gutierrez / arranged by Angel Sauce. earthsongs #S-37.
This wonderful Venezuelan piece was selected by both Nick Page and myself separately. An SATB a cappella arrangement suitable for an advanced mixed ensemble (high school, collegiate, or community choir), Alma Llanera "is a joropo, a typical Venezuelan dance rhythm which is based on the simultaneous combination of 3/4 and 6/8 meter" (Maria Guinand's editorial notes at the back of the score). It is an exciting, spirited Latin American piece that will energize your concert program. Here is the earthsongs link on the publisher's website. There are a few youtube clips available. Here is one I found well done. Check out some others that add instrumental accompaniment (drums, guitar) to the piece.
5. Boatmen's Song (SSAA). Bright Sheng. G. Schirmer (Hal Leonard) #50486623.
Bright Sheng's arrangement of a folk song from the Shaanxi Province in China was originally commissioned by the Young People's Chorus of New York City under the direction of Francisco J. Nunez. Sheng is one of the premiere classical composers active today, but many may be unfamiliar with his work. It is a great opportunity to create a bridge for your singers to modern classical composers.
This piece is designed for an ADVANCED women's chorus or children's choir. In my opinion it is the most difficult piece in the session, and quite a challenge, but the end result is worth the effort. Here is the link to the program notes from Bright Sheng's website. Check it out further for more information about Dr. Sheng. Here is the Hal Leonard link with brief audio clip. A recording by the Young People's Chorus of New York can be found on their CD, Transient Glory 2.
6. Desh: An Indian Raga (TTBB). arranged by Ethan Sperry. earthsongs #S-330.
Staying on the Asian continent, we move down to India for an arrangement of Desh by Ethan Sperry, for advanced men's choir. This piece is also available from earthsongs in an SATB arrangement (#S-252). I have personally been intrigued by Indian choral music ever since I first heard, Victor Paranjoti's Dravidian Dithyramb. Dr. Sperry further contributes to this genre for earthsongs. Desh is named for a specific raga (ie. scale) that is similar to the major scale with a lowered seventh on the descent. Sperry provides very detailed ethno-musicological notes at the back of the score. The piece alternates between a slower 7/8 section, followed by a fast 4/4 essentially operating in cut time. Here is a link to the publisher's page. Here is a youtube link of the Miami University of Ohio Collegiate Chorale performing the SATB version, under the direction of Dr. Sperry. Outstanding and it works as a primary resource in your preparation.
7. Fog Elna Khel (SATB). arranged by Salim Bali. earthsongs #S-320.
Moving west to the Middle East, I chose a rare piece: choral music from a Middle Eastern country. Choral music is not a common art form in this part of the world, and Salim Bali's work has been an invaluable resource in cultivating music for this genre. Fog Elna Khel is an arrangement of a folk song with both Iraqi and Syrian origins. The part writing is excellent, and provides an opportunity to explore a non-Bel Canto singing technique with your ensemble (ie. bright and non-vibrato) to attempt to create a sound that is authentic to the Arab World. Although not overly complicated, I would recommend this piece for an advanced high school choir, beginning collegiate, or community ensemble. Here is the link to the publisher's webpage. And here is a youtube link. It appears to be a high school ensemble (unsure?), but fairly well done.
8. N'kosi Sikelel'i Afrika (unison to four parts a cappella). Joseph Shabalala and Nick Page. World Music Press VTS #14.
This another great selection contributed by Nick Page through his collaboration with Joseph Shabalala of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. This is a four part arrangement of the South African National Anthem composed by Enoch Mankay Sontonga in 1897. The voicing is very flexible and therefore it is an approachable and programmable selection for any number of ensembles. Here is the link from World Music Press. Of course here is the famous video of Miriam Makeba, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Paul Simon. In the words of Stan Lee, "Nuff said."
9. Hamisha Asar (3 part treble). Flory Jagoda / arranged by Nick Page. Boosey & Hawkes (Hal Leonard) #48004912.
This piece is an arrangement of a piece by Flory Jagoda by Nick Page. (Page also created an SATB arrangement.) Ms. Jagoda was a descendent of Sephardic Jews living in Bosnia. The lyrics are in Ladino which is a Spanish / Hebrew hybrid language. The piece dances in a fast, 7/8 meter, providing an energetic contrast in your program. Here is the Hal Leonard link. Here is a youtube link of the 2003 New Mexico All-State Women's Choir.
10. "Sano Duso" from Two Serbian Folk Songs (SATB). arranged by Tina Harrington. Pavane Publishing (Hal Leonard) #P1373.
Staying in the former Yugoslavia, I selected an arrangement of a Serbian folk song by Tina Harrington entitled Sano Duso. Oscillating between F minor and F major, the piece is about love and longing. This a great slower and deeply emotional piece for your programming. It sounds like a hybrid between Arabian and Russian influences, and considering the geographic location of Serbia and the country's history, this is not surprising. Here is the Hal Leonard link with a sound clip. And a youtube clip.
11. Ma come bali bene bela bimba (2 part). arranged by Mark Sirett. Boosey & Hawkes (Hal Leonard) #48019930.
This Venetian folk song is beautifully arranged for two part treble choir that would be well suited for an advanced middle school or junior high ensemble, or high school women's choir. A fantastic up tempo Italian piece. Here is the link to the Hal Leonard page with sample audio. And a youtube link, low quality recording, but gives you the idea.
12. D'ou Viens-tu, Bergere (2 part), by Thomas Bell. Hal Leonard #08751311.
An up tempo, French language piece with alternating meter composed by Bell for the Mississauga Children's Choir in Ontario. This is a great piece for middle school treble choirs with great part writing and strong unison sections. Here is the Hal Leonard link, with sample audio. Here is a great youtube clip of the Indianapolis Children's Choir performing the piece.
13. The True Lover's Farewell (SATB). arranged by Reginald Unterseher. Walton Music (Hal Leonard) #08501740.
This piece is a good arrangement of a traditional English folk song. Unterseher's arrangement is designed for female heavy junior high ensembles or beginning high school choirs in which the tenor part frequently doubles the soprano, and the bass line frequently doubles the alto. It is a great approach for developing choirs with changing voices. Here is the link to the Walton Music website with sound clip (very high quality).
Again, I hope this post provides an additional more in depth resource to the piece presented at this summer's reading session. Later, I will post a list of pieces that Nick Page and I considered for the reading session, but did not make the cut.
I will write a second blog covering pieces suggested by Nick Page and a handful that did not make the final cut that I reviewed. Enjoy.
1. Bowling Green (2 part treble). arranged by Nick Page. Boosey & Hawkes (Hal Leonard) #48005003.
This selection is a Page arrangement of an American Bluegrass piece suitable for a middle school treble choir, originally commissioned by the Central Kentucky Children's Choir. This is an uptempo piece with sections of unison singing and simple harmonies. It is definitely a crowd pleaser. Originally performed and recorded by Cousin Emmy in the 1940s. Here is a decent live performance link via youtube.
2. Great Mornin' (2 part). arranged by Cristi Cary Miller. Hal Leonard #08552267.
This piece is a simple two part arrangement of four different African American Spirituals by Cristi Cary Miller. In my opinion Ms. Miller is one of the finest choral arrangers for developing voices active today. Her ability to interweave melodic material and create counter melodies that makes 2 part and Three Part Mixed choral music interesting for students to sing is outstanding. If you are not familiar with her arrangements, I highly recommend them. Here is the Hal Leonard link, with studio sound clip. Here is a youtube link that I found. Not the greatest video quality, but quality age appropriate performance.
3. "We're Goin' Around" from Treemonisha (SSAB). Scott Joplin / arranged by Nick Page. Boosey & Hawkes (Hal Leonard) #48019422.
This piece is another Page arrangement of a piece from Joplin's second opera, Treemonisha. Suitable for high school or more advanced junior high choirs, this piece exposes choral students to the ragtime genre. Ragtime of course is covered prominently by piano students, and its place in the history of African-American music is essential when one seeks to see the evolution of the spiritual to later styles like jazz, blues, and gospel. Here is the Hal Leonard link with a studio recording. Here is a youtube clip from the 2008 Windy City Youth Choir Festival - good quality.
4. Alma Llanera (SATB). Pedro Gutierrez / arranged by Angel Sauce. earthsongs #S-37.
This wonderful Venezuelan piece was selected by both Nick Page and myself separately. An SATB a cappella arrangement suitable for an advanced mixed ensemble (high school, collegiate, or community choir), Alma Llanera "is a joropo, a typical Venezuelan dance rhythm which is based on the simultaneous combination of 3/4 and 6/8 meter" (Maria Guinand's editorial notes at the back of the score). It is an exciting, spirited Latin American piece that will energize your concert program. Here is the earthsongs link on the publisher's website. There are a few youtube clips available. Here is one I found well done. Check out some others that add instrumental accompaniment (drums, guitar) to the piece.
5. Boatmen's Song (SSAA). Bright Sheng. G. Schirmer (Hal Leonard) #50486623.
Bright Sheng's arrangement of a folk song from the Shaanxi Province in China was originally commissioned by the Young People's Chorus of New York City under the direction of Francisco J. Nunez. Sheng is one of the premiere classical composers active today, but many may be unfamiliar with his work. It is a great opportunity to create a bridge for your singers to modern classical composers.
This piece is designed for an ADVANCED women's chorus or children's choir. In my opinion it is the most difficult piece in the session, and quite a challenge, but the end result is worth the effort. Here is the link to the program notes from Bright Sheng's website. Check it out further for more information about Dr. Sheng. Here is the Hal Leonard link with brief audio clip. A recording by the Young People's Chorus of New York can be found on their CD, Transient Glory 2.
6. Desh: An Indian Raga (TTBB). arranged by Ethan Sperry. earthsongs #S-330.
Staying on the Asian continent, we move down to India for an arrangement of Desh by Ethan Sperry, for advanced men's choir. This piece is also available from earthsongs in an SATB arrangement (#S-252). I have personally been intrigued by Indian choral music ever since I first heard, Victor Paranjoti's Dravidian Dithyramb. Dr. Sperry further contributes to this genre for earthsongs. Desh is named for a specific raga (ie. scale) that is similar to the major scale with a lowered seventh on the descent. Sperry provides very detailed ethno-musicological notes at the back of the score. The piece alternates between a slower 7/8 section, followed by a fast 4/4 essentially operating in cut time. Here is a link to the publisher's page. Here is a youtube link of the Miami University of Ohio Collegiate Chorale performing the SATB version, under the direction of Dr. Sperry. Outstanding and it works as a primary resource in your preparation.
7. Fog Elna Khel (SATB). arranged by Salim Bali. earthsongs #S-320.
Moving west to the Middle East, I chose a rare piece: choral music from a Middle Eastern country. Choral music is not a common art form in this part of the world, and Salim Bali's work has been an invaluable resource in cultivating music for this genre. Fog Elna Khel is an arrangement of a folk song with both Iraqi and Syrian origins. The part writing is excellent, and provides an opportunity to explore a non-Bel Canto singing technique with your ensemble (ie. bright and non-vibrato) to attempt to create a sound that is authentic to the Arab World. Although not overly complicated, I would recommend this piece for an advanced high school choir, beginning collegiate, or community ensemble. Here is the link to the publisher's webpage. And here is a youtube link. It appears to be a high school ensemble (unsure?), but fairly well done.
8. N'kosi Sikelel'i Afrika (unison to four parts a cappella). Joseph Shabalala and Nick Page. World Music Press VTS #14.
This another great selection contributed by Nick Page through his collaboration with Joseph Shabalala of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. This is a four part arrangement of the South African National Anthem composed by Enoch Mankay Sontonga in 1897. The voicing is very flexible and therefore it is an approachable and programmable selection for any number of ensembles. Here is the link from World Music Press. Of course here is the famous video of Miriam Makeba, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Paul Simon. In the words of Stan Lee, "Nuff said."
9. Hamisha Asar (3 part treble). Flory Jagoda / arranged by Nick Page. Boosey & Hawkes (Hal Leonard) #48004912.
This piece is an arrangement of a piece by Flory Jagoda by Nick Page. (Page also created an SATB arrangement.) Ms. Jagoda was a descendent of Sephardic Jews living in Bosnia. The lyrics are in Ladino which is a Spanish / Hebrew hybrid language. The piece dances in a fast, 7/8 meter, providing an energetic contrast in your program. Here is the Hal Leonard link. Here is a youtube link of the 2003 New Mexico All-State Women's Choir.
10. "Sano Duso" from Two Serbian Folk Songs (SATB). arranged by Tina Harrington. Pavane Publishing (Hal Leonard) #P1373.
Staying in the former Yugoslavia, I selected an arrangement of a Serbian folk song by Tina Harrington entitled Sano Duso. Oscillating between F minor and F major, the piece is about love and longing. This a great slower and deeply emotional piece for your programming. It sounds like a hybrid between Arabian and Russian influences, and considering the geographic location of Serbia and the country's history, this is not surprising. Here is the Hal Leonard link with a sound clip. And a youtube clip.
11. Ma come bali bene bela bimba (2 part). arranged by Mark Sirett. Boosey & Hawkes (Hal Leonard) #48019930.
This Venetian folk song is beautifully arranged for two part treble choir that would be well suited for an advanced middle school or junior high ensemble, or high school women's choir. A fantastic up tempo Italian piece. Here is the link to the Hal Leonard page with sample audio. And a youtube link, low quality recording, but gives you the idea.
12. D'ou Viens-tu, Bergere (2 part), by Thomas Bell. Hal Leonard #08751311.
An up tempo, French language piece with alternating meter composed by Bell for the Mississauga Children's Choir in Ontario. This is a great piece for middle school treble choirs with great part writing and strong unison sections. Here is the Hal Leonard link, with sample audio. Here is a great youtube clip of the Indianapolis Children's Choir performing the piece.
13. The True Lover's Farewell (SATB). arranged by Reginald Unterseher. Walton Music (Hal Leonard) #08501740.
This piece is a good arrangement of a traditional English folk song. Unterseher's arrangement is designed for female heavy junior high ensembles or beginning high school choirs in which the tenor part frequently doubles the soprano, and the bass line frequently doubles the alto. It is a great approach for developing choirs with changing voices. Here is the link to the Walton Music website with sound clip (very high quality).
Again, I hope this post provides an additional more in depth resource to the piece presented at this summer's reading session. Later, I will post a list of pieces that Nick Page and I considered for the reading session, but did not make the cut.
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