Introduction
I knew I shouldn't have done it. I knew better than to play in the snow without a coat, but it is what it is. The past is in the past. But the future is a bad case of pneumonia that will have me out of work for at least a month. You are the Assistant Choral Director. All of my responsibilities now fall to you. It is up to you to choose the repertoire for the Spring Chorus Concert. You will need to research and select (4) songs for the upcoming concert. You may work with a small team of up to (3) colleagues since this is your first time planning a choral program. Each member of the 4-person group will be responsible for choosing and researching one selection. You will create a total of (13) slides in your presentation.
Please remember that students will not benefit from singing all modern pop songs. The purpose of this class is to expose students to a variety of genres and time periods of music. Make sure to keep this in mind while choosing your concert selections.
Task
This is an important task! It is your job to find (4) different pieces of music to be performed at the Spring Concert. In order to plan a successful program, you will need to keep a few things in mind.
- Choose a theme for your concert. All of your choral selections should somehow relate to the theme. Read this short article for some helpful suggestions. https://www.totalchoirresources.com/how-to-choose-a-theme-for-your-choir-concert/
- Is the music the right level for our choir? Will it challenge us without being too difficult?
- Who wrote the song? Is it a famous composer from centuries ago or a modern day composer?
- What parts is it written for? Unison? 2-part? SAB (Soprano/Alto/Baritone)? I would not recommend choosing a song written for a SATB choir.
- What does the melody sound like? Will it be enjoyable for the choir and the audience?
The best resource for choosing chorus selections is the internet. The majority of choral music found on the internet will be available from sites that are selling the music. However, previews can be found of the musical selections and often include at least one page of the sheet music. You should be able to find out a lot about the piece simply from the preview.
A few great resources:
Choral Domain Public Library - Free choral arrangements of different genres http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/
Sheet Music Plus - Large database of published choral arrangements https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/
The Mutopia Project - Free choral arrangements (mostly classical and jazz) http://www.mutopiaproject.org/
JW Pepper - Published choral arrangements of all genres and time periods https://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/welcome.jsp
You may also search for specific songs, styles, or time periods in your search engine. YouTube also provides various examples of choral music selections and performances.
Process
Now that you have an overview and understanding of your task, it's time to get started. The concert will be here before you know it! The music must be given to the students well in advance so they have time to prepare. Don't be overwhelmed! If you follow these steps, you are sure to be successful!
Slide #1 - Title of your Spring Concert (Make it something catchy!) and the names of the members of your planning team. Your title should reflect the theme of your concert. All selections should somehow relate to the theme.
Slide #2 - Choose a song that is written by a composer living before the 20th century. (1899 or earlier) Include the name of the song and a sound clip if possible. What does the song mean? Why was it written? What voice arrangement is it written for? (unison, 2-part, or SAB)
Slide #3 - Write a short biography about the composer of song #1.
Slide #4 - Why did you choose this song? How does it fit the theme of your program?
Slide #5 - Choose an arrangement of a vocal jazz piece, gospel, or spiritual. Include the name of the song and a sound clip if possible. What does the song mean? Why was it written? What voice arrangement is it written for? (unison, 2-part, or SAB)
Slide #6 - Write a short biography about the composer of song #2. If you choose a folk song or spiritual, you may not be able to find a composer. You may write about the history of the song or the arranger of the piece.
Slide #7 - Why did you choose this song? How does it fit the theme of your program?
Slide #8 - Choose a ballad (The song that makes them say, "Aww. Look at my baby."). Include the name of the song and a sound clip if possible. What does the song mean? Why was it written? What voice arrangement is it written for? (unison, 2-part, or SAB)
Slide #9 - Write a short biography about the composer of song #3.
Slide #10 - Why did you choose this song? How does it fit the theme of your program?
Slide #11 - Choose a contemporary song for your finale. This song should have been written in 1950 or later. Include the name of the song and a sound clip if possible. What does the song mean? Why was it written? What voice arrangement is it written for? (unison, 2-part, or SAB)
Slide #12 - Write a short biography about the composer of song #4.
Slide #13 - Why did you choose this song? How does it fit the theme of your program?
Evaluation
Use this rubric to evaluate your presentation. You will be graded based on this rubric.
https://www.quickrubric.com/r#/qr/tympanie/let's-have-a-concert-/copy
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully completed a program for this year's Spring Chorus Concert! As you now understand, it can be a difficult task to choose music that will challenge students and be enjoyable at the same time. However, you have done just that and now the students are ready to begin the learning process.
Please complete this Google Form to summarize your activity. And don't forget to share your presentation with Mrs. Onufer!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1IuMHORIiJFVNNRbue45nECvkxsknEDbFNkytH32Mj44/edit