Hugh Ballou US Representative, E-Mail: ballou@interkultur.

com
 Contents
October 2009
Vol. 50 no 3

Textual Presentation and The Influence of

Representation in Znamenny Liturgical Chant
la
- to
on the NineteenthCentury
Stravinskys
-

la - to
Pi
Choral
Chorral
a WWorks
orks
or ks Pi
-
o

- la -
ti o to
Pnon - - tPion - - -
Po b ti Pi
su - o
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-
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s;

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bi

-
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- am pro____ no
ti
Russian Choral School
8 20 34
-
-

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e

__

-
am
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A Guide for Performance
i
t
e -

Articles Inside
8 Textual Presentation and Representation in Stravinskys Choral Works
2 From the Executive Director
by Kevin Zakresky
6 From the President
20 The Influence of Znamenny Liturgical Chant on the Nineteenth- 7 From the Guest Editor
Century Russian Choral School: A Guide to Performance 19 In Memoriam
88 Advertisers Index
by Jeffery B. Wall

34 Beyond Error Detection:

A Cycle of Pedagogical Skills for Choral Conductors
The Choral Journal is the official publication of The
by Patrick K. Freer American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).
ACDA is a nonprofit professional organization
of choral directors from schools, colleges, and
47 New Voices in Research: universities; community, church, and professional
Modernism and Byzantine Influence in Rautavaaras Vigilia, Part One choral ensembles; and industry and institutional
organizations. Choral Journal circulation: 19,000.
by Charles W. Kamm
Annual dues (includes subscription to the Choral

Columns
Journal): Active $85, Industry $135, Institutional
$110, Retired $45, and Student $35. One-year
membership begins on date of dues acceptance.
Library annual subscription rates: U.S. $45; Canada
$50; Foreign Surface $53; Foreign Air $85. Single
Copy $3; Back Issues $4.
57 Repertoire & Standards Articles Permission is granted to all ACDA members
Keep Americas Youth Singing to reproduce articles from the Choral Journal
for noncommercial, educational purposes only.
by Karen L. Bruno
Nonmembers wishing to reproduce articles may
request permission by writing to ACDA. 545
Womens Choir RepRepert
erto
oire Performed at ACDA National Conventions Couch Drive, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102.
in the Twenty-First Century. Telephone: 405/232-8161. All rights reserved.
by Debra Spurgeon
The Choral Journal (US ISSN 0009-5028) is issued
monthly except for July. Printed in the United
63 Technology for the Choral Director edited by Don Oglesby States of America. Periodicals postage paid at
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and additional mailing
Recording Your Choir office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
by C. Blair Bryant Choral Journal, 545 Couch Drive, Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma 73102.
67 Book Reviews edited by Stephen Town
73 Recording Reviews edited by Lawrence Schenbeck Cover art by Efrain Guerrero, graphic artist, Austin, Texas.
Inside art by Tammy Brummell.
79 Choral Reviews edited by Lyn Schenbeck Musical examples by Tunesmith Music <www.Tunesmithmusic.com>.
 National Officers
From the Executive Director
President
Jerry McCoy
University of North Texas The summer season of the American Choral Directors Association
940/369-8389 (voice)
mccoy@music.unt.edu is a very busy time in the life of our individual state chapter groups.
Vice-president The combined attendance at our state spring and summer conferences
Hilary Apfelstadt
The Ohio State University outnumbers our more celebrated division and national conference at-
614/292-9926 (voice) tendance, and the vibrancy and intimacy evident at our state summer
apfelstadt1@osu.edu
conferences is impossible to duplicate at the larger biannual events.
President-elect
Jo-Michael Scheibe It was my pleasure to visit several state ACDA chapter conferences
University of Southern California
scheibe@thorton.usc.edu this summer, and from the dinner on the capital lawn in Mississippi, to
Treasurer the salmon bake in Washington, to the student reception in Texas, to
Jo Ann Miller
North Dakota State University the dialogue in Minnesota, to the retro Staying Alive disco night in
jo.miller@ndsu.edu
Tim Sharp
Nebraska, it is clear that nothing can replace the personal touch that is
Executive Director given to our professional affiliation at the state and regional level. The opportunity to hear our own
Tim Sharp
405/232-8161 (voice); 405/232-8162 (fax) students perform in honor choirs, the up-close-and-personal time we are afforded with our guest
sharp@acda.org
clinicians and conductors, the sincere conversations that we are able to have with our leadership, and
Central Division President
Mary Hopper the renewal of grassroots energy and program involvement, all take place most effectively at the state
Wheaton College chapter level of ACDA activity.
630/752-5828 (voice)
mary.hopper@wheaton.edu > The American Choral Directors Association is rolling out a membership campaign this year that
Eastern Division President will begin to show its effectiveness first at our seven Division Conferences this coming February and
Lynn Drafall
Pennsylvania State University March, and again at the state conferences next summer. It has been my pleasure to be involved to
814/863-4219 (voice)
led5@psu.edu some degree with the leadership of our national divisions as they worked with their planning com-
North Central Division President mittees toward their upcoming division conferences. The often-heard comment that our Division
Kevin Meidl
920/8324170 (voice) Conferences now rival former National Conferences in their educational and performance programs
meidlkevin@aasd.k12.wi.us
has never been more true than what has been prepared for you this coming February and March in
Northwestern Division President
Richard Nance Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Memphis, Denver, Seattle, and Tucson.
Pacific Lutheran University As money has tightened in everyones budget, it is more important now than ever to make the
253/535-7613 (voice)
nancelr@plu.edu@msn.com most of our conference opportunities.To this end, I encourage you to start planning wisely to take full
Southern Division President advantage of the continuing education resources offered in our Division Conferences and their host
Bradley Almquist
Murray State University cities. On the following page, please find a thought-sheet as well as a work-sheet prepared to help
270/809-6448
bard.almquist@murraystate.edu you formulate a proposal as you request funding for an upcoming conference, apply for professional
Southwestern Division President development grants, or otherwise seek to make a case for the irreplaceable experience and educational
Galen Darrough
University of Northern Colorado benefits of an ACDA Division Conference. These templates are offered as a starting place to make
970/351-2290 (voice)
galen.darrough@unco.edu your own for your institution or funding source. If YOU are your funding source, use this material to
Western Division President help you remember why these conferences are so important to your own retooling process.
Cheryl Anderson And, in the spirit of paying forward consider sponsoring a pair of students, or better yet, a student
Cabrillo College - VAPA
832/479-6155 (voice) group, or a colleague, to attend a conference with you. If this is their first conference, you will help to
cranderson@cabrillo.edu
change the course of their professional lives for the better. Just say road trip to your choral students,
Industry Associate Representative
Alec Harris and the rest will fall in line.
GIA Publications Inc.
708/496-3800 (voice); 708/496-3828 (fax) Please borrow liberally and adapt the proposal ideas on the next few pages.

Chair, Past Presidents Council

Tim Sharp
Michele Holt
Providence College
401/822-1030 (voice)
Holtm@cox.net

National Past Presidents

World Choir Initiatives
Archie Jones Colleen Kirk
Elwood Keister Maurice T. Casey
Warner Imig Hugh Sanders
J. Clark Rhodes David O. Thorsen 2011 World Choral Symposium in Argentina
Harold A. Decker Diana J. Leland
Theron Kirk William B. Hatcher
Charles C. Hirt John B. Haberlen A new Symposium with new bloodThe 9th World Symposium on Choral Music (WSCM9)
Morris D. Hayes Lynn Whitten
Russell Mathis James A. Moore will be located in the beautiful resort city of Puerto Madryn, Argentina, August 3-10, 2011.
Walter S. Collins Milburn Price
H. Royce Saltzman David Stutzenberger Known around the region as a singing capital, the city of Puetro Madryn in the province of
Patagonia was settled by Welsh pioneers in the mid 1800s, who quickly estab- Executive Directors
lished the practice of vibrant 4-part hymn singing in their churches. To this day,
descendents of these early singing pioneers, deeply religious in their convictions, Log
are still thriving and active. Since the mid 1960s, this singing movement has spread
to the establishment of numerous successful municipal and community choirs
whose broad repertoire of academic and folk music give life to choral singing in
the area. National and international choral festivals annually attract choirs from
around the world and give the inhabitants of the region a deep knowledge and
appreciation for choral singing.
WSCM9 invites choirs to explore their traditions, their diversity and look to day planner
the future and offers choirs the opportunity to make an application for perfor-
mance. The application deadline is October 1, 2009, with detailed application
and audition registration information posted on the extensive WSCM9 website
at www.wscm9.com. Click on Choir Subscription to receive audition criteria.
Oct 8 - Webinar Recording
As prominently stated on their website, choral music is the perfect way to 11 Oklahoma City, OK
celebrate creation, develop culture and preserve nature. Puerto Madryn is look-
ing forward to receiving conductors and choir singers from all over the world Oct 1 0 OKC Philharmonic
to live an unforgettable week of music and friendship, in contact with nature. Oklahoma City, OK
by: Bruce W. Becker, Executive Director, ACDA of Minnesota and IFCM member
Oct 2 1 UCO Noon Concert
at ACDA Natl Office
Keys to Preparing a Funding
Proposal Toward Attending
Oklahoma City, OK
an ACDA Conference Oct 2 2- IFCM General Assembly
Be keen to the stated mission and objectives of your institution or employer,
25 Orebro, Sweden
writing your proposal in terms of addressing those objectives;
Nov 6 - Conduct St. .Paul
Plan and Propose well in advance. Tulsa Oratorio Chorus
7
By first studying the direction of your sponsoring institution through stated Tulsa, Oklahoma
mission and objectives, you will be well on your way to securing some, if not all,
of the funding necessary to attend your next ACDA conference. Even if the Nov 12 - Honors Chorus
primary goal of your institution is cutting costs, by knowing this is the prime
objective, you are closer to securing funding for the event by demonstrating 14 Atlanta, Georgia
how the conference will save your institution money.

The second step is to study the offerings of the conference well in advance.

Write your request or proposal in terms of your institutions mission and ipod
objectives, and clearly demonstrate how your attendance at the conference
will advance those objectives. If the primary goal of your institution is placed
on financial cutbacks, choose interest sessions and multi-tasking opportunities
that are built around saving money, and write your proposal in terms of at-
tending those sessions.
Circle of Time Nebraska Children's Chorus
Place a dollar value on the following conference offerings, and demonstrate
the value of your chosen ACDA conference: The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass VocalEssence

Number of performances multiplied by your best conservative estimate RU'IA: Sacred Visions inspired by Islam
of the cost of each performance if attending at your local concert hall: Eric Banks/The Esoterics
$ _______

Number of educational sessions (workshops, labs, masterclasses, dem-

onstrations, interest sessions) you will attend, multiplied by your best Kindle
conservative estimate of the cost of each seminar if attended separately:
$ _______

Number of choral reading sessions you will attend and value of music packets
received in each session if attended elsewhere: $ _______
The Element by Ken Robinson (Viking)
Blunder by Zachary Shore
If your institution is hiring and the conference can be used as a marketing
resource for hiring, place a marketing value on the announcements, fly-
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (Little Brown)
Baudolino by Umberto Eco
ers, posters, etc., that you are able to circulate or distribute at the event: Mendelssohn in Performance by Siegwart Reichwald
$ _______ The Essential Rumi Rumi
The New Yorker magazine
 Keys to Preparing a Funding Proposal Toward
Attending an ACDA Conference cont.
If hiring, use the conference as a pro-
fessional location to screen or interview
potential candidates. Place a value on this
opportunity: $ _______
Place a value on a consultation fee for
buttonhole seminars or purposed net-
working: $ _______
If the negotiated rate at the conference
anchor hotel represents a savings in terms
of basic rate, early registration, savings on
ground transportation, and other discounts,
be certain to point out the savings of mon-
ey and time, and apply money to budget.
Further, apply time saved in transportation
by staying at conference hotel to extended
networking and conference opportunities
afforded by NOT spending time getting
from place to place: $ _______
If receptions are offered, place a mon-
etary value on what those networking
events are saving you in food and beverage
costs: $ _______
If you are already an ACDA member,
demonstrate the membership dues in
terms of discount for attending the confer-
ence (applicable for all ACDA events as a
benefit of membership): $ _______
Talking Points for your Employer, Chair, Dean,
Board, or other Supervisor
You already know you will come away
refreshed and recharged from an ACDA
conference, but how do you convince
your supervisor that you need to attend
this conference? The following are talking
points addressing the typical concerns:
We are under-staffed; we cant lose
you for that long.
This is a chance for inspiration with extraor-
dinary teachers, conductors, and colleagues
from around the world. Ill be attending
educational interest sessions, hands-on
workshops, and meeting with vendors, so
4 Choral Journal October 2009
If your institution sponsors an ACDA
student chapter, contact the ACDA Divi-
sion Leadership (Division Conference)
or ACDA National Office (National
Conference) for ways students can get
involved in a conference as well as ways
this involvement could save you and/or
students money: $ _______
If you are open to sharing a room, create
a list on an ACDA website forum, or on
Facebook, requesting a possible roommate
to share expenses: $ _______
If the conference is within reasonable
driving distance, advertise early for a car-
pool or vanpool or even a chartered bus
by a state chapter to the event, splitting
travel expenses: $ _______
Once the funding is secured, the follow-
ing are ways to take full advantage of the
conference toward making this the SINGLE
travel or conference event that you have
chosen:
If hiring, or anticipate hiring, use the event
to advertise, network, screen, or possibly
interview candidates. If the conference
does not formally make this possible, set
this up in advance using the natural re-
sources of any conference city.
Ill come back with more energy, ideas, and
new methods that will make me more valu-
able and productive.
Its too expensive/we dont have a
budget for this.
This conference offers a great valueit is
four full days of programming, performances,
connections and experiences that cant be
purchased at a better price. Hotel rates are
quite reasonable, and (to save even more)
I can split the cost of hotel rooms with a
colleague.
We can only send you to one conference.
Why is this one the best?
Most conference locations offer much
more than the conference. Locate archives,
museums, libraries, piano dealers, church
or school programs, instrument dealers,
mentors, or other resources that can be
legitimately utilized during the trip. Choose
one such destination offered uniquely by
the conference city and multi-task your
visit, doubling the value of your travel
expenditure.
Use the conference for continuing educa-
tion units, certification, graduate credits, or
other credentialing. If this is not formally
offered, create a credential that can be
validated by the conference leadership or
presenters.
Be certain to make a presentation back
at your home institution that demonstrates
the take home that you took away from
the conference.
Pass ideas and opportunities along to
colleagues that were not able to attend
the event. Rather than discarding music
you could not use, find someone that CAN
use that type of piece, program, or idea.
Become a network for others that didnt
attend the conference.
ACDA is recognized worldwide as the au-
thority for choral performance and choral
education. Even though this is a national
conference, attendees come from around
the world due to the uniqueness of ACDA
within the choral profession. To get a sense
of the presentations Ill be attending, watch
a few videos from the 2009 ACDA National
conference (ACDAs National YouTube site).
Whats in it for us?
In addition to the countless idea-generating
presentations, interest sessions, perfor-
mances, and workshops, ACDA offers con-
tinuing education verification and graduate
credit possibilities (check for your particular
conference).
Professional Development Request to Attend 2010
Conference of the American Choral Director s Association

To: [Supervisor]
From: [Your name]
Date: [Insert date]
Subject: Approval Request for American Choral Director s Conference
s Conference, taking place DATE 2010 in PLACE.
I am writing to request approval to attend the American Choral Director
nal and performance experience for choral music
The American Choral Director s Conference offers a comprehensive educatio
es, choral literature, choral pedagogy, and choral
professionals to grow their skill sets in the area of choral rehearsal techniqu
nal association for choral director s. ACDA offers
technologies. The American Choral Director s Association is the professio
n worksho ps, masterclasses, and in-depth lectures from
the only choral educational event which includes instructor-led hands-o
conferen ce features perform ances from the very best choirs of a variety of
ACDAs top choral educators and performers. The
In addition to the educational sessions and choral
performance types, including multiple examples from my field of choral work.
nity for me to learn new music in my area of teaching
masterclasses and performances, choral reading sessions offer the opportu
professio nals widen my horizon and professional network.
and performance. Seminar s and buttonhole sessions with industry
rators, and students are all gathered within the embrace of this unique
Composers, publishers, conductors, educators, administ
offers technical roadmaps and insights from
professional conference. Premium content from ACDA leadership in 30 sessions
professionals who are leaders in the choral profession.
my job more effectively and reach key learning
Attending the American Choral Director s Conference will help me perform
objectives. The conference delivers content that will teach me how to:

[Select from the particular list unique to the conference you plan to attend]
current projects such as:
The knowledge and skills I will acquire will be immediately applicable to my
es]
[insert current projects unique to your institution, mission, and objectiv
own division conference website]
You can see the full Conference offerings at www.acda.org [or insert your

Below is a sample of my proposed agenda:

[add sessions and your proposed schedule at the Conference]

choral reading sessions, all performances, access to
The cost of registration is $$ and includes all educational sessions, new music
ns, and all network ing opportu nities over the four days of seminar offerings.
exhibitor hall, evening activities and selected receptio
The following is an estimate of additional conference costs:

Airfare or Mileage: [add expenses]

Ground Transportation and Parking: [add expenses]
Hotel: [add actual]
Total Cost to Attend: [insert total]
separate events throughout the year.
In terms of value, this is what I estimate this conference would cost me as
[insert estimated cost].
networking opportunities will be of great advantage to
The value of the education as well as the professionals I meet through the
year-round with the real connections I build with
[insert your organizations name]. The benefit of my attendance will continue
ACDA professionals and member s of the larger choral community.
area of choral skills, performance, and literature
This conference represents ?? hours of real time continuing education in the
e conferen ce report of my activities.
review. Upon my return, I will assemble a complet
nal conference.
Thank you for considering supporting my attendance at this important professio

Kind Regards,

[Name]
 National R&S Chairs

National Chair
From the President
Nancy Cox
580/482-2364 (voice); 580/482-1990 (fax)
<nrcox@swbell.net> During our recent national board meeting, I
Boychoirs gave a short statement of my hopes for ACDAs
Julian Ackerley
Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus prosperity over the course of the next two years.
520/296-6277 (voice); 520/296-6751 (fax) One of the most important aspects of that vision
<ackerley@boyschorus.org>
statement included plans for the enhancement of
Childrens Choirs
Robyn Lana our international relationships.
Cincinnati Childrens Choir
513/556-0338 (voice); 513/556-9988 (fax) As many of you know, Hilary, Tim, and I have
<lanarr@uc.edu>
been working diligently over the course of the
College and University Choirs past two years to reenergize our position on
William McConnell
St. Andrews Presbyterian College the board of the International Federation for Jerry McCoy
910/277-5262 (voice)
<mcconnellwt@sapc.edu> Choral Music (IFCM). ACDA was a founding
member organization of the IFCM and thanks
Community Choirs
Ron Sayer to diligent and focused partnerships with Michael Anderson and Philip Brunelle,
Marshall Community Chorus
660/831-5197 (voice) both members of IFCMs board of directors, we have been able to reinvigorate
<ronsay@aol.com>
our participation in this very important organization. We will continue to do our
Ethnic and Multicultural Perspectives best to provide leadership within IFCM.
Sharon Davis Gratto
University of Dayton ACDA is also taking a bold step to formalize our relationship with INTERKUL-
973/229-3946 (voice); 937/229-3916 (fax)
<grattosd@notes.udayton.edu> TUR, the non-profit wing of Musica Mundi, creator of the World Choir Games. In
partnership with Music Mundi, ACDA will assist in sponsoring the Choir Games of
Junior High/Middle School the USA in 2010, the Choir Games of the Americas in 2011, and the World Choir
Gretchen Harrison
Frontier Trail Junior High Games in 2012. Having participated as a jurist for the 2008 World Choir Games
913/780-7210 (voice); 913/780-7216 (fax)
<gharrison.jhms@gmail.com> in Graz, Austria, I can tell you we are involved in a world-changing endeavor. More
than 14,000 singers from around the globe participated in the 2008 World Choir
Male Choirs
Frank Albinder Games, enhancing our common good and furthering the influence of choral music
202/986-5867 (voice)
<FSAlbinder@pobox.com> in changing our world for the better. Watch the web site and the Choral Journal
Music in Worship
for more information about these events.
Paul A. Aitken In the late 1980s and early 1990s, ACDA partnered with several world choral
Boise First United Methodist Church
208/343-7511 (voice); 208/343-0000 (fax) organizations to create the International Emerging Choral Conductors Exchange
<paitken@boisefumc.org>
Program. For more than a decade, this very important project has fallen off our
Senior High Choirs
Amy Johnston Blosser collective radar. At our recent board meeting, I proposed the reestablishment of
Bexley High School the conductors exchange program and laid out an agenda for ACDAs leadership
614/539-5262 (voice)
<ablosser@bexley.k12.oh.us> of this project. The proposal was met with enthusiasm by the members of the
Show Choirs national board and steps have been taken that will culminate in our next interna-
Ken Thomas
Enterprise-Ozark Community College tional exchange during the division conventions in 2012. More information will
334/347-2623 (voice)
<kthomasmu@charter.net> be forthcoming over the next several months about application processes and
organization of the exchange program.
Two-Year Colleges
Paul Laprade As the world reels under the pressures of economic downturns and shifting
Rock Valley College
815/921-3347 (voice) political alliances, as the voices of advocates for peace and tolerance meet an ever
<p.laprade@rockvalleycollege.edu> greater din of opposition, participation in the choral art becomes more important.
Vocal Jazz ACDAs international agenda will play a powerful role in enhancing understanding
Kirk Marcy
Edmonds Community College and cooperation in the world.
425/640-1651 (voice); 425/640-1083 (fax)
<kmarcy@edcc.edu>

Womens Choirs
Debra Spurgeon
University of Mississippi
662/513-6635 (voice)
Jerry McCoy
<dspurg@olemiss.edu>

Youth and Student Activities

Jeffrey Carter
Webster University
765/760-3812 (voice)
<jrc@jeffreycarter.us>
 Editorial Board
From the Guest Editor Editor
Carroll Gonzo
University of St.Thomas
651/962-5832 (voice); 651/962-5876 (fax)
In This Issue clgonzo@stthomas.edu

Managing Editor
Ron Granger
One of the on-going issues for choral directors is ACDA National Office
the intricate interaction of the aesthetic and cognitive 405/232-8161 (voice); 405/232-8162 (fax)
rgranger@acda.org
domains when text meets music. In his article, Tex-
Editorial Associate
tural Presentation and Representation in Stravinskys David Stocker
Choral Works, Kevin Zakresky presents Stravinskys 281/291-8194 (voice)
dstocker@asu.edu
advocation for the autonomy of music in vocal pieces,
Patricia Abbott
believing the music could only present the text, not Assn. of Canadian Choral Conductors
represent it. As a result, Stravinskys musical choices David Stocker
514/351-4865 (voice)
accc@ca.inter.net
often created false accents in the spoken language.
Terry Barham
Zakresky cites examples, particularly in Les Noces, Emporia State University
where the syllable rather than the word becomes the basic unit of the text settings. 620/341-5436 (voice)
tbarham@emporia.edu
He also discusses how, in Stravinskys opera/oratorio, Oedipus Rex, the text is not so
Richard J. Bloesch
much acted as displayed. He concludes that His [Stravinskys] style of vocal composi- 319/351-3497 (voice)
richard-bloesch@uiowa.edu
tion, in which neither music nor text is subordinate to the other, does not diminish the
text, but, in a way, allows for limitless interpretations of its meaning, John Dickson
Mercer University
Even though the strong sacred music tradition of Russia was evident from the late 478/301-5639
john.h.dickson@mercer.edu
eleventh century, various other national styles, especially Italian and German, became
popular to the extent that the Russian national style only reemerged in the nineteeth J. Michele Edwards
651/699-1077 (voice)
century. This national style, znamenny chant, and its influence on Russian composers, edwards@macalester.edu
is examined in Jeffrey Walls article, The Influence of Znamenny Liturgical Chant on Lynne Gackle
the Nineteenth-Century Russian Choral School. University of South Florida
813/909-1099 (voice)
Wall examines znamenny chant and its influence through a close look at two mlgackle@arts.usf.edu

compositions: Rimsky-Korsakovs Let Us Praise the Virgin Mary, and Kastalskys Today Sharon A. Hansen
University of WisconsinMilwaukee
the Virgin. 414/229-4595 (voice)
Tracing the chant in Russian choral works is not always a simple matter, for while sahansen@uwm.edu

the chant is the over-all structural element, it is also the model for voice-leading Edward Lundergan
SUNY-New Paltz
and phrasing. Wall suggests rehearsal approaches and encourages more attempts at 845/257-2715
performing this unique literature. lunderge@newpaltz.edu

Patrick Freer, in his article, Beyond Error Detection, discusses the relationship Donald Oglesby
University of Miami
between unconscious/unvoiced philosophies of teaching and teaching style. Con- 305/284-4162 (voice)
ductorsdeeply influence the choral experiencethrough their implementation of DOglesby@miami.edu

philosophy and facility with pedagogical skills Lawrence Schenbeck

Spelman College
Freers discussion is divided into the topic areas of: The design of rehearsals and 404/270-5482 (voice)
lschenbe@spelman.edu
rehearsing; a cycle of pedagogical skills; and the giving of appropriate feedback. He
concludes that pedagogical transparency allows the choral experience to become a Lyn Schenbeck
Coweta County Schools
collaborative process more overtly shared by conductor and singers. 770/683-6837 (voice)
lyn.schenbeck@cowetaschools.org
Finally, I call your attention to our New Voices in Research, Magen Solomon, editor,
which features an article by Charles Kamm. This is Part One of a two-part discussion Ann R. Small
Stetson University
on Modernism and Byzantine Influence in Rautavaaras Vigilia. Kamm examines this 386/822-8976
asmall@stetson.edu
work by referencing the structure and musical language of the traditional Finnish Vigil
service, the formal unity of Vigilia, and some hallmarks of Rautavaaras modernism. Magen Solomon
University of Southern California
The discussion will continue next month in Part Two. 213/740-3225
magensol@usc.edu

Stephen Town
Northwest Missouri State University

David Stocker 660/562-1795 (voice)

stown@nwmissouri.edu
 Textual Presentation and
Representation in
Stravinskys
Choral Works
Kevin Zakresky
- to
la

-
la - to
Pi
-
o Pi
- la -
ti o to
Pnon - - tPion - - -
Po b ti Pi
su - o
s u b s ub

;
-
ti - am pro_ bis
s;

e ___ no -
bi

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;
b is

- am pro____ no
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no
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p ro _ _
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MUSIC LYRICS
 S
travinskys most frequent complaint about his opinions on the separation of musical meaning
the state of vocal music in the Western from textual meaning are reflected in his choral pieces.
tradition was that composers too often Rather than responding to the poetic meaning of
try to marry the text to the music. In his texts, Stravinsky came to his compositional proce-
Poetics of Music (speeches now attributed to Alexis dure by way of a texts phonetic character and meter.
Roland-Manuel, but nevertheless orated by Stravinsky), Richard Taruskin states that, during Stravinskys time
the composer explains that when the aim of vocal in Switzerland (191419), the composer started to
music is to express the meaning of its text through develop a particular style of text setting where the
music, it leaves the realm of music and has nothing accents of spoken language were merely there to
more in common with it.1 be manipulated like any
For Stravinsky, the ultimate other musical parameter,
offender was Wagner, whose for the sake of musical
music was arbitrarily para- enjoyment.3 Stravinsky
lyzed by constraints foreign called this realization, that
to its own laws. The genre
2
speech accents of a verse
of art song (a style of music can be ignored when
where marriage of text and sung, his rejoicing dis-
music is favored) was also covery, and cited Russian
par ticularly unsatisfactory folk music as his primary
to him. influence.4 In Dialogues,
Stravinsky advocated au- the composer remarks
tonomy for music. In vocal that when he works with
pieces, he believed that the words, his musical saliva
music could only present the is set in motion by the
text, not represent it. If the sounds and rhythms of
music were free from having the syllables and In the
to convey the meaning of beginning was the word
the text (which Stravinsky is, for me, a literal, local-
believed was impossible ized truth.5 For him, vo-
anyway), composers would cal music is bound to the
Portrait of Igor Stravinsky by Pablo Picasso, 1920.
be able to focus purely on words.6 He chose W.H.
musical concerns, crafting a Auden as librettist for The
language that is not bound Rakes Progress because of
by literal concerns.This strong stance on the relation- Audens ability to write verse. In a BBC documentary
ship between text and music runs contrary to many of on the poet, Stravinsky said that his concern was
historys great vocal and choral works, but it is unclear not whether Auden would be a good dramatist, but
whether Stravinsky considered himself a revolutionary whether his verse would be flexible enough to with-
on the subject. Choral music makes up a significant stand metrical variation.7
portion of Stravinskys output, and, for the most part, Taruskin explains that the incorrect accentuations
in folk music (which arise from the forcing of refrac-
tory words into an overriding metrical pattern) and
the lack of connection between the sounds and their
Kevin Zakresky is the Choirmaster at Chatham Hall School in textual meaning inspired Stravinsky most in his new
Chatham,Virginia <kzakresky@chathamhall.org>
style.8 The text in Stravinskys vocal compositions,

Choral Journal October 2009 9

 Stravinskys Choral Works continued

thus, often begins as pure phonetic mate- works try to present the material rather fourth tableau is obscured to the point of
rial for the composer, forced into his musical than describe it.10 being only barely recognizable.
phrases as in so many strophic folk songs (of It is the rejection of narrative text in Les To comprise his text, Stravinsky takes
any language) that inevitably feature a devia- Noces that is so characteristic of Stravinskys various quotations from literature with
tion from their regular poetic meter. (Think choral compositions.The plot of Les Noces wedding scenes (mainly from Pushkin) and
of the second stanza of the Coventry Carol: is extremely loose: it is not the story of a integrates them with simple folk legends as-
Herod the King in his ra-GING). wedding, but a representation of the vari- sociated with wedding ceremonies.The first
A syllable, rather than a word, now ous sounds associated with one. Stravinsky tableau is the representation of sounds one
becomes the basic unit of Stravinskys text admits that Les Noces is an imitation of a would expect to hear at the brides house
settings. This was the case especially in his tradition of wedding celebrations which before the wedding, and the second tableau
early faux-folk work Les Noces. Stravinsky he had, in fact, never even witnessed.11 the grooms. The third is loosely labeled Le
considered Les Noces more a divertissement There are no actual folk songs in the piece dpart de la marie or The Bride is on her
or masquerade than an oratorio or ballet: It (although many of the melodies are meant way, and, because of the fragmentary nature
was not my intention to reproduce the ritual to evoke this style), and Stravinsky makes of the text, is altogether incomprehensible
of peasant weddings, and I paid little heed to every effort to avoid the predictability of folk as poetry. Tableau four, the wedding feast, is
the ethnographical considerations.9 When music, thus keeping any one folk-like melody where chaos reigns. Stravinskys ordering of
describing Les Noces, Stravinsky likened from assuming the role of a leading motive. the text layers half-heard conversations, bits
it to Joyces Ulysses, explaining that both Even the worker song that he quotes in the of traditional wedding behaviors, nonsense
syllables, brief asides, toasts, and legends. At
one point, inebriated guests recount two
folk legends (the tale of the red berries and
the story of the lost golden ring) simultane-
ously. At another, the entire company shouts
Soup! without any sort of context. (We are
The Ofce for the Arts at Harvard and the Music to assume that dinner had already started by
Department of Harvard University seek candidates for that point.) As an example of the layering of
party conversations, consider this section of
the piece, set in the order shown in Table 1.
It is Stravinskys reconstructiondecon-
struction?of these wedding sounds that
Director of Choral Activities removes him enough from the realm of the
oratorio or cantata to be able to compose
and Senior Lecturer purely absolute vocal music.
Such an approach to dramatic music
makes any characterization of the soloists
Harvard University seeks a DCA with a or chorus impossible. Soloists in Les Noces
do not represent characters, but merely the
distinguished record of artistic leadership voices of characters. According to Stravin-
and extensive experience conducting sky, individual personalities did not, could
collegiate choral ensembles (mixed not, emerge.12 The soprano soloist, in the
voice, female-only and male-only choirs). opening tableau, has a melody that associates
her with the role of the bride. Later she rep-
Excellence in teaching required. Masters resents the voice of the goose. The fianc
and/or Doctorate strongly preferred. is first represented by the tenor soloist, and
later by the bass.The fact that Stravinsky has
all of the singers and musicians on stage, in
evening wear, alongside the dancers, in tra-
dca.harvardarts.org ditional Russian costume, also supports his
for job description and how to apply concept that Les Noces is not the presenta-
tion of a wedding, but a presentation of the
sounds of a wedding.
The text setting in Les Noces is repre-
sentative of Stravinskys other choral works

10 Choral Journal October 2009

 Table 1 Example of Text Layers in Tableau Four

Baritone and Tenor solos: And you, Nastassia, what have you been wearing?
Soprano solo: I have donned a golden belt with strands of pearls hanging to the ground.
Baritone solo: O drinker, drunkard, Nastassias Father!
Chorus: You have sold your child for a goblet of wine.
Baritone solo: For a goblet of wine, for a honey drink.
Tenor solo: Brides Maids, get moving. Go, give away the bride. The Groom is getting bored.

insofar as most of its syllabic and rhythmic
interest is created by altering natural speech
accents. Les Noces provides an excellent
example of how Stravinsky is able to strip
language down to its phonetic elements.
Taruskin explains that Stravinskys prosody
takes as its alpha and omega the metrical/
accentual structure of the text.13 The choral
and solo lines are full of ostinato patterns
and text repetitions that break down the
words meanings so much that phrases
become nothing more than a string of non-
sense syllables. Figure 1 shows an excerpt
from the first tableau in which the women
of the chorus chant in quick succession the
following text:
I comb, I will comb Nastassias tress.
I comb, I will comb Timfoveenas fair red hair.
And again, I will comb.
Stravinskys setting, with its irregular meter,
constant repetition of the same note and
sheer speed, turns this stanza of perfectly
understandable words into an avalanche of
phonemes.
Later, in tableau 4 (Figure 2), Stravinsky
dispatches with repetition of syllables and
simply writes in nonsense syllables for the
background voices at the party (Lyoo,
Lyoo being the Russian equivalent to Blah,
Blah). While the sopranos in the chorus
continue the legend of the red berries, the
other three voices, portraying the hubbub
of the wedding party, sing these cascading
strings of nonsense syllables that culminate in
a tutti Oi, probably a celebratory drinking
noise one can imagine it accompanying
the raising of glasses or beer mugs. Most
interesting in this passage is the tenor part,
containing the lyoo, lyoo nonsense syllables
with extra words tacked on the end (Sobo-
kee, meaning dog or koseeva, which is a
womans surname). Stravinsky intends these
utterances to emerge as random words one
hears through the din of the celebration.
Daniel Albright, in his article Stravinskys
Assault on Language, calls the conversation
snippets in the fourth tableau worthless
cubist reconstructions. His argument is that
Stravinsky dehumanizes the poetry and the

Figure 1

Choral Journal October 2009 11

 Stravinskys Choral Works continued

Figure 2

12 Choral Journal October 2009

voice, creating a medium where words are
not important.14 Stravinsky would not object
to this characterization of his text setting
in Les Noces. His intention was, indeed, to
dehumanize the vocal lines so he could write
music free from textual connotation or nar-
rative suggestion.The lack of individual music
for both chorus and soloists is another part
of Stravinskys plan to eliminate any sense of
characterization in Les Noces.
Stravinskys avoidance of the dramatiza-
tion of the text in Les Noces was echoed lat-
er in Oedipus Rex, an opera/oratorio that is
not so much acted as displayed.The narrator
in the piece, a spoken role, is the only charac-
ter on stage that moves. In fact, the narrator
exists only so the characters in the drama
need not act themselves. Stravinsky explains
the people in the play relate to each other
not by gestures but by words.15 As in Les
Noces, the composer also had a number of
opinions about the staging of Oedipus Rex.
For instance, one of his first impulses about
the visual representation of the work was
that the chorus should not have a face.16 In
Oedipus Rex, Stravinsky invented a genre of
musical theatre that puts
text declamation first and
Figure 3
detaches the actors from
the very words they are
singing.
It was not by chance
that Stravinsky should
choose to set a Latin
translation of a French
adaptation of an ancient
Greek play. The decision
Figure 4
Choral Journal October 2009
to reject the Greek language was based on
his own ignorance of it, but the decision to
reject the French version was based purely
on aesthetic grounds. Stravinsky was driven
by the idea that a text for this music might be
endowed with a certain monumental char-
acter through a further translation back into
a sacred language.17 In his autobiography,
the composer remarks:
What a joy it is to compose music
to a language of convention, almost
of ritual, the very nature of which
imposes a lofty dignity! One no longer
feels dominated by the phrase, the
literal meaning of the words.18
The choice of Sophocles play also freed
the composer from being obliged to tell
the story through the music. With such a
well-known play as Oedipus Rex, Stravinsky
could work almost entirely on musical dra-
matization, leaving all narrative (and physical)
dramatization to the imaginations of the
viewers.19
Stravinsky suffered much criticism over
his irregular text setting in Oedipus Rex,
though he never denied that, in many
instances, he altered the text stresses to
accommodate his musical phrasing. As with
Les Noces, his text setting in Oedipus uses the
syllable as its basic unit rather than the word.
He explains that his text setting must break
every rule, if only because Latin is a language
of fixed accents and I accentuate freely ac-
cording to my musical dictates.20 Compared
with Les Noces, however, Oedipus Rex takes
far fewer liberties with the text stresses. In
fact, most of the piece adheres to traditional
Latin text inflection. For instance, the Delie,
expectamus chorus is entirely set with the
correct text stresses.
Stravinsky deviates from the text stresses
in Oedipus Rex in three principal ways. The
first of these occurs whenever he repeats a
word of the text without break, causing the
speech rhythms of the second iteration to
fall outside the musical, metric stresses. This
can be seen in the repetitions of the words
incolit and deferre in Oedipus Non
reperias aria (Figures 3 and 4).
The second type of deviation occurs
13
 Stravinskys Choral Works continued
Figure 5
whenever Stravinsky puts an accent on the
last syllable of a word (usually an unstressed
syllable in Latin). The most memorable in-
stances of this would be the phrases using
the words clarissi-ME and keke-DIT in
Tiresias aria and the repetitions of the word
oracu-LA in Jocastas (Figure 5).
Finally, Stravinsky alters the text when he
sets all syllables with equal weight. Numer-
Figure 6
14
ous examples of this occur in the Laudibus
regina Jocasta chorus (Figure 6).
Taruskin observes that this practice of
setting every syllable with notes of equal
duration occurred first for Stravinsky in his
third setting of the Pribatki songs of 1914.
In that particular setting, every syllable, with
one exception, is set either as an eighth note
or two-slurred sixteenths.21
The autonomy of music from textual
concerns in Les Noces and Oedipus Rex can
also be seen in Stravinskys choral works with
sacred texts. It was in the realm of sacred
music that Stravinsky, with his three early
church Slavonic pieces written between
1926 and 1934 (Otsche nash, Simvol ver,
and Bogoroditse devo), developed his char-
acteristic style of text setting. These three
early pieces, a product of his time in Nice,
were a reaction to what he considered the
sentimental expression and harmonic and
melodic banalities of the musical services
of the local Russian church.22 These pieces
are strict homophonic settings that do not
color the texts or attempt to present them
with any sense of drama. Taruskin calls the
Simvol ver (Credo) a typical impersonal
bit of Stravinskian ritual musicdevoid of
dynamic or expression marks of any kind.23
Stravinskys rejection of the sentimen-
tal in sacred music was brought to an
extreme in his Symphony of Psalms of 1930.
With his settings of the psalms, Stravin-
sky had what he called an eagerness to
counter the many composers who had
abused these magisterial verses as pegs for
their own lyrico-sentimental feelings. 24
Choral Journal October 2009
 Figure 7
As in his other vocal works (sacred and
secular), here, too, he chooses to use the
syllable as basic the shift of the metric accent on the word
unit and not the LAU-da-te at the beginning of the third
word: In setting movement (Figure 7), or the accenting of
the words of the word et (and) in numerous places
the final hymn, I throughout the work (Figure 8). Where
cared above all most composers would set this word as an
for the sounds of anacrusis, Stravinsky frequently uses it at the
the syllables and beginnings of bars.
I have indulged As with the Latin setting in Oedipus Rex,
my besetting Stravinsky at times assigns equal weight and
pleasure of regu- accent to whole strings of words (part of the
lating prosody in power of the first movement). His setting of
my own way.25 the phrase Deo no-STRO in the second
Str avinsky movement, for instance, highlights the final
takes many syllable by placing it on a strong beat (Figure
more liber ties 9), a stylistic trait that would later become
in altering the text stresses here than in a common feature in the text setting of
Oedipus Rex. Some examples might include Stravinskys Mass.

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 Stravinskys Choral Works continued

Figure 8
Figure 10 shows the first three bars of
the Credo from the Mass after the incipit,
and the immediate and forceful nature of
the last syllable of the word om-ni-po-
ten-TEM.
The Mass, written between the years
1944 and 1948, was Stravinskys most
important choral work intended for
liturgical use. One theme that constantly
emerges in both Stravinskys writings
and interviews is his belief that music
should merely present the text and not
attempt to convey any sort of textual
meaning. In this regard, Stravinsky should
have, for example, allied himself more
with Haydn and Mozart, two compos-
Figure 9 ers who more often than not used the
mass text as a vehicle for a presentation
of musical form rather than as a repre-
sentation of textual meaning. Stravinsky
notes, however, that his major inspiration
for composing his Mass was his dislike
for some of Mozarts masses, which he
first heard in 1942, characterizing them
as rococo-operatic sweets-of-sin.26
Even though Mozarts Salzburg masses,
which conform to the strict guidelines of
Archbishop Colloredo, show little rela-

Figure 10

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October 1, 2009.

16 Choral Journal October 2009

 Figure 11
tionship between text and music,
Stravinsky still finds no value in them
as works of liturgical choral music.
This is an intriguing contradiction to
Stravinskys lifelong objection to the
separation of text and music.
With regards to the Mass of
1948, he follows his own rules to
the letter. Stravinskys basic unit of
composition, again, is the syllable
rather than the word, and his setting
eschews all sense of textual repre-
sentation. Traditionally, composers
of masses take advantage of certain
narrative passages in the Credo as
a source of inspiration (et sepultus
est, et ascendit, or crucifixus),
but Stravinskys setting deliberately
avoids any type of musical reference.
The Crucifixus section begins on
a repeated major-seventh chord,
the sound of which is much more
consonant than the preceding or-
chestral sonorities (Figure 11).
Contrary to the immediate mes-
sage of the text, the musical effect
is one of polite repose. Stravinsky
maintains uniformity in his Credo

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setting: most of the movement is set syl-
labically and pulsed homophonically in the
style of a fauxbourdon. The prevalence of
tune-free chanting in this movement is
characteristic of the entire Mass, as is the
lack of rhythmic variety. Stravinsky tends to
alter the rhythmic patterns only at cadences,
a procedure that links his Mass more with
medieval plainchant than Renaissance po-
lyphony.
Though Stravinsky never admitted it,
either in his writings or interviews, his posi-
tion on the relationship between text and
music was quite revolutionary, especially at
a time when Wagners synthesis of the two
continued to hold so much sway. Critics

Choral Journal October 2009 17

 Stravinskys Choral Works continued

often say that Stravinsky merely uses his
texts as vehicles for his own musical ideas.
This is not necessarily the case. In Stravinskys
choral works, we can see vocal music that
has value beyond its ability to represent its
text. His style of vocal composition, in which
neither music nor text is subordinate to the
other, does not diminish the text, but, in a
way, allows for limitless interpretations of
its meaning.
NOTES
1
Igor Stravinsky, Poetics of Music in the Form of
Six Lessons (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard
University Press, 1970), 59.
2 velopments, 77.
Ibid.
3
Richard Tar uskin, Stravinskys Rejoicing
Discovery and What It Meant: In Defense
of His Notorious Text Setting, in Stravinsky
Retrospectives, eds. Ethan Haimo and Paul
14
Johnson (Lincoln and London: University of Daniel Albright, Stravinskys Assault on Language,
Nebraska Press, 1987), 196. Journal of Musicological Research 8 (1989), 263.
4 15
Igor Stravinsky and Robert Craft, Expositions and Stravinsky and Craft, Dialogues, 23.
Developments (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 16
Ibid.
1962), 121. 17
Ibid., 21.
5 18
Igor Stravinsky and Robert Craft, Dialogues Stravinsky, Autobiography, 128.
(Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of 19
Stravinsky and Craft, Dialogues, 21.
California Press, 1982), 22. 20
Ibid., 30.
6 21
Stravinsky, Poetics of Music, 42. Richard Taruskin, Stravinskys Rejoicing Dis-
7
Igor Stravinsky, The Composers View, in The covery, 18586.
22
Rakes Progress, ed. Paul Griffiths (Cambridge: Igor Stravinsky and Robert Craft, Themes and
Cambridge University Press, 1982), 3. Episodes (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1966),
8
Richard Taruskin, Stravinskys Rejoicing Dis- 31.
covery, 17475. 23
Taruskin, Stravinsky and the Russian Traditions, 1619.
9 24
Igor Stravinsky, An Autobiography (New York: W.W. Stravinsky and Craft, Dialogues, 44.
Norton, 1962), 106. 25
Ibid., 46.
10
Stravinsky and Craft, Expositions and Develop- 26
Stravinsky and Craft, Expositions and De-
ments, 115.
11
Ibid., 105.
12
Stravinsky and Craft, Expositions and Develop-
ments, 117.
13
Richard Taruskin, Stravinsky and the Russian
Traditions (Berkeley and Los Angeles:
University of California Press, 1996), 1357.

Works Cited

Albright, Daniel. Stravinskys Assault on Language. Journal of Musicological Research 8 (1989): 25979.

Stravinsky, Igor. An Autobiography. New York: W.W. Norton, 1962.

. The Composers View. In The Rakes Progress, ed. Paul Griffiths, 2-4. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1982.

. The Poetics of Music in the Form of Six Lessons. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1970.

Stravinsky, Igor, and Robert Craft. Dialogues. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1982.

. Expositions and Developments. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1962.

. Themes and Episodes. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1969.

Taruskin, Richard. Stravinsky and the Russian Traditions. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1996.

. Stravinskys Rejoicing Discovery and What It Meant: In Defense of His Notorious Text Setting.
In Stravinsky Retrospectives, eds. Ethan Haimo and Paul Johnson, 162 99. Lincoln and London:
University of Nebraska Press, 1987.

18 Choral Journal October 2009

 Horace Clarence Boyer
1935 2009
Horace Clarence Boyer is a graduate of Bethune-
Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida,
and held a masters and doctorate from the East-
man School of Music. His teaching career included
tenures at Albany State College, the University of
Central Florida at Orlando, and the University of
Massachusetts, where he taught from 1973 to 1999.
As a gospel performer, he traveled into 40 states.
Additionally, he served as a lecturer and clinician
on gospel music and the African American Sacred
tradition. One of the highlights of his career was be-
ing named as Curator of Musical Instruments at the
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian
Institution. During his residency at the Smithsonian,
he also served as Distinguished Scholar-at-large of
the United Negro College Fund where his duties
included directing the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Boyer's
Choral Journal October 2009
research resulted in the publication of 40 articles
in the Music Educators Journal, the New Grove Dic-
tionary of American Music, the Black Music Research
Journal, and Black Perspectives in Music. He is the
author of How Sweet The Sound: The Golden Age of
Gospel Music, published in 1995. In recognition of
his teaching and contributions to music, Boyer was
named a Chancellor's Distinguished University Lec-
turer by the University of Massachusetts in 1990 and
was awarded the Chancellor's Medallion. During
his career, he received many citations including the
Martin Luther King Heritage Award and Lifetime
Achievement Awards fromThe Society of American
Music and the Union of Black Episcopalians. The
University of Colorado conferred an Honorary
Doctorate upon him in 1996.
19
 The Influence of
Znamenny Liturgical Chant
on the NineteenthCentury

Russian Choral School

A Guide for Performance
Jeffery B. Wall

Jeffery B.Wall is Visiting Lecturer and Director of Choral Activities at Georgia State University, where he
conducts the University Singers, Mens Choir, and oversees the masters program in choral conducting.
musjbw@langate.gsu.edu
 The Influence of Znamenny Liturgical Chant
on the NineteenthCentury Russian Choral School cont.
Introduction
Russia has had a long-standing sacred
music tradition documented in musical
manuscripts from the late eleventh cen-
tury. Although obvious permutations have
ensued since then, a clear Russian national
voice emerged from these beginnings
through sacred monophonic chant. The
infiltration and influence of the Italianate
and Germanic styles during the seven-
teenth and eighteenth centuries, however,
were so profound that the Russian chant
tradition was nearly lost.
The Moscow Synodal Choir was re-
duced in stature due to the rise of the Im-
perial Court Chapel during the eighteenth
century. The Moscow Synodal Choir and
Patriarchal Singing Clerics,1 however, at-
tempted to maintain some semblance of
the national chant tradition that would
regain stature in the nineteenth century.
The ancient znamenny chant was largely
saved from Italianate abuses and permuta-
tions, but derivations of znamenny chant
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22
morphed into younger forms like Kievian,
Greek, and Bulgarian chant, that were not
so fortunate.
In the late nineteenth century, a Russian
national style began to reemerge in sacred
choral music for the Orthodox Church.
A choral precedent had been set by the
example of the Imperial Court Chapel
Choir, but composers of the nineteenth
century reacted harshly against the Itali-
anate style of music that had permeated
the sacred music for nearly two centuries.
They searched for a compositional style
that would assert the Russian national
voice once again. Many composers found
the catalyst they desired through the use
of znamenny chant as a basis for their
choral compositions.
Znamenny chant had been out of use
for years in Russia proper. Znamenny
chant was written in stolp notation, which
is comprised of staffless neumes used as
ideograms for performance and based
largely on an oral tradition. Since these
participate
in the
neumes were meant more as a supple-
mental aid to the oral tradition rather than
for performance purposes, transcription
into modern notation is difficult and large
bodies of znamenny chant have yet to be
transcribed.
Due to the raskol (the schism that split
the Russian Orthodox Church) in the 1650s,
however, there existed a body of the Old Be-
lievers called starovery, who had preserved
the orthodox traditions of the unison chant
amidst its neglect in other portions of Russia.
They were guarded from foreign influence
for centuries, exiled to the frontiers and
dense forests of northern Russia.2 While it
is unlikely that znamenny chant underwent
no change within the scope of nearly two
centuries, scholars believe that the chant as
presented by the Old Believers is as close
to the original practices as can be feasibly
expected. 3
The study that follows takes a closer look
at the znamenny chant as it has come down
to us together with two choral compositions
of the nineteenth-century Russian Choral
School. The chant basis allows an alternate
means of approaching these and other Rus-
sian choral compositions for conductors
who do not feel comfortable with the Or-
thodox liturgy or Church Slavonic, but wish
to program this important part of the choral
repertoire in a concert setting. This article
is by no means meant as a comprehensive
guide for authentic performance. For com-
plete interpretive and stylistic authenticity,
further research is advised in the realms of
Church Slavonic and Russian Orthodox lit-
urgy. By looking at select examples, however,
one can more readily recognize areas within
the larger scope of nineteenth-century Rus-
sian sacred music, where znamenny chant is
present, and integrate that knowledge as an
impetus for further study, performance, and
more authentic performance practices.
Musical Properties
Many scholars claim that the chant lit-
erature cannot be understood outside its
liturgical function and to attempt to think of
it in aesthetic ways is to strip it from its con-
text and function. This view is held because
Choral Journal October 2009
the music facilitates a wor- Figure 1
shipful function in the lit-
urgy, while arousing human
emotion when combined
with the word. As Johann
von Gardner states: Either
the musical sounds give
emotional coloration to the
logically concrete contents
of the liturgical texts, or the
musical expression arises as
an emotional reaction to the
ideas expressed by the words.4 It is certainly melodic formulae. chant may be limited in ambitus to the in-
true that the liturgical aspects and correlating Little concrete knowledge can be de- tervallic distance of only a fourth or fifth, but
text of the chant should be studied to gain duced from mere aesthetic descriptions of with variety of patterns within those limits.
full understanding. It is necessary, however, the eight tones, but those trained in the art The melodies moved generally in relative
to examine the musical aspects as a strictly of Russian liturgical singing in the oral tradi- half, quarter, and whole-note durations, with
separate entity. This approach allows one tion are well-versed in them and have the
to ascertain similarities between different glasy memorized for recall. These individuals
znamenny chants, despite textual differences, can recount numerous varied melodies that
within the entire body of chant literature. may look very similar to the untrained eye.
There are very few similarities between They are also able to recall any melody by
Gregorian chant and znamenny chant name and the glas from whence it came.
because they developed separately with With practice, therefore, one can look at the
distinct musical, textual, and liturgical indi- melodic properties from each glas and begin
vidualities. Gregorian chant was adapted to see the similarities.
early on by the Franks to fit the properties of Ivan Shaidurov (c. 1600) invented a
eight modes with a tonic and dominant from system of cinnabar markings7 in the seven-
the Greek system. In contrast, znamenny teenth century. Based on his markings and
chant maintained elements of melodic the findings of early theorists, it is clear that
formulae from the Byzantine model. At the a trichord system divided into four registers
most basic level, znamenny chant can be (or accordances) existed. When viewed
characterized as diatonic. As the Greek in full, this system is similar to the Western
Stephen Mager
Composer
Byzantine model grew more chromatic, hexachordal system; however,
the B in the
the Russian faction of the Byzantine model lowest register is a B while the B in the Christmas settings of distinction

remained diatonic throughout the centu- fourth register is a B (Figure 1).
For chorus and small orchestra
ries, accommodating Russian sentimentality The registers or accordances were called
and tastes. The Russians, therefore, claim to by the names listed in Figure 1, and each one Performed by:
have maintained the truest form of chant encompassed the interval of a major third.It The Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus
implanted from Constantinople, despite its was the practice of the old singers to begin Vocalessence, Minneapolis
development on Russian soil. a melody fairly low in the scale and then rise The Bach Society of Saint Louis
Znamenny chant is based on eight tones. by degrees, reaching 8
finally the triple-bright Millikin University Chorus
The tones or modes present in Western accordance. Sixteenth-century chant nota- The Dallas Symphony Chorus
Gregorian chants do not apply in the same tion was not equipped to denote a particular Choir of Saint Olaf College
way to Russian Orthodox chants. The eight scale degree, but could identify a specific ac- and many others
tones (glasy) in the Russian system are based cordance and where the chant was to begin.
on a series of melodic formulae. The chant Some other general attributes of zna- Publishers include
does not use eight different scales or tonali- menny chant can be assessed within the Oxford University Press
ties, but rather a Syrian prototype of melodic given compass presented above. Conjunct
patterns (popefki)5 that recur within a spe- motion was predominant and leaps were Listen at: www.stephenmager.com
cific tone.6 There is still controversy among rare, except for intervals of fourths or fifths Or email: scmager@yahoo.com
scholars regarding the identification of these that occurred at cadential points. A specific

Choral Journal October 2009 23

 The Influence of Znamenny Liturgical Chant
on the NineteenthCentury Russian Choral School cont.

freedom to sustain half and whole notes
slightly. The half note received the beat,
while whole notes usually occurred at ends
of phrases or lines. Eighth notes were rare
in znamenny chant, and no beat was unduly
stressed. Texts were treated in a very rever-
ent fashion. They were devoid of nonsense
syllables used to elongate words as in Rus-
sian folk music. There were no repeated
words in the rendering of a text and some
texts were performed in a recitative fashion,
intoned to clearly delineate the meaning of
the words.The chants were controlled melis-
matically with only two to four notes per
syllable or word as a general rule. The early
chants (the heirmoi), which provide the best
examples, do not contain extended vocal
displays. The above characteristics are com- compositions and notably as a unifying
mon among the greater body of znamenny means towards a Russian national voice in
chant literature extant today.9 the midst of foreign cultural invasion.
Immeasurable variety was achieved in
znamenny chant through the combinations
of trichords. Despite the constraints of the A Means of Approach
scalar compass, the limited ambitus of each
chant, the limitations of unrepeated text, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
keeping the text in strictest solemnity and
(18441908)
reverence, each znamenny chant is quite
different from another. The combination of
trichordal possibilities and the freedom of [Let Us Praise the Virgin Mary]
rhythmic movement in the chant allow for
[Let Us Praise the
a wellspring of artistry and identifiable char-
Virgin Mary] is a Theotokion-Dogmatikon10
acteristics. These compositional possibilities
in the first tone. It is a free arrangement of
attracted nineteenth-century composers to
znamenny chant. In the subtitle of the manu-
the form of chant as a basis for their choral
script, Rimsky-Korsakov specifies: Arrange-
ment in demestvenny manner, from great
znamenny chant by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov.
Today, scholars refer to demestvenny as de-
rived from the Greek word domestikos [sing-

JOVYHS
ing master], but back then, it was understood
as the word for house. This meaning con-

 JVUK\J[PUN
notes a freely interpreted domestic style of
singing vis-a-vis strict liturgical use. Here, the

term demestvenny should be understood to
H[4PJOPNHU:[H[L mean freely arranged.11
Initially, there is an incipit, which is not
present in the chant source. It is, however, in-
cluded in Rimsky-Korsakovs arrangement as
a choral recitative introduction on a G-major
chord and the text reads: Glory to the Fa-
+4(44PU*OVYHS*VUK\J[PUN ther, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
(*+(JVU]LU[PVUHWWLHYHUJLZ This intonation is necessary, as it is in the
original chant tradition and in its respective
5H[PVUHS 
liturgical use. The canonarch12 sometimes
*LU[YHS+P]PZPVU  intones an incipit to establish the particular
tone. He then leads the singers into the
>VYSKYLUV^ULKQHaaMHJ\S[` body of the chant. In Rimsky-Korsakovs
4\ZPJ[LHJOLYZ!,HYU`V\YTHZ[LYZKLNYLLPUJOVYHSJVUK\J[PUNVYT\ZPJLK\JH[PVU model, the choral recitative leads into the
<UKLYNYHK\H[LHUKNYHK\H[LKLNYLLZ
PU[OYLLZ\TTLYZ69[^VZ\TTLYZHUKVULHJHKLTPJ`LHY rest of the introductory material where the
7YVMLZZPVUHSWLYMVYTHUJL[LHJOPUN[V\YPUN chant is in the soprano. There is no meter
 VWWVY[\UP[PLZ
+H]PK9H`SKPYLJ[VYJOVYHSWYVNYHTZ signature in this choral recitative, allowing for
;LHJOPUNHZZPZ[HU[ZOPWZMLSSV^ZOPWZZJOVSHYZOPWZ
1VUH[OHU9LLKHZZVJPH[LKPYLJ[VYJOVYHSWYVNYHTZ free rhythmic interpretation and appropriate
:HUKYH:UV^HZZVJPH[LWYVMLZZVYJOVYHSJVUK\J[PUNHUKT\ZPJLK\JH[PVU inflection of the text.
Beyond the introduction, the first tempo
marking of Moderato appears along with
a time signature (Figure 2). Here, the influ-
-VYPUMVYTH[PVUVUWYVNYHTZHUKH\KP[PVUZJVU[HJ[!
ence of the znamenny chant is unmistakable.
+H]PK9H`S T\ZNYHK'TZ\LK\ The chant is placed in both the soprano and
T\ZPJTZ\LK\ the tenor in an open octave. Likewise, the
alto and bass are an octave apart and move

24 Choral Journal October 2009

 Figure 2
in open thirds and fifths against the chant
melody.This method continues in mm. 111.
It highlights the open structure of the sonor-
ity and is a simulation of melismatic unison
chant in a choral texture. The cadence at
m. 11 returns all voices to an octave unison
on D.
Though the soprano voice often carries
the chant melody in Rimsky-Korsakovs ar-
rangement, the chant frequently passes to
other voices. The tenor voice most com-
monly receives the chant melody either
when the soprano is not singing, when there
is an imitation in the lower voices, or when
combined with the soprano voice at the
octave. The passage of the chant from one
voice to another is the product of inventive
polyphonic techniques and counterpoint.
The degree of influence of znamenny
Choral Journal October 2009
chant can be determined by examining
where the choral composition deviates from
the chant source. This assists in the assess-
ment of exactly how much influence the
chant held over Rimsky-Korsakovs compo-
sitional processes. It also sheds light on the
ingenious ways that he modified the chant
source to fit his own arrangement.
Though the chant source is used fre-
quently throughout this composition, it is
considered an arrangement because the
chant is used only as motivic material. The
overall form of the composition is based
more on the polyphonic techniques utilized
by Rimsky-Korsakov than on the chant
source. The chant is occasionally para-
phrased or it disappears altogether from
the texture.
In addition to rests that are added at
beginnings of phrases to accommodate the
monastic performance practices, Rimsky-
Korsakov also commonly lengthens the
duration of cadential points from half to
whole notes. Aside from these cadential
points, other rhythmic deviations from the
chant show the composers ability to modify
set parameters to accommodate his com-
positional style. For instance, the cadence at
*ODGGH0XVLF3XEOLFDWLRQV
7KH&KRUDO0XVLFRI%UDGOH\1HOVRQ
3HUIHFWIRU6SULQJ
7+(5(:,//&20(62)75$,16
ZZZ*ODGGH0XVLFFRPUDLQVKWP
a6HHWKHVFRUHKHDUDUHFRUGLQJa
25
 The Influence of Znamenny Liturgical Chant
on the NineteenthCentury Russian Choral School cont.

Figure 3
From the frequency
of like treatments
within the music, it
becomes clear which
deviations are part of
performance prac-
tice and which are
the composers own
contribution to the
structure of the piece.
Certain elongation of
notes from the chant
source is common at
the onset of some
phrases. However, in-
tervallic and rhythmic
change in peculiar po-
sitions as well as com-
plete deviation from
the chant source de-
serves attention as
the degree of influ-
ence is assessed.
In Rimsky-Korsa-
kovs
[Let Us Praise
the Vir gin Mar y],
m. 10 is quite remarkable because Rimsky- choral composition (Figure 3). there are many additional musical elements
Korsakov departs completely from the chant The composer treats the phrase ending that deserve special attention from a choir
in order to achieve a unison D in all voices at at mm. 5459 very differently than he has aside from the chant source. Conductors
m. 11. Prior to this point, the chant melody in the previous phrases. Instead of merely must bring these elements to the forefront
can be found in the soprano and tenor elongating the phrase ending, he changes in rehearsals to achieve a more musical
voices. At m. 10, however, the composer the whole note from the chant into a performance. Not only must the chant be
negates the movement found in the original quarter-note prolongation of the previ- identified, but also the inventive polyphonic
chant melody by placing a whole note in the ous dyad on beat one and follows it with and harmonic techniques utilized to accom-
a dotted-half resolution by step (Figure 4, modate the chant must be addressed.
b1). Although lengthening of phrase endings
seems common in performance practice,
melodic ornaments are not. Additionally, m. Alexander Kastalsky (18561926)
Gospel 59 progresses in quarter notes in stepwise
motion; however, the chant material shows
[ Today the Virgin]
In Prague the initial interval to be a third. One would Alexander Kastalsky studied theory and
expect the choral composition to read as composition under Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
DR. RAYMOND WISE G- B - B-A, but instead, the upper voices in (184093), and was associated in some
Artistic Director unison read as A-B-B-A in a neighboring manner with the Moscow Synodal Choir
from 1887 forward. In 1910, he became
Czech National Symphony figure (Figure 4, b2).
the director of the Synodal School. More
Ascer taining the points of Rimsky-
Prague - Smetana Hall Korsakovs choral composition where he than half his choral compositions are based
deviated from the chant allows one to see on znamenny chant. Kastalskys composi-
July 18-26, 2011 tions served as creative inspirations that set
the degree of influence that the znamenny
www.GospelinPrague.org chant had on the compositional process. compositional precedents for composers

26 Choral Journal October 2009

 Figure 4

such as Pavel Chesnokov (18771944) and most ancient kontakion are ascribed to St. after the appointed troparion.15 The kontakion
Sergei Rachmaninov (18731943) in terms Romanos the Melodist. This one is now summarizes the main theme of the festal
of setting znamenny chant in choral textures. shortened to only the initial stanza. It is sung celebration.
Much of Kastalskys voice leading stems at the Vigil service on Christmas Eve and There are three versions of Kastalskys
from elements found in Russian folk song. during the Divine Liturgy on Christmas Day setting of .The first, in the style
He was the first to incorporate such voice
leadings into sacred music, which provided
a departure from simple harmonizations
of the chant toward a distinctly Russian
style. A characteristic of Kastalskys music is
the constant expansion and contraction of Traveltounforgettableplacesandbe
textures where an unimportant voice pops
heardinthemostinspiringspaces!
out and then fades back into a subordinate
role. Frequent pedal tones appear above We can arrange that!
and below the cantus firmus chant melody.13
Kastalskys greatest skill, however, lay in pass-
ing the chant around from voice to voice in
the course of a work, creating an immense
variety of textures made possible by such
a procedure.14 These characteristics are
present in [ Today the Virgin]. Contact us today for a no obligation custom tour proposal!
is the kontakion of the
1.800.247.7035 info@Ambassador-Tours.com www.Ambassador-Tours.com
feast of Christmas. A kontakion was origi-
nally a hymn that consisted of lengthy poetic Europe South Pacific Brazil Scandinavia Hawaii USA China Canada
stanzas, usually numbering twenty-four. The Great Britain & Ireland France Spain Greece Slovenia Czech Republic

Choral Journal October 2009 27

 The Influence of Znamenny Liturgical Chant
on the NineteenthCentury Russian Choral School cont.

practiced by the Moscow Synodal Choir,
consists of the chant melody placed in the
first soprano and doubled at the octave by
the first tenors. The second version is la-
beled for large chorus and the counterpoint
is expanded with the chant material passing
between other voices. The third version is
labeled for small chorus. It is the same as the
previous versions, but reduced to a simpli-
fied four-part texture.16 The second version
is used for this study.
In a fully homophonic texture involving
all voice parts at the beginning of a piece,
the znamenny chant material usually begins
in the soprano 1 part; however, the tenor
1 part carries the chant melody in
[Today the Virgin]. Many notes are
doubled at the octave by the soprano 2, but
they do not follow the chant material as ex-
actly as the tenor 1 in the first two measures.
It is not until the anacrusis to m. 3 that the
soprano 1 doubles the tenor and fully takes
over the chant melody (Figure 5).
As evident in Figure 5, the interval of
transposition is a major second. Additionally,
Kastalsky does not designate a meter signa-
ture, which remains true to the free metric
flow of the znamenny chant source. The

C
original did include solid bar lines at the ends
of phrases, but these are common in the
Kievian chant notation as well. The dotted
bar lines in this edition are editorial markings
to aid textual accentuation and phrasing.17
Emory University There is significant interchange of the
chant melody between the soprano 1 and

in Atlanta soprano 2 throughout, but the alto and

tenor 1 overtake it at the anacrusis to m.
13. The two voice parts are in unison, while
the soprano voices are involved in a descant
above the texture. The tenor 2 harmonizes
Master of Music in Choral Conducting fairly consistently at the interval of a third un-
Master of Sacred Music in Choral Conducting der the chant melody. The bass moves inde-
pendently, supporting the harmonic texture.
Full tuition remission This is a significant moment because of the
Eric Nelson, Director of Choral Activities texture shift into the lower three voices. It
Audition dates: Monday, January 25, 2010, is also the only transfer of the chant melody
and Monday, February 22, 2010 into the alto voice (Figure 6).
At m. 16, the soprano 2 voice reclaims
For information contact the chant melody and reinforces its domi-
Director of Graduate Studies nance over the other voices. The composer
Department of Music passes the chant to other voices momen-
Emory University
tarily throughout the piece, but the soprano
2 part holds it most frequently. The most
Atlanta, Georgia 30322
interchange of the chant melody occurs be-
404.727.6445
tween the soprano 1 and 2 voices. It weaves
www.music.emory.edu
through the two voices, making it difficult to
identify aurally where the chant material and
Kastalskys material diverge.This is a hallmark

28 Choral Journal October 2009

 Figure 5
of Kastalskys music. He does not merely
keep the chant in the uppermost voice, but
masks it in the choral tapestry of his own
chant-like contrapuntal material.
In Kastalskys , it is difficult the time.The bass is nearly always indepen-
to trace the chant melody and emphasize its
importance to the ensemble in rehearsals
because the chant melody is so interwoven
in the choral tapestry. The chant sometimes
switches without warning to another voice
part and to highlight only the chant melody
demeans the importance of the other voices
set in a type of homorhythmic polyphony.
The other voices are not merely supportive
harmony, but act in a symbiotic relationship
Choral Journal October 2009
with the chant.
The composer largely maintains the
contour of the chant. The soprano, alto, and
tenor voices move in similar motion much of
F and G while the soprano 1 leaps an octave
dent and moves in conjunct motion, yet still
providing harmonic root support.When two
of the upper voices move in unison or at the
octave, however, it is important to highlight
that portion of the chant from the texture.
Kastalsky was not only a master of ho-
morhythmic counterpoint, but also of word
painting.The anacrusis to mm. 1315 marks
an important place in the composition. As
discussed previously, the chant melody shifts
to the alto and tenor 1 and the texture shifts
into the lower voices.The soprano voices
maintain a descant on a single syllable above
the texture.The soprano 2 voice is static on
G in m. 14. The first stanza of text from St.
Romanos the Melodist is used in this com-
position. At this point, the text translates
and the Wise Men journey with a star.18
The fact that the mens chorus (assisted by
the altos in unison) carries the brunt of the
texture here implies a significant moment of
word painting as they sing about the Wise
Men. The Star of Bethlehem is represented
by the soprano descant apart from the other
29
 The Influence of Znamenny Liturgical Chant
on the NineteenthCentury Russian Choral School cont.
voices (Figure 6).
Though Kastalsky was not the first to in-
troduce chant melodies into choral textures,
he was the first to implement it with some
success. The parameters of the Orthodox
Church regarding the intelligibility of the
text limited many composers ability to be
creative in setting chant material. Kastalsky
Figure 6
30
was able to create a full choral texture from
a chant source, however, rather than simply
harmonizing it. He did not use conventional
polyphonic techniques such as canonical
imitation, inversion, and augmentation. In-
stead, he utilized timbre, register, and melodic
qualities rather than vertical harmony in his
voice leadings.19
The preceding characteristics of the
composers music should be brought to the
attention of singers so that they can best
interpret their vocal line. This approach is
especially true in subordinate voices when
they have notes or phrases to bring to the
forefront of the texture. Conductors should
also be aware of the chant melody when
preparing this piece because, although it is
imbedded in the full choral texture, the chant
is the overall structural element. It is also the
Choral Journal October 2009
model for voice-leading and phrasing. Although various composers used zna- The amount of music that exists from
menny chant in many different ways, chant accomplished Russian composers that is
sources provide a musical way to approach rarely performed is remarkable. Many com-
Performance Implications these compositions for conductors uncom- positions have gone completely unnoticed
Few non-Russian-speaking American fortable with the language barrier. Knowing by American conductors. Perhaps with
conductors feel comfortable enough with the musical properties of the chant and the knowledge that many of these Russian
Church Slavonic, modern Russian, or the tracing those properties through respective sacred compositions contain derivations of a
extant body of Russian chant literature to choral textures allow American conductors chant source, conductors will explore these
negotiate intensive study in Russian choral to approach these pieces through musical compositions for their own programming
literature. Russian-born choral music schol- means. That is not to say that a textual ap- purposes.
ars are still in disagreement about certain proach is not important. On the contrary, it
issues regarding znamenny chant. The stolp allows American musicians to see interesting
notation and liturgical practices of the Rus- musical moments and examine more closely NOTES
sian Orthodox Church are also foreign to the relationship of those moments to the
1
many American conductors. Despite these associated text. The Moscow Synodal Choir sang in the
issues, American conductors have much to
gain from the existing scholarship in English
of znamenny chant and nineteenth-century
Russian sacred music.
In rehearsals, conductors should con- The American Choral Directors Association
sider playing a recording of the chant in the wouldnt exist without its members.
monastic tradition by an Orthodox source.
Additionally, non-Russian conductors should We thank You for your support of our organization and the choral art.
enlist the aide of an aurally transliterated
pronunciation of the text. A word-by-word
translation is also helpful to know musically
what is occurring over specific words. This
type of translation will give performers a
point of reference regarding performance
practice and internalization of the spiritual
and functional aspects of the chant. Conduc-
tors should also consider actually placing the
chant on the performance program before
the choral composition, since many primary
sources are now available. AMERICAN
CHORAL
DIRECTORS
Conclusion ASSOCIATION
The musical properties of znamenny
chant influenced many Russian choral com-
posers. Understanding the degree of this
influence even leads to better understand-
ing of those compositions without a clear
chant derivation.20 The chant tradition was
the catalyst for Russian artistic creativity in
the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
even among composers with less knowledge
of chant. It is an innate characteristic in the
emergence of a Russian national voice dur-
ing this time.

Choral Journal October 2009 31

 The Influence of Znamenny Liturgical Chant
on the NineteenthCentury Russian Choral School cont.

6 7b (N.p.: Musica Russica, 1993).

Cathedral of Dormition in Moscow (the Alfred Swan, The Znamenny Chant of the
14
main cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Russian ChurchPar t II, The Musical Morosan, Choral Performance in Pre-Revolutionary
Church). The Patriarchal Singing Clerics were Quarterly 26, no. 3 (July 1940): 37071. Russia, 233.
7 15
established and ordered under the Russian A red, mercuric sulfide used as pigment. Much like the Roman antiphon with the repetition
8 of a refrain, the troparion is based on poetic
patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. Swan, 367.
2 9 text rather than biblical text.
Vladimir Morosan, Choral Performance in Pre- Ibid., 36769.
10 16
Revolutionary Russia (Guilford, CT: Musica A hymn in honor of the Virgin Mary that contains Morosan, Notes to Today the Virgin.
17
Russica, 1986): 38. dogmatic teaching concerning the incarnation Ibid.
3 18
Primary sources of znamenny chant material and dual nature of Christ. Kastalsky, Today the Virgin, 7.
11 19
can be found in publications like: Orthodox Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Boris Asaf ev, Kharakternye osobennosti iskusstva
Eastern Church, Obikhod notnago pieniia The Complete Sacred Choral Works, ed. Kastalskogo and Khorovoe tvorchestvo
oupotrebitelnykh tserkovnykh rospevov Vladimir Morosan (Madison, CT: Musica Kastalskogo in Dmitri Zhitomirsky, ed., A.D.
(Moscow: Moscow Synodal Publishing Russica, 1999), 323. Kastalsky: Vospominaniia, stati, materialy
12 (Moscow: Gosudarstvennoe Muzykalnoe
House, 1979) or the Obikhod of the Valaam According to Vladimir Morosan in Choral
Monastery. Performance in Pre-Revolutionary Russia, a Izdatelstvo, 1960), 1316.
4 20
Johann von Gardner, Russian Church Singing, canonarch is one whose duties included see Alexander Gretchaninoff s Gladsome Light,
vol. 1: Orthodox Worship and Hymnography ensuring that the readings and hymns Op. 23, No. 2.
(Crestwood, NY: St.Vladimirs Seminary Press, were performed in the proper order
1980), 23. and determining the melody and style
5
These popefki are the building blocks of the Eight of performance (soloistic, antiphonal,
Tones that govern the hymnody in the eight- responsorial, etc.) in which a given hymn
week cycle of the Proper and a few hymns would be sung.
13
from the Ordinary. Alexander Kastalsky, Today the Virgin, Sacred Op.

Childrens Choir Conductors Retreat

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January 16-17, 2010
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Attendees will:
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Attend a CSO performance of Carmina Burana under the direction of Paavo Jarvi
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Early registration discounts before November 15. Applications to conduct in a Masterclass will be sent via email after receipt of paid registration.
Registrations materials available at http://acda.org/repertoire/children%27s_choir.
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32 Choral Journal October 2009

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Volume I: The New-England Psalm-Singer () []
lxviii,  pp.
Volume II: The Singing Masters Assistant (), Music in Miniature () []
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Volume III: The Psalm-Singers Amusement (), The Suolk Harmony (), and the inde-
pendent publications []
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Volume IV: The Continental Harmony (), []
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The Billings edition is a remarkable national achievement, the rst of its kind in this country, one in
which the nation can take justied pride, and one which by virtue of musical worth and meticulous
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The music of Billings has a charming freshness, an innocence of urban tensions, that combines in fasci-
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Orders may be placed online at www.ams-net.org/billings, or via phone, fax, or mail.

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Choral Journal October 2009 33

Patrick K. Freer
 When asked by a local reporter to elab-
orate on a statement that half the art of
teaching is procedure, the late author Frank
McCourt replied, It took me 15 years to
begin to feel comfortable in the classroom.
It takes a while to develop your own style,
an unconscious philosophy of teaching,
personality, strategies for different kids.1 In
this simple statement, McCourt alluded to
the relationship between the philosophy
and practice of teaching. Although this re-
lationship has been repeatedly examined at
length and in detail, it is a relationship that
remains at the center of nearly all conversa-
tions about music, conducting, and teaching.
McCourts brief comment includes the
phrase unconscious philosophy of teach-
ing that he equates with the style of teach-
ing, or the techniques and strategies that
are most resonant with or effective in spe-
cific combinations of teachers and students.
And yet, his use of the word unconscious
suggests that the underlying philosophy of
teaching is frequently unspoken or without
thought. The other-than-conscious founda-
tional philosophy of choral conductors is
a concern for all invested in the future of
amateur choral ensembles in schools, uni-
versities, churches, and communities. If, as
Patrick K. Freer is associate professor of choral music
education in the School of Music at Georgia State University
where he conducts the university Women's Choir. He is an
active conductor of middle school all-state and honor choirs.
pfreer@gsu.edu
Choral Journal October 2009
McCourt suggests, unvoiced philosophies
can be made evident through teaching
style, it would be incorrect to assume that
the practice of choral conductors lacks a
philosophical grounding. Rather, the need
to discuss the philosophical may seem less
important than how that philosophy is real-
ized through practice.
The terms we use to describe our roles
as choral leaders reflect both the condi-
tions of and our philosophies about our
work, whether we choose those terms
consciously or not. Those of us who serve
as pre-Kindergarten12 school personnel
are primarily music teachers who instruct
through choral music.The term choral mu-
sic teacher, therefore, best describes the
responsibilities of these conductor/teachers.
In pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade settings,
teaching and conducting are intertwined
such that there is no justifiable distinction
between the two. In the broader view of
choral music, however, the term choral
conductor speaks to the larger art form,
encompassing both the educational needs
of the singers and the musical interests
of composers and repertoire. Use of the
term choral conductor implies service to
singersthe choral ensembleas well as
to composers and repertoirethe choral
music.
The elements that bridge these two
components, the singers and the music,
constitute the choral experience. Conduc-
35
 Beyond Error Detection
tors, by definition, deeply influence the
choral experience of singers through their
implementation of philosophy and facility
with pedagogical skills, in combination with
the musical perception of the choristers.
Some conductors intuitively blend philoso-
phy with pedagogy such that some of the
most profound moments within the choral
experience appear to occur spontaneously.
All conductors, however, make a variety of
conscious decisions that either promote
or discourage the conditions within which
optimal choral experiences can occur. This
article focuses on one of those conscious
efforts: the giving of feedback to choral
singers during rehearsal. This feedback from
conductor to choir encompasses elements
of the spoken word, vocal modeling, and
non-verbal cues such as facial expressions
or pre-arranged signals.
The Design of Rehearsals
and Rehearsing
Choral music is an art form people listen
to, study, sing, feel, and conduct. It can be
thought of as a noun and a verb. In a Choral
Journal interview some time ago, the music
education philosopher David Elliott spoke of
singinga verbas a demonstration of mu-
sicianshipa noun. In Elliotts words, singing
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is musical knowing-in-action.2 Similarly, the
classic philosophical riddle, asking whether a
falling tree makes sound if no one can hear
it, might be reframed to ask whether choral
music exists if there is no one to sing it. The
music might exist as an object, but it is the
transformation of the music through human
bodies that brings forth an experience of
choral music.
Within this framework, conductors who
think of choral music as something people
do might consider themselves as primarily in
service to the singers. In contrast, conductors
who view choral music as encompassing
composition and performance-as-product
might consider themselves as primarily in
service to the music. Conductors who focus
on the participatory aspects of choral music
will give substantially different feedback to
choristers than will conductors for whom
music-as-object is preeminent. The reality is
that these views are not mutually exclusive,
and conductors likely hold both views in a
fluid proportion that reflects the unique
contexts of individual rehearsals or perfor-
mances.
Which view is more conducive toward
effective rehearsing? Some answers may be
found in the words of esteemed conduc-
tors who have constructively negotiated
between the boundaries of both views. For
instance, one chapter in the book In Quest
of Answers: Interviews with American Choral
Conductors presents the responses of many
choral conductors to a question about the
primary objectives of their choral programs.3
Joseph Huszti responded by linking elements
of his philosophy and practice:
My philosophy is pretty simple. I
want to give my students a musical
experience upon which they
continue to grow as musicians and
as persons. My approach is both
intellectual and emotional. I want the
singers to understand what is in the
score. I want them to sing so that they
are aware of what it is to create an
ensemble. I try to give them musical
know-how so that they can leave the
university situation and be able to
survive musically as individuals. We
must arm our singers with tools
enabling them to continue their
growth as artists.4
In his response, Huszti epitomized the
views of conductors for whom choral music
is an experiential process made satisfying by
an ever-increasing combination of musical
skills and knowledge. It is the conductor/
teachers responsibility to craft each moment
within rehearsalsand across multiple re-
hearsalsto provide singers with a carefully
sequenced progression of musical encoun-
ters that matches the challenges of reper-
toire with the skills of the choristers. Even so,
choruses are comprised of individual singers
who respond and react uniquely, leading to
multiple choral experiences rather than the
choral experience.
Reflecting on the nature of musical expe-
rience, conductor, teacher, and philosopher
Estelle Jorgensen wrote,
The human dimensions of music
education are just as important as
the material to be learned and taught
and cannot be separated from it . . .
The word experience is understood
here in the deep sense of a profound
impact on the person, one that is
practical and relevant to the needs
and interests of student, teacher, and
public alike; perceived as significant by
the individual undergoing it . . . Music
education comes alive when learners
view knowledge as relevant to their
lives; within their powers to grasp;
challenging, inspiring, and encouraging
them to move beyond past attitudes,
abilities, and attainments.5
Matching the challenges posed by choral
music with the skills of the singers reflects
a delicate, ever-changing equation. On the
one hand, choral repertoire is likely to be
rehearsed for several months prior to a
concert. Conductors need to predict that
the choir will be able to successfully perform
the selections on concert day, even though
the singers may begin the rehearsal process
unable to successfully sing any portion of
the repertoire. On the other hand, each suc-
cessive rehearsal yields to the next in close
enough proximity that effective conductors
can accurately adjust the pedagogy to meet
the needs of both the music and the singers.
If the conductor is too focused on music
as object, the most carefully developed
rehearsal plans may be quickly abandoned
Choral Journal October 2009
when the singers efforts fall short of the
idealized final product. This falling short
frequently occurs in rehearsals led by young
conductor/teachers who stop to address
every incorrect issue they detect, whether
pitch, rhythm, pronunciation, or vocal pro-
duction. At the other extreme, there are
conductors who may be reticent to address
these technical issues for fear of squelching
the positive experience of their singers.
Conductors with a more balanced view are
able to see how immediately addressing a
technical issue may lead toward a better
singer experience and how postponing an-
other technical adjustment may be a more
suitable decision.
Appropriate balance and timing of these
decisions usually come with experience.
Conductors and singers may otherwise
Choral Journal October 2009
sense that rehearsals are merely searches
for errors, haphazardly designed, or without
overarching plans. Rehearsal plans are aban-
doned (if there were lesson plans to begin
with), and the pacing of rehearsals becomes
more rapid. In these instances, conductors
often detect an error, give singers something
to do in response, and, rather than comment
on the singers efforts, immediately proceed
to address a different error. As researcher
Harry Price noted,
If the teacher star ts the group
by telling them where to begin
(directions) and how to perform
the task (musical task presentation),
has them interact with the task
(performing), and then gives them
feedback that is contingent on their
performance, a constructive rehearsal
environment has been created in
which the students know what is
wanted and how to do it If the
teacher waits until after an ensemble
starts performing before deciding on
the task, the ensemble members are
essentially deciding rehearsal content
by virtue of their mistakes.6
When conductors allow the errors of
their choristers to determine the content
of rehearsals, they have no choice but to
react to discrepancies between the singers
efforts and the ideal end product of choral
music. But, when conductors methodically
design the content of their rehearsals based
on long-term plans and knowledge of the
singers most recent efforts, they can craft
37
 Beyond Error Detection
Illustration 1 Cycle of Pedagogical Skills
I. Error Prediction
V. Error Diagnosis
and Analysis
IV. Error Correction
instructional strategies that meet the needs
of choristers and repertoire. A methodical
design must therefore guide each individual
rehearsal micro segment that begins when
conductors request that the choir perform
a task.
Illustration 1, Cycle of Pedagogical Skills,
suggests an organizing tool that conductors
can employ to promote rehearsals that
balance the singers experience with the
musical integrity demanded by the choral art
form.This cycle was initially developed in my
university choral methods course as a way
38
II. Error Prevention
III. Error Detection
to encourage young conductors to provide
specific feedback to their choristers.
A Cycle of Pedagogical Skills
The phrase pedagogical skills firmly
situates the choral conductor as leader and
teacher of the rehearsal. Leading, however,
is not the same as dictating; it need not be
heavy-handed and exclusionary. Leading
choral rehearsals ought to be about guiding
singers from one level of choral experience
to another, more advanced level of experi-
ence. Though the singers will likely achieve
that heightened experience because of the
enhanced individual skills they gain during
rehearsals, they will do so in collaboration
with their fellow choral musiciansincluding
their conductor. Leading rehearsals implies a
plan grounded in an educational and artistic
philosophy that informs each step along the
process of planning and conducting rehears-
als. As a macro view, conductors who are
aware of their philosophical stance toward
rehearsing can make decisions about what
to focus on at the address preemptively,
what to focus on at the moment it occurs,
and what can be anticipated for the future.
This macro view, then, informs the manner
in which conductors proceed through the
detailed give-and-take of each rehearsal
session.
The pedagogical cycle begins long before
the planning of any specific rehearsal when
the conductor starts studying the score and
develops an aural image of the composi-
tion. During the planning for each individual
rehearsal, the conductor predicts errors that
singers may make based on score analysis
and knowledge of the singers level of vo-
cal, musical, and linguistic abilities. Once the
potential errors have been identified, the
conductor designs a warm-up sequence to
preemptively address these issues. This is an
effort to provide singers with knowledge
and skills to handle specific problem spots
as they arise within the repertoire.This stage
of error prevention may require a sequence
of skill development that spans multiple re-
hearsals, depending upon the complexity of
the concepts or vocal techniques presented
in the repertoire.
During the rehearsal, the conductor
vigilantly detects the errors that occur, both
those that were anticipated and any others
that arise. The conductor prioritizes among
these to ensure that the correction of errors
does not move the rehearsal away from
the plans and goals that were established
during the initial planning phase. The cycle
concludes as the conductor diagnoses the
problems that occurred during rehearsal,
determines whether there were underlying,
undetected issues that prompted the errors,
and analyzes the information for how to best
proceed in subsequent rehearsals. The cycle
Choral Journal October 2009
begins anew as plans that reflect the analysis begins by sequencing his warm-up so that sustained exhalation.
are developed for the ensuing rehearsal. relaxation leads to proper physical alignment. At the end of the warm-up session,
In the paragraphs that follow, each skill in This is followed by exercises focused on Jamaal revisits these breathing exercises as
the cycle is illustrated by a narrative depic- breath management, with specific attention he leads students in singing phrases of the
tion of how that skill might look in practice. to the muscular processes involved during Shenandoah melody that he has notated on
The simulated pedagogical sequence takes
place in the classroom of Mr. Jamaal Ellis. Ja-
maal is the choral music teacher in an urban
high school.The well-established choral pro-
gram includes an eighty-voice choir of fresh-
men and sophomores for which Jamaal has
programmed Mack Wilbergs arrangement
of Shenandoah (Oxford University Press).
The arrangement of this popular American
folksong was chosen because of its long,
legato vocal lines, divisi that creates unusual
harmonies, dramatic use of crescendos and
decrescendos, and the fact that each student
sings the melody in its entirety. Finally, the
SATB voice parts in Wilbergs arrangement
reflect the multiple vocal ranges of the ado-
lescent students in the choir.

Error Prediction
Jamaal introduced Shenandoah to the
choir during yesterdays rehearsal by play-
ing a recording, analyzing the compositional
form, and having students discuss the musical
challenges posed by the arrangement.Two of
the student-identified challenges related to
breath management: (1) the sustained legato
Talent. Passion. Community.
lines of the melody and, (2) the crescendo at No other school compares to Westminster Choir Colleges focused and
the exact midpoint of the arrangement.The collaborative approach to musical excellence. Guided by a world-class
teacher senses that breath management will faculty, our students work together to prepare for the challenges of
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the unison melody rather than at the point
of the crescendo where voice parts contain UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES IN ORGAN & SACRED MUSIC
different pitches. With this information in Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance
mind, Jamaal decides to build his warm-up Bachelor of Music in Sacred Music
vocalises around excerpts of the melody,
incorporate breaths as they occur in the GRADUATE DEGREES IN CONDUCTING, ORGAN & SACRED MUSIC
octavo, and then immediately transition from Master of Music in Choral Conducting
warm-up to repertoire by having students Master of Music in Organ Performance
find and mark the corresponding required
Master of Music in Sacred Music
breaths in their scores.
To learn more, visit our Web site:
www.rider.edu/westminster
Error Prevention or e-mail us at:
Based on his predictions of where sing- wccadmission@rider.edu
ers might make errors, Jamaal designs his
warm-up procedures to mitigate against Princeton & Lawrenceville, NJ
the chances that those errors will occur. He

Choral Journal October 2009 39

 Beyond Error Detection

the board, with inhalations occurring where Error Detection ponders his response.
they will be marked in the score. Jamaal fur-
As the rehearsal of Shenandoah begins,
ther emphasizes the importance of muscular
Jamaal returns to the vocalise material by
control during exhalation by having students Error Correction
having students sing those phrases from the
come to the board and insert crescendos
score. He notices that most students are Jamaal has some decisions to make. He
and decrescendos that the choir adds to
successful at transferring the breath manage- cannot simultaneously attend to each error,
their singing. Jamaals intent for this step is
ment techniques from the warm-ups to the so he decides to begin by correcting the
to prepare an experiential foundation for
score, except for the tenors. Some tenors errors most directly related to the breath
work in later rehearsals on the crescendo
seem to take extra breaths, while others management issues addressed during the
students identified at the midpoint of the
show signs of vocal tension at the ends of warm-up session. He reminds the choir that
arrangement. Once they agree on where
phrases.The basses raise their chins upward he was listening for two issues: breath man-
the dynamic markings should occur, students
when singing the first note, the high do, of agement within each phrase, and the marked
turn to their octavos and make correspond-
the second phrase. Meanwhile, the sopranos crescendos/decrescendos. When prompted,
ing notations in the score.
and altos experience slight intonation prob- students indicate that the dynamic contrasts
lems, singing sharp in the opening and ending were more easily performed.
phrases, but not in the middle phrases. Jamaal Jamaal further questions, asking students
quickly notes these issues in his score and to identify similarities in the abdominal

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muscular movement needed for breath word way. sopranos, altos, and tenors, but he needs to
management and dynamic control. Students Jamaal determines that he knows how consult his resource library for some ideas
respond correctly and Jamaal then turns to to handle the problems encountered by the about how to assist the basses. Jamaal begins
the tenors to inquire about their singing/
breathing experience. One tenor says that
he remembered to use his abdominal mus-
culature to assist with dynamic contrasts, but
forgot to do the same elsewhere. After the
tenors nod their heads in collective agree-
ment, Jamaal asks them to sing the phrases
again, with the other singers instructed to
raise their hands if the tenors successfully
sustain the breath as they sing. The choir
responds approvingly to the tenors efforts,
and Jamaal congratulates them for solving
the problem.

Error Diagnosis and Analysis

Jamaal sits at his desk and begins to plan
for tomorrows rehearsal. He is a bit con-
cerned because the students made some
errors that he did not anticipate, but he
is pleased that his attempts to predict and
prevent potential errors related to breath
management and dynamics were largely suc-
cessful. He knows that his goal is to equip
with students with choral skills that they can
use beyond high school, so he wants to en-
sure that students understand and develop
their musicianship by solving appropriate
musical challenges posed by the repertoire.
Still, there were some errors that re-
where excellence comes to

lead.
main to be addressed, and these errors will
require students to rely on Jamaals profes-
sional knowledge and judgment. He recalls
that too much breath pressure can cause in-
tonation problems. Since the sopranos and
altos were only singing sharp on the phrases
with lower pitches, he concludes that they
were simply trying too hard to do what he
had asked. Jamaal also noticed that some of
the ninth-grade tenors were straining to sing Superior conservatory training at a world-
class research university. Prestigious,
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necessary to sustain the entire first phrase.
He decides to temporarily change the low
do to a high do to alleviate this problem for U >`

>
`V}
the tenors. Meanwhile, Jamaal remembers U ii`>>i>Vi
that the basses had difficulty singing the high
do. He looks at his score and sees that the U ii`i>`i>`ii
pitch occurs with the initial diphthong in the

Choral Journal October 2009 41

 Beyond Error Detection
to plan tomorrows rehearsal by further forthcoming concert two decades away.
examining the score to predict any other What can we do today to help ensure that
errors the choir might make were he not our singers will be singing long after they
to provide them the necessary tools for suc- have left our musical and pedagogical care?
cessful singing. And so, the cycle begins anew. Such a philosophical position may relieve
conductors (and their choirs) of the unpro-
ductive stress that accompanies the goal of
The Giving of musical perfection. This view brings forth a
Appropriate Feedback complexity of purposes as multifaceted as
the diverse individuals within our ensembles.
If our philosophy is grounded in the
How do we meet the needs of each indi-
principle that choral music requires human
vidual singer while upholding the musical
engagement to breathe musical life into
considerations of the repertoire? We may
compositions, then, by extension, the pur-
not be able to know each of our singers
pose of rehearsals is to provide singers with
musical needs or to sufficiently address each
the knowledge and skills needed to engage
need within the limited time we have with
in choral music experiences throughout their
our ensembles. What we can do is establish
lives. Rather than the concert two months
parameters of rehearsal structure that both
away, the goal is enlarged to encompass a
nourish our larger goals and allow oppor-
tunities for individual singers to identify and
make progress toward their unique goals. As
Graham Welch fittingly stated,
Tempowatch.com
A per sons physical and social
Know Your environment can assist or hinder the
Tempo As It development of any vocal behavior
including that of singing. Research
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has demonstrated that the singing
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significantly influenced by interaction
1-888-803-6287 between the individual and her/
his singing environment. In order
for the individual to become more
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accomplished vocally, she/he needs
to be in an environment that fosters
The Music
such development. In part, this will be
Education
dependent on the quality of available
Yellow Pages feedback.7
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The giving of appropriate feedback to
FREE Choral
singers is frequently missing from choral re-
E-Newsletter, hearsals.8 A recent meta-analytical review of
Choral Resource research concerning instructional feedback
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can further inform the pedagogical cycle
described above.9 These conclusions can be
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First, feedback needs to provide a link
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42
precede the rehearsal, the outcome is a
specific rehearsal plan (feedback) based on
the choirs previous work. The late Frauke
Haasemann commented on this concept
in the opening minutes of her Group Vocal
Technique video: You have to give [singers]
techniques to sing the music right, because
some of the music that even amateur choirs
sing is, in a vocal way, very difficult. You can-
not say to [your choir], just do it. You have
to give them tools. And, I think that you have
to teach them those tools . . . with exercises
composed [from] the music that they will
later rehearse.10 A conductors effective
feedbackwhich includes modelingcan
provide singers the tools to be successful
at negotiating vocal challenges posed by the
repertoire.
Second, feedback must be contextualized
to both the singers and the learning situa-
tion. Feedback to an ensemble of twelve-
year-olds should be qualitatively different
from feedback to an ensemble of university
students, even though the content might be
similar (vowel formation, perhaps). This first
pair of research-based conclusions speaks
to a choral conductors feedback that might
develop through stages involving the skills
of error prediction, prevention, detection,
and correction.
A subsequent pair of conclusions focuses
on issues that most directly affect a conduc-
tors skills employed in the stages that occur
before and after feedback: error prediction,
prevention, and diagnosis/analysis. First, the
feedback of a choral conductor comes after
singers have responded to a task, often
through singing. The implication is that the
initial task request positions the singers for
success or failure. To the extent possible,
the bulk of a conductors pre-rehearsal
planning should be toward ensuring success
for the singers by diagnosing and analyzing
what occurred previously, predicting what
errors are likely to occur under the same
circumstances, and then seeking to prevent
the likely errors from occurring.
The final conclusion: feedback is not
always appropriate. Instead, direct instruc-
tion may be necessary before singers can
understand the feedback. As stated earlier,
the warm-up segment of choral rehearsals
is a vital component of direct instruction if it
Choral Journal October 2009
Choral Journal October 2009 43
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is specifically designed to address vocal and
musical challenges that will arise in that days
rehearsal. Once singers have been success-
fully engaged in direct instruction, the con-
ductor can provide feedback that calls upon
what the singers have already accomplished
as it arises throughout the repertoire.
Conclusion
Whether conscious to us or not, our
philosophies are telegraphed through the
rehearsals we design and the feedback we
provide to our choristers. In the words of
conductor James Jordan, Why do people
come to sing for you? Not because of your
musicianship or your beautiful conducting
gestures. They come because of you. When
your hands come down, the important thing
is that you care about the choir, not the right
notes or right rhythms.11
The Cycle of Pedagogical Skills outlined
NOTES
1
Adam Tanous, A Teacher at Heart: An Interview
with Writer Frank McCourt, Idaho Mountain
Express and Guide, August 30 September 5,
2000. <http://www.mtexpress.com/2000/08-
30-00/8-30mccourt.htm> (July 31, 2008).
2
David J. Elliott, When I Sing:The Nature and Value
of Choral Music Education, Choral Journal 33, COME SING
no. 8 (1993): 1112. AT THE
3
Carole Glenn, ed., In Quest of Answers: Interviews
with American Choral Conductors (ChapelHill, UNIVERSITY
NC: Hinshaw Music, 1991): 17283. OF MARYLAND
4
Glenn. In Quest of Answers. 175.
5
Estelle R. Jorgensen, Transforming Music Education
(Bloomington, IN: University of Indiana Press, The University of Maryland Choir
2003): 12425. conveyed a joy and understanding
6
Harry E. Price, An Effective Way to Teach that made the performances
and Rehearse: Research Supports Using special and unique events.
Sequential Patterns, Update: Applications of
Helmuth Rilling
Research in Music Education, 8, no. 1 (1989):
44.
7
Welch, Graham. The Developing Voice. In UM SCHOOL OF MUSIC

above is an organizing tool intended to assist
conductors in the development of rehearsal
plans and feedback that are appropriate for
our singers and, hopefully, reflect our philo-
8
Patrick K. Freer, Teacher Instructional Language
sophical paradigm. Many conductors can
recall rehearsals that just didnt seem right,
only to later realize that they had temporar-
ily led their singers in a manner inconsistent
with their beliefs about singing, teaching, and
the experience of choral music.
Working with a set of instructional,
musical plans enables conductors to be
transparent about their pedagogy because
they have made deliberate decisions about
their teaching. Such awareness allows freer
discussions with singers about why certain
rehearsal strategies are employed and oth-
Bodymind and Voice: Foundations of Lifespan UNIVERSITY
Voice Education, ed. Leon Thurman and CHORAL
Graham Welch, 711. Iowa City, IA: National ENSEMBLES
Center for Voice and Speech, 2000.
University Chorale
Chamber Singers
and Student Experience in Middle School
Womens Chorus
Choral Rehearsals, Music Education Research
Mens Chorus
10, no. 1 (2008): 10724; Harry E. Price
Opera Chorus
and Cornelia Yarbrough, Effect of Scripted
Our Voice Faculty Summer Chorus
Sequential Patterns of Instruction in Music is one of the
Rehearsals on Teaching Evaluations by
finest in the nation.
College Nonmusic Students, Bulletin of the
Council for Research in Music Education 119
(1993): 170 78; Cornelia Yarbrough and Paul EDWARD MACLARY
Henley, The Effect of Observation Focus on Director of
Evaluations of Choral Rehearsal Excerpts, Choral Activities
Journal of Research in Music Education 47
(1999): 308 18; Cornelia Yarbrough and CARMEN BALTHROP

ers will be held for another time. One result Katia Madsen, The Evaluation of Teaching DOMINIC COSSA

of this instructional transparency: that the in Choral Rehearsals, Journal of Research in FRANOIS LOUP Performing at the
choral experience becomes a collaborative Music Education 46 (1998): 46981. LINDA MABBS Kennedy Center
process more overtly shared by conductor MARTHA RANDALL remains the
9
John Hattie and Helen Timperley, The Power of
and singers. Each of us is a participant, both GRAN WILSON highlight of my
Feedback, Review of Educational Research, 77,
a giver and receiver of choral artistry, and DELORES ZIEGLER
no. 1 (2007): 81112. freshman year.
our philosophies and instructional goals can 10
Frauke Haasemann and James Jordan, Group Vocal
be intertwined to provide opportunities for Technique (Video) (Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw
all participants to give and receive at ever- Music, 1990).
increasing levels. 11
James Jordan. Speech delivered for the music
teachers of Cobb County. Marietta, GA.
October 14, 2005.
DEGREE APPLICATIONS DUE NOVEMBER 1.
www.music.umd.edu

Choral Journal October 2009 45

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46 Choral Journal October 2009


Modernism and Byzantine Influence in Rautavaaras Vigilia, Part One
Introduction
Einojuhani Rautavaara, born October
9, 1928, is considered the dean of living
Finnish composers. His Vigilia is his most
extensive choral work, and one of his most
important. Stylistically, Vigilia well represents
Rautavaaras eclectic modernist approach
to style. In addition, the work shows the
influence of Rautavaaras encounters with
Byzantine chant.
This two-part article will begin by outlin-
ing Rautavaaras career. Part One will also
include an overview of Vigilia, a brief history
and stylistic account of the traditional Rus-
sian Orthodox Vigil Service, a description of
form in Vigilia, and will explore the modern-
ist musical language of Vigilia. Part Two will
focus on Byzantine influence in the context
of modernism, continuing the discussion of
musical language. It will offer conclusions
about why Rautavaara incorporated Byz-
antine elements into this modernist work.
Einojuhani Rautavaara
Rautavaara has written many choral
works throughout his career, with over
sixty choral pieces for treble voices, mens
voices and mixed choir. These works range
from short settings of folk texts to longer
settings of poetry, biblical texts, or liturgical
Charles W. Kamm is assistant
professor of music at Scripps College
and director of choirs for the Joint
Music Program at the Claremont
Colleges.
Choral Journal October 2009
New Voices in Research
Magen Solomon, editor magensol@usc.edu
by
Charles W. Kamm
texts. Larger forms include cycles, cantatas,
and choral operas. Among his best known
choral wor ks
are the popu-
lar Lorca Suite
(1973); a Mag-
nificat (1979); a
setting of Rilkes
first Duino El-
egy, Die Erste El-
egie (1993); and
Vigilia (1971/72,
revised 1988 Einojuhani Rautavaara
and 1996). He Photo Maarit Kytharju/FIMIC
is also credited
with eight symphonies, ten concertos, ten
operas, and many works for orchestra,
solo voice, solo instruments, and chamber
ensembles.1
Although Finland is primarily and officially
a Lutheran country, Vigilia is a setting of the
Eastern Orthodox All-Night Vigil in Finnish.
Following the tradition of Eastern Orthodox
church music, it is unaccompanied, scored
for mixed choir and five soloists (soprano,
alto, tenor, bass, and basso profondo). It
consists of two main parts with multiple
internal movements. In its published form,
Vespers contains fourteen numbers while
Matins has twenty movements. The thirty-
four movements set a variety, but not all,
of the prayer, Psalm, and hymn texts of the
Orthodox All-Night Vigil, retaining the Greek
names of each (katisma, sticheron, ekteniya,
troparion, irmos).
Rautavaaras Musical Style
When Rautavaara accepted the commis-
sion by the Finnish Orthodox Church and
the Helsinki Festival in 1971 to compose
Vigilia, he faced a number of compositional
problems. Chief among these was deciding
what musical language to use. While on the
surface, Vigilias musical language is modern-
ist, the work also owes a debt to the tradi-
tions of Byzantine chant.
One reason selection of musical language
in Vigilia was challenging for Rautavaara is his
eclectic style. Rautavaara has been described
as a pluralist and is a self-acknowledged sty-
listic wanderer.2 His earliest worksfrom
the late 1940s and early 1950scould
best be classified as neo-classical. Works
from this time include Three Symmetrical
Preludes for piano in 1949; A Requiem for
Our Time for brass (a primitavistic work after
Stravinskys Les Noces) in 1954; and the first
symphony (stylistically similar to Prokofiev
and some Shostakovich) in 1956.3 Follow-
ing studies in Finland with Aarre Merikanto,
Rautavaara studied with Persichetti, Copland
and Sessions in New York and at Tanglewood
in 1955 and 1956. The second symphony,
Sinfonia intima, from 1957, is decidedly mod-
ernist, Stravinsky-like in fast movements, and
chromatic to the point of atonality. In 1957,
Rautavaara traveled to Ascona, Switzerland,
to study dodecaphony with Wladimir Vogel.
Finnish musicologist Kimmo Korhonen claims
that Rautavaaras modernist fourth sympho-
ny, Arabescata, from 1962 remains the only
Serial symphony to be written in Finland.
In the second half of the 1960s, Rau-
tavaara abandoned serialism and began
to compose in a free-tonal style, often
neo-romantic. This style is seen in the cello
concerto from 1968 and also in Vigilia. Later
works incorporate post-modernist features
such as collage (in True and False Unicorn
47
 New Voices in Research
for reciters, chorus, orchestra and tape in
1971), taped elements (birdsong in Cantus
Arcticus, 1972a concerto for birds and
orchestra), synthesized sounds (in the 1982
concert opera for male choir, soloists, and
tape, Runo 42the Theft of the Sampo), and
aleatory (again seen in Cantus Arcticus as
well as in Symphony 5 from 1986). Works
from throughout the 1970s, 80s, 90s and the
new century incorporate a variety of com-
positional techniques and idioms (including
a return to serial elements), and frequently
successive works differ greatly in style. An
important trend in his later works is a pre-
occupation with the mystic and the mythic.
This is seen in his many works based on the
mythic Kalevala, the national epic of Finland
(such as Runo 42) and in a number of works
48
referencing angels, including his double bass
concerto, Angel of Dusk (1980), and the sev-
enth symphony, Angel of Light (1994).
Vigilia
The setting of the All-Night Vigil was
commissioned by the Helsinki Festival and
by the Orthodox Church of Finland for use
at the Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki during
the late-summer Helsinki Festival. Although
numbered by the composer as the single
Opus 57, it was composed in two parts,
Vespers and Matins, and premiered in cert version titled Vigilia. A later revision in
two different years, 1971 and 1972.4 The
date of the 1971 premiere of Vespers
was August 28, the Feast of the Beheading
of John the Baptist, and thus the proper ele-
ments in Vigilia are those for that feast. The
premiere of Matins occurred on the Feast
of the Nativity of the Virgin, September 9,
1972, still, however, incorporating the prop-
ers from the Feast of the Beheading of John
the Baptist.The premieres were sung by the
Klemetti Institute Chamber Choir, conducted
by Harald Andersn.
In 1988, Rautavaara revised the complete
settings of both Vespers and Matins, par-
ing down the works, which originally lasted
over two hours, to create a 45-minute con-
1996 entailed mainly alterations of tessitura,
including the resetting of many movements
a tone lower, in preparation for publication,
and the recording by the Finnish Radio
Choral Journal October 2009
Chamber Choir. The 1996 version, lasting 65
minutes, was debuted by the Finnish Radio
Chamber Choir, conducted by Timo Nuor-
anne, in Helsinki on October 14, 1997, and
released on compact disc by Ondine in 1998.
I have had access to the score of the
1996 version published by Warner/Chappell
Finland and to two differing photocopies
of the 1988 revised manuscript, one held
by the Finnish Music Information Centre
and the other by the Helsinki University
Library. No copy of the unaltered original
1971/72 version has been located. While
Rautavaara has taken care that the original
cannot be reconstructed, it is clear from a
study of the existing manuscripts that in his
1971/72 version, Rautavaara set nearly every
item of Vespers and Matins to music. In the
later concert versions, revisions focused on
cutting many chant-based elements, and
lowering, by a whole tone, a number of
movements that were particularly high in
the soprano voices.
Rautavaara writes that Vigilia has its ori-
gins in a childhood visit.
[A]t the age of ten or so, my parents
had taken me to the Or thodox
monastery island of Valamo, now on
the other side of the Russian border
in Karelia. The exotic world of the
monaster y had been a shocking
experience for me, simply through
the very existence of such a different
worldI believe that it created the
foundation for my later conviction
of the existence of different worlds,
different realities and modes of
consciousness. If nothing else, that
experience remained powerfully in
the subconscious: the colours, rituals,
icons, bells, the choirs singing, the song
of the deacon, even the swishing of
the monks habits in the darkened
cloisters5
Rautavaara was captivated by the senso-
ry stimuli of the monastery and the alternate
world it created.The interest in orthodoxy is
an extension of Rautavaaras preoccupation
with the mystic and the mythic. When I
had composed an expansive Orthodox
VigiliaI had basically realized some kind of
personal myth.6 Indeed, Vigilia is a particu-
Choral Journal October 2009
larly personal creation due to its juxtaposi- Maxim Berezhovsky in Italy.
tion of musical modernism and Byzantine In the early nineteenth century, the sway
influences. of Italian music gave way to German roman-
tic influence, with chorale-like harmonization
Structure and Musical Language
of the Traditional Finnish Vigil Service
The structure of the Finnish Orthodox
Vigil service closely resembles the Russian
Vigil, which has changed little over the past
three centuries. In both,Vespers and Matins
include a variety of Psalms, hymns, prayers,
litanies, Biblical odes, and responsorial ele-
ments.7 Some of these elements are chant-
ed by the priest or by the deacon, some are
sung chorally. Rautavaaras 1971/72 service
music was a setting of most of the contem-
porary text of both Vespers and Matins.
Byzantine chant, introduced into Russia
by Greek missionaries in the ninth or tenth
century, was the original musical language of
the Orthodox Vigil service. As the Eastern
Church has always required the use of the
vernacular in its liturgy, the Greek chants
were translated into Old Slavonic, the
root of modern Slavonic languages. From
the eleventh to the sixteenth century, the
repertoire grew, and Russian chant generally
became more intricate, although in times
of reform, less so. By the sixteenth century,
Russian chant featured extended ranges,
larger melodic leaps (including successive
leaps of sixths, sevenths, and octaves),
and more extended melismas. Polyphony
in church music was resisted by the Rus-
sian church as a non-orthodox, Roman
tradition until the seventeenth century.
The earliest examples of polyphony in the
Russian church date from the sixteenth
century, and show the influence of a folk
tradition of polyphonic singing. Only during
the last part of the seventeenth century did
church polyphony become prevalent. Styles
included three- and four-voice homophony
as well as polyphony and polychoral writing
on the German and Italian models. Settings
of chant for three voices in syllabic block
chords are similar to simple chorales and
were likely first imported from Poland.
The mid-eighteenth century saw a great
influence of Italian styles on Russian church
music initiated in part by the presence of
Baldassare Galuppi in St. Petersburg and of
49
 New Voices in Research
of traditional chants employing functional
chromatic harmony. This movement, often
referred to as the St. Petersburg School,
was strong throughout the century. By the
1830s, Glinka, influenced by both Ger-
man and French models, advocated modal
harmonization of chant melodies without
modulation or dissonance. A rival School
of Moscow evolved mid-century which
continued the modal harmonic style and in-
corporated other folk elements. In this style,
the cantus firmus of chant could be treated
more freely, wandering between voices. This
style is the basis for Rachmaninovs All-Night
Vigil. However, it is the simpler chordal St.
Petersburg style that became the common
style of Russian church music following the
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1917 Revolution and remains so today. The
Finnish Orthodox church is no exception
to this trend.
Formal Unity in Rautavaaras Vigilia
The form of each movement of Vigilia is
dictated by the liturgical text.8 Rautavaara
set the chanting of the deacon for solo
baritone and the chanting of the priest for
solo tenor. A quartet of soloists and the
chorus are used in various combinations
for choral sections throughout the work. Of
particular note are the three movements for
basso profundo soloist (2, 5, 11). Rautavaara
writes in Omakuva (Self-Portrait) that
the inspiration was the chanting of the low
bass in the coronation scene of the 1945
Eisenstein movie Ivan the Terrible that he saw
while studying composition in New York in
the mid 1950s.9 Very low writing extends
beyond the bass solo to a pedal bass sec-
tion of the choir, which sings low Ds and Cs
in eleven movements and even low BB-flats
in movement 7.
Formal unity is often found in the recur-
rence of musical motives, both melodic and
harmonic, in response to reappearances of
particular texts. For example, the doxologi-
cal verses in movements 3, 9, 16, and 20 all
make use of the same motivic material, al-
though it is varied in each instance. Similarly,
a motive associated with the text bless the
Lord is first heard in the setting of Psalm
10310 and then at similar textual references
in movements 22 and 32.
Formal unity is also achieved through
the recurrence of harmonic patterns (for
example, the alternation of chords on a
mediant pivot in movements 4, 5, 7, and 8)
or textural techniques (pyramiding is used
for the two settings of the Kyrie eleison, as-
cending in movement 8 and descending in
movement 10). Despite the large number of
movements and the variety of musical styles
in Vigilia, it is unified through the return of
musical ideas and by its original identity as
a piece of service music with a prescribed
textual format.
Musical Languages in Rautavaaras Vigilia
When Rautavaara was commissioned
to compose Vigilia, liturgy at the Uspenski
Cathedral in Helsinki was sung to music
from the St. Petersburg School. Beyond the
obvious use of the basso profundo and the
texture of homophonic choral chanting, the
musical styles of Vigilia bear little resem-
blance to those of the Russian Church. In
Vigilia, Rautavaara eschews the St. Peters-
burg styleexcept for the predominantly
homophonic choral texturein favor of his
own personal modernist musical style, influ-
enced by Byzantine elements. As mentioned
above, Rautavaara is considered a stylistic
pluralist. Many aspects of his style are ap-
parent in Vigilia, including the use of Sprech-
stimme, various modal and non-diatonic
scale collections (octatonic, other synthetic
modes), quartal and quintal harmonies, har-
monic motion by mediant pivots, mirror-
ing scalar constructions around a pitch,
pyramiding tones into a cluster, bitonality, and
cadences with both major and minor thirds.
Rautavaara wrote that in composing
Vigilia he was attempting to evoke the music
of the older Byzantine world.
When I investigated the most ancient
musical tradition of the Church, what
surprising things there were to be
found there in the Byzantine tradition!
Wild glissandos, micro-inter vals,
rhythmic vivacity. The harmonically
indigent and melodically conventional
singing which today is the Orthodox
liturgical normwhich parishioners
accustomed to it from childhood
hold for very holy traditionthat,
on the contrary, proved to be the
result of very recent innovation. At
the command of the Czar, the court
musicians, the so-called Petersburg
School carried out in the nineteenth
centur y a reform whereby these
musicians, educated to roughly the
technique of a Verdi, brought into
church singing the endless row of
I V- V- I harmonic passages, which we
hear in church now. But it was the
old Byzantine techniques that I now
wished to bring into my own Vigil. Its
Choral Journal October 2009
 means were, after all, also the means
of the avant garde of my own time.11
Clearly Rautavaara saw an affinity between
musical elements of Byzantine chant and
certain modern compositional tools. While
rooted in Rautavaaras own musical style,
the musical fabric of Vigilia includes ele-
ments recognizable from transcriptions of
Byzantine chant. Rautavaara quoted a Byz-
Figure 1
Choral Journal October 2009
antine melody, imitated Byzantine chant, and
adopted some elements, such as grace notes,
directly. Beyond these surface elements,
Vigilia evinces other less obvious influences
of Byzantine chant. These include the use of
recurring patterns reflecting the organiza-
tion of Byzantine chant, the employment
of microtones and of the octatonic scale as
reflections of non-equal-tempered tuning,
and the presence of drones.
Modernist Musical Language
Before discussing Byzantine influence in
more detail in Part Two, let us first examine
some hallmarks of Rautavaaras modernism
as seen in Vigilia.
The second movement of Vespers,
Alkupsalmi (Opening Psalm) is a setting of
the opening of Psalm 103 (104 in Protestant
traditions). It begins with basso profondo
solo, who intones the Psalm (Figure 1). The
51
 New Voices in Research

Figure 2
choir responds with the
refrain Glory to Thee, O
Lord.The opening chant
begins with the outline
of a d minor chord, shift-
ing to an f minor chord,
a pivot of the mediant
F in d minor becoming
the root of f minor. The
choral response exhibits
a number of Rautavaaras
traits. It begins with a
quintal stack, ascending
from an F in the second
bass, through C, G, and
D up to A in the soprano
(m. 2). Beginning in the
third measure, the up-
per three voices move in
parallel motion, another
stylistic trait of the com-
poser. In measures 5 and
6, Rautavaara creates an
accelerando by short-
ening rhythmic values,
building energy to the
cadential word Herra (Lord). The cadence (Troparion of the Resurrection) from Mat- rise from C with a pair of whole steps, a half
comes to rest on a d minor 9th chord, an ins, movement 19 (Figure 2), shows Rau- step, and another whole step (C-D-E-F-G)
example of Rautavaaras use of added note tavaaras use of mirroring around a pitch. In while the second altos and basses descend
or extended triadic resting cadential chords. this case, two partial scales are built around from C in the same pattern (C-B -A -G-F).
The end of the Ylsnousemustropari the pitch C. The first sopranos and tenors The other voices harmonize this mirroring,
including pitches not in those two scales.The
cadence (m. 108) is a fine example of Rau-
tavaaras frequent use of a cadential chord
with a doubly inflected mediant, in this case
a D triad with both major and minor thirds.
Another example of mirroring is found
at the beginning of the Troparion that begins
Matins (movement 16, Figure 3). Here
the mirroring occurs between the second
soprano and first alto voices, and then the
first soprano and second alto voices. The
pitch collection used in measures 1 6 is the
octatonic scale: G-A -B -B-C #-D-E-F. The
octatonic collection is generally regarded as
a tool of modernism, but a connection to
Byzantine chant and modes will be explored
in Part Two of the article. Beginning in bar
seven, the mirroring changes. Now both
soprano parts move in parallel fifths and
fourths within an A major scale while the
alto parts, also in parallel fifths and fourths,
mirror the sopranos within a C-flat major

52 Choral Journal October 2009

 Figure 3

Choral Journal October 2009 53

 New Voices in Research

Figure 4
scale. Rautavaaras use of
changing meters to accom-
modate text setting is also
clear in this example.
Vigilia was written for
the feast of the Behead-
ing of John the Baptist.
Rautavaara discovered that
the proper texts for that
day had unbelievable, na-
ively harsh and mystically
profound passages.12 Six
movements of the work
refer to the biblical story
of John, Herod, and Sa-
lome (Matthew 14:311),
prompting a compositional
response from Rautavaara
not always in keeping with
the solemnity and ancient
mysticism of a vigil service.
The Vespers Sticheron of
Invocation (movement 5)
is the best example. After
opening with solo and
choral chant, in a section
marked molto drammatico,
the bass soloist describes
the sinful dancing of Salome with phrases jor, gyrating around the common pitch G ing downward a diminished fourth, possibly
that cover a full two octaves, sliding back (Figure 4). The choir responds by repeating the aural image of a seeping wound (Figure
and forth between E minor and E-flat ma- the word verta (blood), the sopranos slid- 5). This music is more appropriate to the

54 Choral Journal October 2009

 Figure 5
concert stage or opera house than to the
Orthodox service.
Conclusion of
Part One
Thus far we have been introduced to
the Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara
with an overview of his compositional out-
put. We have explored the musical language
of Rautavaara, and more specifically Vigilia,
and also traced an historical overview of
the Orthodox Vigil service. It has been
argued that Byzantine influence is a major
stylistic trait, particularly in the use of chant.
In Part Two of the article, other Byzantine
influences will be analyzedincluding the
use of microtones to approximate alternate
Byzantine tuning systems, the use of grace
notes, and the use of drones.
NOTES
1
The complete oeuvre of Rautavaara is kept up-
to-date at the Web site of the Finnish Music
Information Center: http://www.fimic.fi.
Choral Journal October 2009
2
See Rautavaaras memoir, Omakuva, and the Werner Sderstom Osakeyhti, 1989, 138.
10
articles Einojuhani Rautavaara: a portrait of Psalm 104 in Protestant traditions.
11
the artist at a certain moment by Mikko Einojuhani Rautavaara, On a Taste for the Infinite,
Heini, and the interview with Rautavaara Contemporary Music Review (12/1995) 10, 12.
12
by Tapani Lnsi, And how does the avant- Einojuhani Rautavaara, preface to the score of
garde feel this morning? in the Finnish Music Vigilia. Helsinki: Warner/Chappell Music
Quarterly. Finland, 1997.
3
Biographical information taken from Kimmo
Korhonen, Inventing Finnish Music, translated
by Jaakko Mntyjrvi. Helsinki: Finnish Music
Information Centre, 2003, 13233.
4
The following information comes from the Web
site of the Finnish Music Information Centre;
see note 1.
5
Einojuhani Rautavaara, Choirs, Myths and
Finnishness, Finnish Music Quarterly (1/1997),
4.
6
Ibid.
CHOIR ROBES
7
A clear English setting of the Vigil service can be
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9
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55

Childrens Choirs
Robyn Lana, National Chair
Cincinnati Childrens Choir
lanarr@uc.edu
Keep Americas Youth Singing
by
Karen L. Bruno,
North Central R&S Chair, Childrens Choirs
The new ACDA Web site is up and
running, connecting us to a wealth of new
resources. The Childrens Choir Repertoire
and Standards area of the site contains
several resources thanks to Robyn Lana, Na-
tional Chair for Childrens Choir Repertoire
& Standards. Among other documents, Lana
gives us access to the history of childrens
choir activity by listing the goals set twenty
years ago by Doreen Rao and the National
Committee on Childrens Choirs.1 These
goals outline why childrens choirs matter
and suggest ways in which children should
experience the choral art. Although twenty
years have passed, the goals remain relevant.
What can we learn from the beginnings of
the childrens choir movement? What does
the future hold for childrens choirs? Most
importantly, how can we keep Americas
youth singing?
Singing was once the foundation of most
elementary school music curricula.2, 3 Lowell
Mason and his contemporaries brought mu-
sic into the Boston public schools in 1838.
The music curriculum focused on developing
singing skills, which remained the primary
goal of elementary music education for
more than a century. 4, 5 In the middle of the
Choral Journal October 2009
Nancy Cox, editor nrcox@swbell.net
twentieth century, however, a change came
to American curricula when Russia launched
the satellite Sputnik.6 After Sputnik, the arts
were more difficult to justify because they
didnt seem as useful as the core subjects,
particularly science and math.7 In order to
retain music in school curricula, a nation-
wide philosophical shift took place, and
general music was born.8 Music was more
difficult to dismiss because new methodolo-
gies to teach musical literacy were newly
availableKodly, Orff, Dalcroze, and oth-
ers.9 These new approaches did employ the
use of singing, among other strategies, but
the goal of each was to teach music literacy,
not to teach children how to sing.10
During the same time frame (mid to late
twentieth century), the number of private,
community-based childrens choir programs
increased significantly in number.11, 12 When
ACDA began in 1959, community childrens
choirs existed only in isolated locales across
America.13 In the 1960s, community chil-
drens choir activity increased, but it was not
until the 1970s that community childrens
choirs exploded onto the national stage, ap-
pearing at choral conventions and festivals.14
In 1981, ACDA appointed Childrens Choir
Repertoire and Standards divisions in each
region of the United States.15 Since that
time, ACDA has continued to support the
Childrens Choir division and new commu-
nity based childrens choirs, boy choirs, and
girl choirs continue to form throughout the
country. Why has the number of childrens
choir programs continued to increase? Part
of the answer to this question lies in the
curricular changes that have continued since
Sputnik.
Regardless of their preferred method of
pedagogy, most elementary music educators
now teach to the National Standards for
Music Education, as developed by the Music
Educators National Conference (MENC)
from 1992 to 1994.16 As the core subjects
began to develop standards, it was wise for
the arts to follow suit. This method of advo-
cacyaligning the structure of arts educa-
tion with that of core subjectshelped keep
the arts in the schools, just as it did in the
1950s. MENCs work in developing national
music standards led the arts to be recog-
nized as a fundamental academic subject
in the legislation titled Goals 2000: Educate
America Act.17 This was, indeed, a worthy
goal, but at what price?
The amount of time most elementary
school general music teachers see their stu-
dents is lamentably small. In a fast-response
survey of public elementary school principles
and teachers, the United States Department
of Education found that the 94 percent of
students who received music instruction in
elementary school spent an average of 46
hours in music class over the course of the
19992000 academic year.18 Most classes
were reported to be approximately half an
hour in length.19 While this study seems to
match current anecdotal reality in many ar-
eas of the country, there has been no further
research to reinforce these observations.
The U.S. Department of Education itself
admits that the survey was conducted to fill
a hole in the research data available in regard
to the frequency, duration, and accessibility
of arts education in America.20
MENC recognized that the standards
movement would be a powerful one. The
national trend toward (and, in many cases,
requirement of ) testing has cemented the
need for measurable standards; most public
schools have incorporated national standards
into their curricula. For elementary school
general music teachers, this means teaching
nine content standards in approximately 46
hours over the course of a year. Singing,
57
alone and with others, is just one of the
nine standards. While playing instruments,
improvising, composing, reading, notating,
listening to, analyzing, describing, evaluating,
and understanding the relationship between
music, the arts, history, and culture are
worthy goals, are they all necessary in the
elementary grades? Dont children need to
learn to sing, and to love to sing, before they
delve into these other areas?
MENC does encourage general music
teachers to form school childrens choirs,
but also recommends that students not
rehearse outside of school time.21 For most
elementary school music teachers, this
creates an impossible situationthere is
simply no time in the school day to create
a substantive childrens choir experience.
The same MENC guidebook recommends
that elementary schools offer band and
orchestral experiences.22 When it recom-
mends that music teachers form elementary
school choirs, the study is clear to say that
choir must be in addition to, not instead of,
general music classes; no such statement
exists when, in two separate chapters, it
recommends both bands and orchestras.23
This is likely due to the fact that general mu-
sic teachers are often (although not always)
trained both in choral and general music. If
an elementary school offers band or orches-
tra, instrumental teachers are available. If an
elementary school offers a choir, the general
music specialist is expected to squeeze the
choir into a lunch or recess timeoften
as short as fifteen minutesas there is no
additional staff member to teach the choir.
Students, therefore, often have the opportu-
nity to participate in both band or orchestra
and general music, but rarely have the op-
portunity to participate in both general
music and choir. Many students who wish to
participate in a choir must look outside the
public school classroom to fulfill this desire.
Community childrens choir programs have
developed to fill this need.
An additional reason for the rise of com-
munity childrens choirs may have to do with
the staffing of music positions in elementary
schools.The Department of Education study
found that while 94 percent of elementary
school students in the United States did
receive music instruction, only 72 percent of
those classes were taught by music special-

November 17 21, 2010

Come and meet the

international choral world
in the United States!
All choirs from all
continents are welcome!
Competitions, gala concerts,
encounter concerts, seminars
and workshops.
Also upcoming:
The American International Choral Festival,
Reno, May 4-8, 2011

www.interkultur.com
INFORMATION & CONTACT:
Christina Prucha, prucha@interkultur.com
Phone: (405) 232-8161
INTERKULTUR event in partnership with the American Choral Directors Association,
Hugh Ballou, ballou@interkultur.com in collaboration with St. Louis represented by St. Louis Convention and Visitors
Phone: (888) 398-8471 Commission and the Regional Arts Commission

58 Choral Journal October 2009

ists (2002). This means that approximately February 16, 2009).
2
one-third of Americas youth do not receive Robert W. John, The General Music Dilemma,
instruction from a trained music specialist Music Educators Journal 48, no. 4 (Feb. Mar.,
during the school day. 1962), http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0027-
Where 125 years as a World
We are now into the third generation 4231%28196202%2F03%2948%3A4%3C6
of children in the public schools to receive 5%3ATGMD%3E2.0.CO%3B2-T (accessed Leader in Music Meets
general music instruction as children. Parents, August 10, 2007). 21st Century Professional
3
uncomfortable with their singing voices, do Kenneth H. Phillips, Directing the Choral Music Innovation
not sing to their children at home. Elemen- Program. New York: Oxford University Press,
tary general music educators feel bound 2004
4
by national standards to cover too much John, 1962 NEW BACHELOR OF ARTS
5
James A. Keene, An Acceptance of Diversity, IN CHORAL MUSIC
curricular ground in too little time. Many
1950 70, in A History of Music Education in
children are not learning to love to sing, to Unique degree structured for
the United States (Hanover, NH: University
love music, but those in childrens choirs have unlimited career opportunities in
Press of New England, 1982), 35363.
a different experience. 6 music
Ibid.
Every child should learn to sing. ACDAs 7
Ibid. Performance experience
Childrens Choir Repertoire & Standards 8
John, 1962 Curriculum taught by world-
area exists to support this endeavor.25 Given 9
Kenneth H. Phillips, Vocal Pedagogy for Young renowned faculty
the momentum and growth of community Singers, in Teaching Kids to Sing (New York: Welcomed exploration of various
based childrens choir programs, it is clear Schirmer Books, 1996), 322 elds of study
that our R&S area has provided support to 10
Ibid.
11
Experience within the
these programs. Now is the time for us to Doreen Rao, Children and Choral Music in department.
be more intentional about supporting our ACDA: The Past and the Present, The
Exposure to numerous Southern
colleagues in the public schools. Community Challenge and the Future, Choral Journal 29,
California choral ensembles
childrens choirs can build bridges to the no. 8 (April, 1989): 614.
12
public schools by holding rehearsals in school Phillips, 2004
facilities, accepting every student who wishes
13
Rao, 1989 GRADUATE DEGREES FOR
14 THE EVOLVING DEMANDS
to sing, and assisting with financial needs Ibid.
15 OF MUSICIANS
so that students of modest or low income Ibid.
16
can participate. We can also help our public Music Educators National Conference, National M.M. and D.M.A programs in
school colleagues with issues of advocacy. At Standards for Music Education, 2008, http:// Choral Music and Sacred Music
the very least, we need to listen to what our www.menc.org/resources/view/national- Conducting experience and
standards-for-music-education (accessed
public school colleagues need from us and performing opportunities
February 16, 2009).
to do our best to support them in the goal 17 Coursework with world-
Music Educators National Conference, The
of teaching kids to sing. renowned music faculty
National Standards for Arts Education: A
Given these many factors, community Elective elds tailored to student
Brief History, 2008, http://www.menc.org/
childrens choirs will continue to grow, but interests
resouces/view/the-national-standards-for-
must work closely with public school pro- ar ts-education-a-brief-histor y (accessed Stimulating environment
grams. For the future of the choral art, and February 16, 2009) Established network of alumni
to support the national music standards, 18
U.S. Department of Education, Arts Education in support
every child should learn to sing. Every child Public Elementary Schools, in Arts Education
should love to sing. Once children experi- in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools:
ence the joy of singing, they will want to 19992000 (NCES 2002-131), by Nancy
explore other content standards. Lets help Carey, Brian Kleiner, Rebecca Porch, Elizabeth Deadline for Admission
Americas youth on their journey to musical Farris, and Shelley Burns (Washington, Application: December 1
literacy by teaching them to sing. DC: National Center for Education
Statistics, 2002): 536, http://nces.ed.gov/ For application inquiries contact
pubs2002/2002131.pdf (accessed August the Department of Choral and
NOTES 11, 2007). Sacred Music:
19
Ibid.
1 20 p. 213-740-7416
Robyn Lana, A Peek into the History of Ibid.
Childrens Choir in ACDAGoals Set in
21
Music Educators National Conference, Guide- e. uschoral@usc.edu
1989, (2009). http://acda.org/reper toire/ lines for Performances of School Music
children%27s_choir/history_goals (accessed Groups: Expectations and Limitations

Choral Journal October 2009 59

 (Reston, VA: MENC, 1986)
22
Ibid.
23
Ibid.
24
U.S. Department of Education, 2002
25
Lana, 2009
Womens Choirs
Debra Spurgeon, National
Chair
University of Mississippi
dspurg@olemiss.edu
Womens Choir Repertoire Performed
at ACDA National Conventions in the
Twenty-First Century
by
Debra Spurgeon
The first decade of the twenty-first
Century has seen five ACDA national
conventions: 2001 in San Antonio; 2003
in New York; 2005 in Los Angeles; 2007
in Miami; and 2009 in Oklahoma City.1
Auditioned choirs from the Womens Rep-
ertoire and Standards area, which includes
high school, college, and adult womens
choirs, performed on all five conventions.
Collectively, seventeen auditioned womens
choirs performed a total of 99 composi-
tions.2 By studying the programs of these
womens choirs, one can see trends related
to repertoire selection and gain insight into
convention programming.3
Stylistic Periods Represented
The vast majority of the repertoire (86
percent) was composed in the twentieth
and twenty-first centuries. The remaining
14 percent was divided in the following
way: two Medieval, two Renaissance, three
Baroque, one Classical, and six Romantic
songs. Noticeably missing are Romantic
period works by composers such as Brahms
60
and Rheinberger, who composed specifically
for the mature womens choir. Music prior to
the Romantic period was also sparse. Seven
examples that fall in the early music cate-
gory include: O Frodens Virga, Hildegard von
Bingen; Hodie Christus natus est, Palestrina;
Exultate, justi in Domino, Hollander; Cantate
Domino, Schtz; Like as the Hart, Maurice
Greene, arr. Dearnley; and Dixit Dominus by
Michael Hayden.
A wide array of composers was repre-
sented in the 99 compositions. The follow-
ing composers music appeared three or
more times: Gyrgy Orban, Eleanor Daley,
Gwyneth Walker, Z. Randall Stroope, Ste-
phen Hatfield, Joan Szymko, and Atahualpa
Yupanqui (arr. E. Sole). Similarly, many differ-
ent publishers were represented, but a few
publishers appeared with greater frequency.
Earthsongs had the largest share of com-
positions (14 percent) followed by Alliance
Music (seven percent), Boosey and Hawkes
(six percent) and Oxford (five percent.) Un-
published manuscripts made up 11 percent
of the total.
Programming considerations
There was scant duplication of repertoire
over the ten year period, which shows that
conductors attempt to select repertoire
that has not already been performed on
the national convention stage. The following
works, which were repeated, are exceptions:
Duerme Negrito by Atahualpa Yupanqui, ar-
ranged by E. Sole, performed in 2003, 2007,
and 2009; Lauda Sion by Gyrgy Orban,
performed in 2001 and 2003; Mass No. 6
by Gyrgy Orban, performed in 2003 and
2005; O Frodens Virga by Hildegard von
Bingen, performed in 2003 and 2005; and
Nada te Turbe by Joan Szymko, performed
in 2003 and 2009.
Many factors must be considered in
choosing repertoire for a convention pro-
gram such as text, tempo, and suitability to
the singers, to name a few. Some conductors
take particular care to find just the right
opener and closer. The following songs
were chosen to open the womens concerts:
Aglepta, Mellnas; Kaval Sviri, Liondev; Zutaz,
Busto; Lift Thine Eyes, Mendelssohn; Psalm
121, Larsen; Adiemus, Jenkins; Lauda Sion,
Orban; Venite Exultemus Domino, Rosso;
O Frodens Virga, von Bingen; Magnificat,
Stroope; Noels des enfants, Debussy; Ya
Faroule, Hatfield; Awake and Sing, Forsberg;
Exultate, justi in Domino, Hollander; Universal
Song, Hall; Alleluia, laus et gloria, ORegan and
Cantate Domino by Schtz.
These songs functioned as closers:
Punching the Dough, Parker; Italian Polka,
Rachmaninoff; Lullaby of Broadway, arr. Dags-
vik; John Saw the Numbuh, arr.Thomas; I Thank
You God, Walker; Weep No More, Childs;
Kashiri, Tae Kyun Ham; Two Gaelic Songs, Cro-
nan, arr. Smith; Sweepin Through the City, arr.
Holland; So Many Angels, Walker; Dravidian
Dithyramb, Parajoti; Music Down in My Soul,
Hogan; Holy is the Lord, Ames; Aint No Grave
can Hold My Body Down, Caldwell/Ivory; Ride
on, King Jesus, Hogan; and Lay Earths Burden
Down by Caldwell/Ivory.
Summary
This brief look at the repertoire per-
formed by womens choirs at national
conventions in the first decade of the
twenty-first century reveals interesting infor-
mation. Most noticeably, the majority of the
repertoire comes from the late twentieth
and twenty-first centuries. This trend has
become a part of convention expectations
for at least the past decade.There are those
who believe too much of the repertoire
performed on convention programs in gen-
eral is weighted toward the modern era. In
fact, the 2007 Miami convention planning
committee stipulated that one or two songs
had to be chosen from the pre-twentieth
century.
Most songs performed on the national
conventions were composed specifically for
the mature female choir, with very few re-
voicings of mixed or other repertoire. Some
of the finest composers of all time were
represented. Conductors showed some
interest in music outside the Western Euro-
pean tradition by programming a mixture of
countries and languages. English was the pre-
dominant language with 45 percent of the
total. Latin was the next highest (18 percent),
followed by Spanish (eight percent). The
Choral Journal October 2009

remaining 29 percent was divided between
French, Basque, German, Hebrew, Lebanese,
Swedish, Russian, Gaelic, Japanese, Korean,
Bulgarian, and Czechoslovakian songs. About
half of the repertoire performed was secular
in nature. Conductors obviously attempted
to select programs that showcased the new-
est repertoire as evidenced by the number
of unpublished manuscripts performed.
Anyone wishing to study the repertoire
in greater depth or to view the 17 womens
choir programs from the national conven-
tions may go to the ACDA Repertoire and
Standards Web site:www.acda.org/reper-
toire and click on Women and Resources .
The titles are grouped together by conven-
performed. There were four womens choirs,
tion year and each separate program is listed
three high school and one college, at the
in their original order.
Oklahoma City Convention in 2009.
2
The repertoire discussed in this article can be
viewed at www.acda.org/repertoire. Select
NOTES
women, resources.
3
This article only pertains to auditioned choirs and
1
In 2001, four womens choirs performed on the
does not include information about invited
national convention in San Antonio: two high
professional womens choirs or international
school and two college choirs. Five womens
choirs that appeared on national conventions.
choirs performed on the 2003 convention in
In addition, treble choirs with elementary
New York, which was the highest number for
or middle school aged singers were not
the decade. In 2005, three choirs performed
included. Repertoire information was taken
in Los Angeles: one high school, one college
from the national convention program books.
and one adult choir.The lowest number in the
decade was in 2007 at the Miami convention
when only one high school womens choir

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62 Choral Journal October 2009

 Recording Your Choir: Technology for the Choral Director
Editors Note: Some years ago, as
a student at Birmingham-Southern
College, I would carry a rather bulky
tape recorder on choir tours to record
concerts for our director, Hugh Thomas.
Technology has changed a great deal
over the year s, and many choral
directors are quite adept at recording
their ensembles. For those who are not
such technophiles, this column from Blair
Bryant, a Florida high school director,
offer valuable, easy to use information.
The choir director is assumed to be a
sound professional. This assumption leaves
many choral directors frustrated, because
many of us have little or no training in the
area of sound engineering. Almost every di-
rector can use recording technology, typically
for an audition, rehearsal, or concert record-
Blair Bryant is the chorus director
at Lake Howell High School in
Winter Park, Florida. He received
a Bachelors degree in music
education from the University of
Colorado at Boulder and a Masters
degree in music education from
Florida State University.
Choral Journal October 2009
by
C. Blair Bryant
ing. Recordings give us an objective view of
our ensemble and help us correct and mold
our choirs. In most instances, we are solely
responsible for recording our choirs, leaving
us the task of becoming novice sound engi-
neers. Fortunately, we live in an age where
this can be done with a basic computer,
microphone, and recording software. Using
these basic tools, we can produce high qual-
ity recordings simply and efficiently.
Hardware
Each choir has different needs, but in most
cases a computerlaptop or desktopwill
provide plenty of recording possibilities.
In recent years, Macintosh has designed
computers that come with fully integrated
hardware (microphone) and software (e.g.,
Garageband) that allows the user to record
just like a professional. For the novice, there
is no better path; Macs enable any beginner
to record, edit, and burn a CD with minimal
training. If you are primarily recording in one
location, a desktop computer might be the
way to go, since it comes equipped with a
larger hard drive that allows it to store more
recordings. A laptop computer gives the cho-
ral director portability to record on the road
or in a unique space. Because laptops do not
have as much built-in memory, an external
hardrive of 300500 Gigabytes is recom-
mended as well. Mac laptops, such as the
MacBook or MacBook Pro, provide ample
means for producing quality recordings. A
PC can do the same, but for the purposes
of this column, I am highlighting the simplest
means for a novice to record and which I
have found to be the most practical.
Software
Picking the ideal software can be chal-
lenging. There are dozens of recording
platforms ranging from advanced to novice.
When selecting software, be sure to check
the system requirements, because most
recording software requires a more robust
processor and larger memory. For this
reason, it is a good idea not to have other
software running while recording. Analysis of
your recording needs will guide you in the
selection of software. Many of the industry
standards, such as Pro-Tools, Logic, and CU-
Base, employ more features than the average
choral director will ever use. When it comes
to choosing recording software, choose one
that is going to be easy to operate, edit, mix,
and burn. The advantage of recording with
a computer is the ability to multi-track re-
cord your ensemble; adding more than one
track will enhance the overall sound of your
recording. The software should also allow
you to edit portions of a performance, thus
greatly improving the final product. To edit
the recording, most software will come with
tools that allow you to add effects, balance
parts, or clean up mistakes. Programs such
as Garageband (MAC) $62.99 and Cakewalk
Home Studio (PC) $159 are user friendly and
63
come equipped with all the above features.
For a free alternative, Audacity is available
online at audacity.sourceforge.net.
Audio Interface
After selecting your computer and
software, it will be necessary to choose an
audio interface. Although some computers
come with built in microphones, they are not
designed to record a choir. The audio inter-
face plugs into the computer via a USB or
Firewire cable, making it possible to record
using external microphones. The director
needs to determine how many microphones
will be used in the recording process; for
the novice, one or two should suffice. The
64
M-Audio Fast Track Pro ($158.95) is a great
option because it comes equipped with
two XLR (mic) inputs with phantom power.
The phantom power feature is key; it allows
the use of higher quality condenser micro-
phones.The Fast Track attaches to any com-
puter via a USB cable and is easy to operate.
If the goal is to record a studio quality album,
an eight- to twelve-input mixer would be
more appropriate. There are many options,
but the Presonus Firestudio Project ($396)
or the Presonus 10x10 ($416) are affordable
and offer more than enough in terms of
preamps and inputs. Be aware that this type
of recording requires a more savy engineer
and a more robust computer set-up.
Microphones
Finding the optimal microphone is the fi-
nal step in completing your recording set-up.
As most of us have discovered, microphones
can drastically alter or color the sound of
a choir, which occurs because of a micro-
phones operating principle. Microphones
are essentially split into two types: dynamic
and condenser. Dynamic microphones can
receive high degrees of amplitude before dis-
tortion, making them the choice for most live
situations where high decibel instruments
are used. They are also the most common
and affordable. Condensers, on the other
hand, add very little color to the sound,
making them more accurate. Condensers
require a phantom power source of 48v or
Choral Journal October 2009
more, typically available in any quality audio garding all elements of recording. Recording this modest recording tutorial should suffice.
interface or mixer. These microphones will is an art form that can take years of study
not alter the sound of your ensemble as and devotion to perfect, but, for most needs,
much as a dynamic microphone and are the
clear choice for recording a choir. A quality
pair of condenser microphones such as the
Rode NT5 matched pair ($189.95) will be
adequate for most ensembles. If recording a
concert in an acoustical environment, place
the microphones so that they maximize the
rooms resonant qualities. A distance of eight
to twelve feet away from the choir raised six
to eight from the floor should suffice.
There are dozens of techniques used for
placement of microphones; much depends
on the microphones design and directional
characteristic.Therefore, I suggest consulting
a sound professional for advice. Take note
of the way choirs are recorded at events
that hire sound professionals; observe what
types of microphones are used and how
they are placed. Many times the equipment
is much more expensive, but the placement
techniques remain the same. Different place-
ments of microphones in a recording space
can dramatically affect the recording. It is
important to experiment with placement to
determine what works best in your situation.

Final Thoughts
Recording and producing a quality
compact disc of a choral ensemble is not as
expensive or difficult as many perceive. Ana- The Courage to Care
lyze your recording needs and then select Photo by Getty Images

the software, hardware, and microphones 22 singers, brass quintet, pianist and narrators present
that meet those needs. Recordinglike
more than a concert: words of inspiration in a rich musical setting.
any technology-based artis a process
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Choral Journal October 2009 65

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66 Choral Journal October 2009


Tenor: History of a Voice
John Potter
Yale University Press, 2009
306 pp
$35.00
ISBN 978-0-300-11873-5 (Hardcover).
http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.
asp?isbn=9780300118735
Most choral directors, and even the
general public, have heard of the legendary
Three Tenors (the late Luciano Pavarotti,
Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras), whose
legendary stadium concerts took place from
1990 to 1998. These concerts, and the
classification and history of the tenor voice
in general, are points of departure for John
Potter in his book, Tenor: History of a Voice.
This work, a comprehensive history of the
solo tenor voice from the Middle Ages to
the twenty-first century, is so fascinating that
it was difficult for this tenor to put back on
the shelf each day (would it were that I could
have read it all without putting it down).
Potter acknowledges the problem
with chronicling the development of the
tenor voice throughout history, namely
the absence of recordings until the early
twentieth century. Nonetheless, he gives a
comprehensive and scholarly account of the
voice type from its origin in the Middle Ages
through the Ars Nova, when polyphony had
implications for voice classification beyond
monophonic chant, through the Renaissance
and the beginning of the modern tenor
and opera in the seventeen century. He
then traces the voice through subsequent
developments, including the haute-contre
and Wagnerian Heldentenor of the nine-
teenth century, and the national schools of
tenor voice in the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries, and their documentation through
recordings. In fact, over eighty pages of the
book is devoted to an alphabetical listing of
tenors, including discographies and Web sites
when they exist.
Choral Journal October 2009
Book Reviews
Stephen Town, editor, STown@nwmissouri.edu
Potters work includes sections on Han-
del and Mozart, including a discussion of the
connection between tenors and castrati; the
development of range and timbre of Nourrit
and Duprez (early nineteenth century); the
development of the tenor as artist; Caruso
and the Italians; The British tenors; France
and Russia; and Post-War losses and gains.
Tenor voices are discussed in detail, based on
historical accounts, including Ludwig Schnoor
von Carolsfeld (the first Tristan), to names
familiar to this tenor, many of them legend-
ary and famous through their recordings:
Enrico Caruso, Jussi Bjrling,
Ian Bostridge, Jos Carre-
ras, Franco Corelli, Hughes
Cunod (b. 1902 and still
living as of this writing!),
Jean de Reszke, Giuseppe Di
Stefano, Placido Domingo,
Nicolai Gedda, Mario Lanza
(who played Caruso in the 1949 film The
Great Caruso), John McCormack, Lauritz
Melchoir (also starring in film), Ian Partridge,
Luciano Pavarotti, Peter Pears, Anthony
Rolfe-Johnson, Tito Schipa (teacher of one
of my teachers), Peter Schrier, Leo Slezak
(father of Hollywoods Walter Slezak), Rich-
ard Tucker, and Fritz Wunderlich. Of course,
these are but a fraction of Potters listings.
Also listed are general tenor Web sites; of
course, a preliminary check indicates that
there are more of these than, say, soprano
Web sites.
Potter has a section, National Styles
versus Internationalism (pp. 17071) where
he states:
The hugely increased availability of
recordings inevitably saw a tendency
toward standardisation [Potter is a
British writer], which led to losses
in key aspects of tenor singing, a
trajector y which has continued
into the CD era. In the early years
of the twenty-fir st centur y the
universal availability of almost any
product in the western world has
meant that even the most obscure
tenors are available somewhere on
record if buyers look hard enough,
but the mainstream of tenor singing
has undoubtedly lost much of the
individuality that it had a hundred
years before. Standardisation is driven
by commercial criteria: markets are
identified and exploited by record
companies; for singers, significant
models become fewer and more
similar. This pattern has persisted into
the twenty-first century.
One wonders how much of this situation
could apply to the world of choral singing.
Perhaps not as much as solo singing, but
there still may be a homogeneity of sound
that has developed in certain choirs, choral
conductors and recordings as well.
Also of interest are Potters comments
on what he calls alternative voices (pp.
18889). He refers to the British steady
supply of ex-Oxbridge male voices, increas-
ingly augmented by female voices towards
the end of [the twentieth] century, [which]
encouraged an entrepreneurial spirit that
led to the setting up of a large number of
vocal ensembles. Many such ensembles
specialized in early and Renaissance music,
including The Tallis Scholars and the Hilliard
Ensemble (of which Potter was a member).
These groups featured tenors who had
been trained with a modern technique, but
in the context of elite professional choirs
which required minimal vibrato so that
chords could be tuned with considerable
refinement. For tenors it meant a chance
to explore repertoires that had not been
sung for generations, and the opportunity to
re-envision canonic composers such as Bach,
Handel, and Mozart. He goes on to say that
the tenor, and the solo singer in general, may
have a life that is not dependent on opera if
one sings in an ensemble. He also indicates
67
 Book Reviews
that, no matter what one thinks of his style,
the recent recording of Dowland by the
rock musician Sting has stimulated the early
music dialogue in Britain (p. 192), and may
be indicative of a trend toward the future.
Tenor: History of a Voice is more than his-
tory. It is a vocal philosophy; it is a journey
into the past with conjectures of the future;
it is a compendium of national approaches
to the voice; and it brings new realizations
about operatic, solo and choral singing. Pot-
ter is intellectually engaging and delightfully
readable. It is highly recommended.
Donald Callen Freed,
Alpine, Texas
The Worlds of Johann Sebastian Bach
Raymond Erickson (editor).
New York: Amadeus Press, 2009
344 pp.
$34.99
ISBN:1574671669 (Hardcover).
An Imprint of:
Hal Leonard Corporation (HL 00331943)
7777 West Bluemound Road
Milwaukee, WI 53213
www.halleonard.com
In the family of recent books about
the life and works of Johann Sebastian
Bach, Raymond Eriksons Worlds of Johann
Sebastian Bach provides fresh insights from
twenty-first century scholarship into Bachs
Prague
Choral Festival
Dr. Andr Thomas
W. A. Mozart: Requiem
Dr. Anton Armstrong
L. Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
Czech National Symphony
July 1018, 2011
www.PragueChoralFestival.org
68
life and community. The editor, honored by
the American Bach Society and the German
government for his research
into the life of the composer,
has compiled a book of es-
says which offer traditional
and pioneering perspectives.
Many of these are derived
from discoveries made after
the fall of the Iron Curtain, including sig-
nificant literature since the Bach anniversary
year of 2000.
An outgrowth of the multidisciplinary
academies sponsored by the Aston Magna
Foundation for Music and the Humanities
with support from the National Endow-
ment for the Humanities, this volume
makes accessible in English much recent
German-language scholarship. The essays,
written by leading scholars in their disciplines,
encompass the fields of history, religion,
architecture, literature, theater, and dance
as they relate to the composers life and his
interaction with a broad spectrum of his
world. Observations by leading Bach spe-
cialists who focus on the man himself are a
highlight of this book. They include:
Religion and Religious Currents by Robin
Leaver, professor of sacred music at
Westminster Choir College of Rider
University. Leaver explores Bachs life
and work in context with his deep
Lutheran faith and heritage.
Musician-Novels of the German Baroque
by Stephen Rose, lecturer in music at
Royal Holloway, University of London.
Rose is an early music specialist whose
essay relates the mind-set of a range of
German Baroque musicians, from Bach
and his contemporaries to the town
pipers, military musicians, and hurdy-
gurdy players.
Bach and the Lure of the Big City, au-
thored by George B. Stauffer, dean of
the Mason Gross School of the Arts
and professor of music at Rutgers Uni-
versity, details Bachs numerous travels
to Hamburg, Berlin, and Dresden.
Bach in the Early Twenty-first Century,
written by Hans-Joachim Schulze, prin-
cipal editor of the Bach Dokumente and
retired director and project leader of
the New Bach Edition, includes material
concerning the reconstructing of Bachs
lost works, his music in staged interpre-
tations, issues of performance practice,
and temperament in performance.
For the reviewer, one the most engaging
features of this volume is the combination
of literal and visual scholarship. The two-
hundred illustrations and photographs of
people, maps, and manuscripts in Bachs
heavy hand bring a new dimension to the
discoveries of these eminent scholars. In
addition, the extensive notes at the end of
each chapter provide further avenues for
exploration and research.
Worlds of Johann Sebastian Bach is a
resource which provides new and unique
extra-musical perspectives of this giant of
Western music. It is highly recommended for
a place on the conductors bookshelf.
Gregory M. Pysh
Midland Texas
The Clock of the Years:
A Gerald and Joy Finzi Anthology
Rolf Jordan (editor and compiler)
Lichfield, Staffordshire, UK
Chosen Press, 2007
330 pp.
$47.95
ISBN: 978-0-9556373-0-8 (cloth)
Chosen Press
3 The Close
Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 7LD
telephone: 01543-257878;
books@chosenpress.co.uk or
Chosen Press,
668 Mount Hope Avenue
NY 14620-2731
telephone: 585-275-0419
The Clock of the Years is a Festschrift of
writings on the life and output of the English
composer Gerald Finzi (190156), his wife,
Joyce (or Joy as she was known) ne Black
Choral Journal October 2009
(190791), an artist and poet, and the idyllic
place, Church Farm, Ashmansworth, where
they lived and shared their magical life with
others. I shall never forget my pilgrimage
to Ashmansworth in the late 90s. From
Oxford, where I had been examining Finzis
manuscripts in the Bodleian
Library, I had driven to the site
in North Hampshire, seven
miles south of Newbury on
the old road to Andover
Church Farm, semi-isolated
on the edge of the small vil-
lage of Ashmansworthand 700 feet above
sea level. Mine was an unannounced visit and,
undoubtedly, I was trespassing; but I wanted
to see the house, shielded from the road
and drive by a tall flint and brick wall, and
to search for Finzis headstone in the little
churchyard of St. Jamess Church adjacent to
the property. As I enjoyed the spectacular
views of the countryside on that lovely day,
I thought about the happiest years spent by
the Finzi family in their interesting home with
its ever-growing library of literature and mu-
sic; the happy ambience of the children, cats,
and notable guests, for example Vaughan
Williams and his wife, Ursula, to name two;
the work completed with such enthusiasm
and love by Finzi (his compositions and other
pursuits, such as the apple orchard) and Joy
(her drawings and poetry); the fragility of
human existence and the tyranny of time
that haunted the composer; and so onall
of which (and more) is celebrated in this
volume marking twenty-five years of the
Finzi Friends Newsletter.
The book is divided into twelve sections
(At Ashmansworth; The Most Honest
of Friends[remembering Finzi]; A Kind
of Fostering [Finzi as composition tutor];
Wife and Mother, Artist, and Organizer
[about Joy]; The Poems of Joy Finzi [from
A Point of Departure and Twelve Months of
a Year, plus two New Year poems]; Writ-
ings of Gerald Finzi; Writings on Finzis
Music [for example, Requiem da camera
by Philip Thomas]; An Improbable Partner-
ship [about Hardy and Finzi]; Friends and
Influences [on Farrar,Vaughan Williams, and
Blunden, to name three];The Concentrated
Eye [about the creative act]; Making Music
[for example, Philip Langridge and Christo-
pher Finzi commenting on Thoughts on

World Symposium on Choral Music

August 3-10, 2011 Puerto Madryn Patagonia, Argentina

The 9th World Symposium on Choral Music will be held in Puerto Madryn, Argentina, from August 3-10,
2011. The new Symposium web site www.wscm9.com is now prepared with updated and interesting
information. The deadline for registration of choirs interested in participating in the Symposium is Oc-
tober 1, 2009.

To register a Proposal, Project, Round Table, Book or Score Presentation for the conference and academic
side of the Symposium, presenters are encouraged to contact the Symposium organizers by sending an
e-mail to info@wscm9.com.

The General Program of the Symposium and costs will be published by February 10, 2010 on the Web
site, together with suggestions for visiting some of the exciting places in Patagonia and Argentina during
the days surrounding the Symposium.

Puerto Madryn is in the heart of Argentinian Patagonia.

Choral Journal October 2009 69


Intimations of Immortality and Recording
Dies natialis, respectively]; and Composers
Gallery [about other composers]) with
the concomitant prefatory material (Ac-
knowledgments; Illustrations; Foreword
by Paul Spicer; Preface [by the editor];
A note on names) and concluding matter
(four appendices, i.e., Sources and selected
further reading, Finzi Friends committee,
Finzi Friends Newsletter vol. 1, no. 1, and
Finzi Friends events; plus a General index;
Index of Finzis works; and an Index of
contributors).The contributions range from
the very brief (a few paragraphs only) to the
quite long (30 pages in length), but all are
affecting and elegant.
Outstanding Performance
Opportunities for
Undergraduates
Yearly fully-staged opera
Undergraduate Recital Series
Frequent choral tours
Major works for choir
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Edward Bolkovac,
division director
and chair of
choral performance
Joanna Levy,
chair of voice
Wayne Rivera,
chair of opera
performance
The Hartt School | University of Hartford | 200 Bloomeld Avenue | West Hartford, CT 06117 | 860.768.4465 | harttadm@hartford.edu
70
Book Reviews
Perhaps the core of the volume are Finzis
writings, some of which are included in Sec-
tion VI: Absaloms Place, the composers
artistic creed; program notes on Intimations
of Immortality and Dies natalis, respectively;
and a talk given in tribute to Marion Scott,
the long-time custodian of Ivor Gurneys
Nachlass, As Guardian of Genius. Ab-
saloms Place was written for posterity in
July 1941 when the conditions of wartime
Britain became increasingly unstable. It was
Thomas Hardy who wrote Why do I go on
doing these things? [Finzi began] and, indeed,
if appreciation were a measure of merit and
cause for self-esteem, it wd [sic] long ago
have been time for me to shut up shop, class
Audition Dates
for Fall 2010
Entrance
December 5
(quick response),
January 29 & 31,
February 12 & 13
www.hartford.edu/hartt
myself as a failure, and turn to something of
what the world is pleased to call a more use-
ful nature. Ten years later, in June 1951, Finzi
added a postscript to his document (after
he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins
lymphoma and given between five and ten
years to live) that is frequently quoted in
articles and books about him.
[I ]t is likely that new ideas, new
fashions and the pressing forward of
new generations, will soon obliterate
my small contribution [he penned].Yet
I like to think that in each generation
may be found a few responsive minds,
and for them I shd [sic] still like the
work to be available. To shake hands
with a good friend over the centuries
is a pleasant thing, and the affection
which an individual may retain after
his departure is perhaps the only thing
which guarantees an ultimate life to
his work (pp. 106 07).
Thoughtfully, the entire piece is reproduced
in manuscript and, hence, one can view Finzis
idiosyncratic calligraphy.
Finzis efforts to preserve the unpublished
poems and songs of Ivor Gurney (described
fully in other sources) may be seen as part
of his desire to collect, conserve, and cherish
artifacts of enduing quality. In his tribute to
Marion Scott, As Guardian of Genius, he
admirably gave her the credit while reveal-
ing the essence of Gurney in perspicacious
sentences, such as the following:
The truth is that his mind was
enflamed from his earliest days. That
excitement, Rarely, rarely comest
thou, Spirit of Delight, was with him
at all times. Many of his early songs .
. . already had that indefinable quality
which marked all his characteristic
work, something that took fire with
fusion of words and music (p. 110).
One suspects that Finzi identified with
Gurneys compositional gift, and his words
about him underscore the fact that his own
critical reputation rests, first, on Dies natalis
(to words by Traherne) and the solo songs,
Choral Journal October 2009
especially those with texts by Thomas Hardy.
Finzis attraction to Hardy is explicated
by Christopher Stunt in An Improbable
Partnership, at 30 pages the longest of the
essays. Both men distrusted religious dogma,
grieved over suffering, detested war, and
believed that creativity was more important
than fame or wealth. But especially relevant
to Finzis urge to set Hardy to music were
their obsessions with the passing of time
and mortality (p. 155). Stunts discussion of
the three Crees Lectures delivered by Finzi
in May 1955 at the Royal College of Music
(under the title The Composers Use of
Words), about a year before his untimely
death, causes one to wonder why they were
not included in the book; the typescript is
readily available, for I was a provided a pho-
tocopy by the Royal College of Music Library
where I first read them. At any rate, as Stunt
writes: what comes across is that he always
found himself passionately involved with the
text he was working with, not just setting
words but rather as he put it being enflamed
by them (p. 174).
It is Philip Thomas who reminds us in
An Introduction to Finzis Clarinet Con-
certo that the primary interest in Finzis
songs is not melodic, but lies in the balance
between psychological and musical tension,
in the drama, the expression of vision and
the illumination of sub-text. Finzi uses the
song medium to explore the inner life of
the protagonist or of the poem; something
at which the text may hint but which is often
not explicitly stated.Thomas goes on to add:
In his concertante music, however, he can
fully explore melody and motif, and their
abstract, structural possibilities without being
tied to the narrative shape or psychological
undertow of any text. And, intriguingly,Finzi,
who was himself an outsider in so many
ways, may have found in his concertante
works an opportunity to write his equivalent
to Whitmans Song of Myself. I would offer for
consideration the idea that Finzis instrumen-
tal soloists are singing of his own inner life in
unusually direct, often painful terms (p. 122).
There are contributions by Stephen
Banfield (Finzi centenary lecture; Finzi
and Wordsworth; and Writing a book on
Choral Journal October 2009
Finzi) and Diana McVeagh (A Farewell Trib- at Three Choirs).
ute to Joy Finzi), both of whom produced The title of the anthology is taken from
exquisite biographies of the composer (see a Thomas Hardy poem, of course, for it is
Banfield, Choral Journal, volume 39/7,8588 with Hardy, together with Traherne and
and McVeagh, Choral Journal, volume 48/5, Wordsworth, that Finzis music is most
61 63). Together with the source book closely identified.The volume is quite beauti-
(called a bio-bibliography) by John Dressler ful. The dustcover features photographs (on
(reviewed in the Choral Journal, volume 39/2, the front) of wheat in a field, recalling and
5764), The Clock of the Years complements relating eternity to the orient and immortal
these longer and more replete volumes. In wheat referred to in Dies natalis and (on
the first of the Banfield essays, the author the reverse) of Simon Whistlers window
encapsulates what was so special about Finzi at St. Jamess Church, Ashmansworth. There
and where and how he lived that merits our are eight wood engravings (first published
attention (p. 8 passim). In the second one, he in 1967 in A Point of Departure and on the
explains how and why Finzi chose to add New Year cards by Joy Finzi) by Richard
his name to the list of Wordsworths critical Shirley Smith (the subject of a brief essay
biographers by interpreting his Ode and by Jeremy Dale Roberts); three drawings of
suggests Finzis Italian Sephardic origins as Ashmansworth by Rolf Jordan, the editor,
one stimulus (p. 132 passim). In the last, Ban- who is professionally an artist and designer;
field recounts the process of authoring his and, thirty plates that replicate photographs
biography of Finzi and the necessity of writ- of the Finzi family and friends over a con-
ing about music. Just re-listening to a couple siderable span of time. The Clock of the
of pieces on the hi-fi, [I] find myself reacting: Years is an essential research anthology that
Goodness! Does that work really sound like illuminates Finzis life and compositions, the
that? Have I actually conveyed anything at latter of which are part of the imperishable
all about it in my pages of analysis, criticism, glory of Englands musical heritage. It is highly
explanation of how it came into being and recommended.
where it stands in his output? Somehow its
essence, grasped in a moment of listening, Stephen Town,
persists in evading capture in verbal argu- Book Reviews Editor
ment, and you feel that everything is still to
be said about it. Yet the responsibility is there
and cant be shirked, for music wouldnt exist
if we didnt have a name for it, and we are
stuck with verbal communication, even of art,
whether we like it or not. All over the world
music is not just performed or listened to
but talked about (p. 215). Although Banfield
is linked to Finzi through his biography, he is
provocative on any topic.
Other outstanding essays are by Chris-
topher Finzi (Remembering Gerald Finzi),
Jeremy Dale Roberts (A composers view:
second thoughts), Andrew Burn (an extract
from Joy Finzi 190791: tributes from her
friends), Philip Lancaster (Lo, the full, final
sacrifice: An Introduction), Hugh Cobbe
(The Correspondence of Gerald Finzi
and Ralph Vaughan Williams), Paul Spicer
(Recording the Seven Poems of Robert
Bridges), and Anthony Boden (Gerald Finzi
71
Third National Conference Yale University November 5-7, 2009
Highlights of the Conference
Combined Collegiate Choir (Works by Lienas, Parola, Monteverdi, ORegan, Brahms and others)
Vance George, Conducting, Conductor Emeritus of San Francisco Symphony Chorus
SUNY Oneonta Chamber Singers, Timothy Newton, Conductor
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Chorale, James Dearing, Conductor
The Yale Camerata, Glee Club, Philharmonia and Schola Cantorum perform
Symphony #3Symphony of Meditations
by Aaron Jay Kernis, Pulitzer Prize Winner
Yale University faculty member
Marguerite Brooks, Jeffrey Douma & Masaaki Suzuki, Conductors, Shinik Hahm, Conducting
Lecture, Recitals and Scholarly presentations include
Rehearsing Renaissance Music, The Choir and How to Direct It by Pavel Chesnokov, Alternative
German Requiems, The Dynamic Relationship between the University Choral Director and the Voice
Faculty, Unique Chamber and Opportunities for Choral programs at Liberal Arts Colleges, Baroque
Performance Practice Programming Birthdays & Cool Commemorations
Performing Ensembles
California State University (Long Beach) Chamber Choir, Jonathan Talbert, Conductor
Centenary College Camerata, Julia Thorn, Conductor
Colorado State University Chamber Choir, James Kim, Conductor
Harvard University, Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum, Jameson Marvin, Conductor
Mansfield University Concert Choir, Peggy Dettwiler, Conductor
Smith College Glee Club, Jonathan Hirsh, Conductor
University of Maryland Chamber Singers, Edward Maclary, Conductor
University of Missouri University Singers, R. Paul Crabb, Conductor
Utah State University Chamber Singers, Cory Evans, Conductor
Vassar College Womens Chorus, Christine Howlett, Conductor

The Omni Hotel will serve as the conference hotel and is within walking distance of the Yale campus.
Conference registration, hotel information as well as a complete schedule is available on our website:
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Lukas Foss:The Prairie
Providence Singers,
Boston Modern Orchestra Project
Andrew Clark, conductor
BMOP/sound 1007 (SACD; 2008; 53 02)
While the recent passing of Lukas Foss
(1922 2009) strikes a sad note for many of
us, the release of this superb recording of The
Prairie serves to both celebrate and elucidate
his unique genius and extraordinary life. Born
Lukas Fuchs in Berlin, Germany, Foss received
his early training as a pianist and composer
with Julius Goldstein
(who, upon emigrating
to the United States,
changed his last name to
Herford and ultimately
became one of the
most significant teachers of conducting and
score study in American history). Foss and
his family fled Germany in 1933, moving first
to Paris, where he studied at the Lyce Pas-
teur, and then to the U.S. in 1937.There Foss
was accepted at the Curtis Institute of Music
as a fifteen-year old prodigy, studying piano,
composition (with Randall Thompson) and
conducting (with Fritz Reiner). After earning
diplomas with honors in all three disciplines,
Foss furthered his education with Hindemith
and Koussevitsky at Tanglewood during the
earliest years of its existence.
Fosss career exploded during the next
decade. In 1953, he succeeded Arnold
Schoenberg as professor of composition
at the University of California Los Angeles,
where he founded the groundbreaking Im-
provisation Chamber Ensemble.Throughout
his long career, Foss equally embraced the
professional and educational spheres, ap-
pearing as guest conductor with many major
orchestras in the United States and abroad
in addition to holding music directorships in
Brooklyn, Buffalo, Jerusalem, and Milwaukee.
Choral Journal October 2009
Recording Reviews
<Lawrence Schenbeck, editor <lschenbe@spelman.edu>
He often held concurrent faculty appoint-
ments and composer residencies at the
most important American universities and
conservatories.1 Though not known prin-
cipally as a composer of choral music, Foss
extensive oeuvre includes several distinctive
choral works, among them the American
Cantata, Behold! I Build An House, De Profundis,
A Parable of Death, Psalms, and the cantata
that launched his career, The Prairie.
Composed largely at Tanglewood in the
early 1940s and premiered in its entirety
under Robert Shaw in 1944, The Prairie re-
flects Foss predilection for amalgamating
diverse compositional techniques. Audible
influences include Debussys La Mer, Proko-
fievs Romeo and Juliet, Hindemiths Cardillac,
Stravinskys Symphony of Psalms, and most
notably Coplands Billy the Kid. Foss openly
cited Aaron Copland as a major influence at
this point of his compositional development,
describing The Prairie to this writer (and oth-
ers) as very Coplandesque and as a piece
that started my love for America, my new
country.2
With its occasionally folksy treatment of
texts from Carl Sandburgs The Cornhuskers,
The Prairie represents a bygone era. Con-
cerning the textual inspiration of The Prairie,
Foss stated:The attempt to develop an ora-
torio style based on the American soil and
spirit is not new, but Carl Sandburgs epic
poem, it seems to me, offers new possibilities
in its earthy and almost religious approach.
The protagonist, simply, is the prairie, [which]
grows until it becomes the symbol for the
all-embracing principle of growth itself.3
In spite of its consistent performance
history, especially the often excerpted Cool
Prayers, until now the only available record-
ing of The Prairie was a 1976 Turnabout LP
performed by the Gregg Smith Singers, Long
Island Symphonic Choral Association, and
Brooklyn Philharmonia, conducted by the
composer. Three decades later, we finally
have been given an exciting new recording.
The robust and fearless ensemble sing-
ing of the Providence Singers, outstanding
orchestral playing of the Boston Modern
Orchestra Project, and collective vocal agil-
ity of the soloists, integrated with conductor
Clarks commitment to the composer, has
yielded a first-rate reading of this pioneer-
ing work. Particular sonic highlights can be
found in soprano Elizabeth Weigles ravishing
lower register, baritone Aaron Engebreths
breathtaking clarity of tone, and Andrew
Clarks appropriately heroic interpretation.
Besides its artistic triumph, the excel-
lent packaging of this recordingcomplete
with relevant words from Foss himself and
authoritative notes written by retired long-
time Boston Globe chief music critic Richard
Dyerresults in a clear-cut recommenda-
tion for immediate purchase.
Sean Burton
Sioux City, Iowa
Toivo Tulev: Songs
Robin Blaze, countertenor
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir,
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra
Paul Hillier, Director
HMU 807452 (SACD; 2008; 63 45)
Paul Hillier has done some amazing work
73
 Recording Reviews

during his career. I had the pleasure of hear-
ing a performance of Arvo Prts Passio at
Symphony Hall in Chicago with Hillier con-
ducting, members of the Hilliard Ensemble
as soloists, and His Majesties Clerkes (now
Bella Voce) as the chorus. Observing Hillier
as he brought out the tenderness and aus-
terity of Prts music while combining it with
an ardent passion when
necessary was to watch
a true master at work.
His association with
the Estonian Philhar-
monic Chamber Choir
(he is now their permanent director) and
one of the second wave of contemporary
Yale University
graduate study in choral conducting
at Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale School of Music
with
Marguerite L. Brooks, yale camerata
Jeffrey Douma, yale glee club
Masaaki Suzuki, yale schola cantorum
Estonian composers, Toivo Tulev (b. 1958),
completes a circle begun nearly twenty years
ago. Hilliers clear understanding and deep
affinity for the music of the Medieval period
made him uniquely qualified to champion
the music of Arvo Prt. And the parallels
between Prts and Tulevs music are nu-
merous. A composer perhaps more overtly
dramatic then Prt, Tulev roots his sonority
in overtones, stacking third on third, fourth
on fourth to create choral colors that unfold
in unique and subtle ways.
Sung without a break, the first eight
pieces comprise the Cantique des cantiques
[Song of Songs] for chorus, soloists, and
chamber orchestra. The instrumental en-
degrees offered
Master of Music
Master of Musical Arts
Doctor of Musical Arts
Artist Diploma
Full tuition scholarships for all
admitted students. Additional
merit-based awards available.
Ample podium time with choral
and instrumental ensembles.
semble is an eclectic orchestral palette, part
Britten, part Stravinsky, and part Penderecki:
piccolo, flute, flauto dolce, alto flute, duduk
(a Eurasian double-reed instrument), oboe,
English horn, bassoon, contrabassoon, syn-
thesizer, organ, organo lontano, percussion,
and strings. These performance parameters
may limit performance by many choirs.
The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber
Choir, consisting of seven sopranos (adding
two sopranos for some cuts), six altos, six
tenors, and seven basses, sings with exhilarat-
ing intonation and intensity. The tone of the
group is breathtaking, even when stretched
to its utter limits, being required to sing in
extreme vocal ranges with both subtlety and
passion. Some of the solo work here is also
nothing short of astounding.
The last five pieces on the CD use texts
by Thomas Traherne and Kornelius Becker,
and texts from works by Josquin Desprez
and Thomas Morley. The pieces vary in style
and treatment, using a combination of solo
and choral singing with and without accom-
paniment. The effect is an austere charm,
illuminating the words in the same way
Morten Lauridsens Five Madrigals illuminate
the texts of Renaissance poets.
None of these works is for the faint
of heart: the music itself is complex har-
monically, and the musicianship needed to
perform these works is of a very high order.
They seem best suited to fine professional
ensembles or the truly excellent college
ensemble. As a listening tool, this music is
profound, full of delightful color and nuance,
compositional flair and skill, with a choir and
soloists who sing with a rare combination of
accuracy and musical integrity.

choral ensembles guest conductors selected student Rich Brunner

Yale Camerata 200810 repertoire 200910 North Hollywood, California
Yale Glee Club Simon Carrington Brahms: Schicksalslied
Yale Schola Cantorum Paul Hillier Beethoven: Mass in C
Battell Chapel Choir Stephen Layton Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer
Marquand Chapel Choir Nicholas McGegan Stravinsky: Eight Instrumental
Yale Repertory Chorus Helmuth Rilling Miniatures
Yale Recital Chorus Dale Warland Ives: The Unanswered Question Stella del nostro mar
Schnberg: A Survivor from Warsaw
major works 200910 Prt: De Profundis Cantica Symphonia
Kernis: Symphony of Meditations
Verdi: Requiem
Glossa GCD P31905 (2008; 74 42)
Kellogg: new commissioned work
Gone are the days when the finest early-
Ofce of Admissions Yale Institute of Sacred Music, 409 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511 music ensembles emanated from northern
tel 203.432.9753 fax 203.432.9680 www.yale.edu/ism ismadmissions@yale.edu
Europe. Encouraged by their (recorded)

74 Choral Journal October 2009

examples, superb groups have sprung up inflection entirely its own. The repetition in of Padua, and several photographs of the
around the globe, from San Francisco to this, the discs concluding track, is hypnotic performers, composers, and the recording
Sydney, Australia. Of particular interest are rather than laborious, and the motets even- sessions. The Spanish record label GLOSSA
those who can perform in buildings contem- tual resolution one of sheer beauty. invariably produces CD packages that com-
porary with, or even associated with, their These two modern works reveal the bine elegance and scholarship, and this issue
repertoire, which thus can enliven their ren- four voices (soprano, two tenors, and bass) is no exception. Such releases stave off the
ditions andwith sensitive engineeringof- at their finest; each singer is blessed with a day when music will only be available as
fer the ideal setting to hear Renaissance gorgeous timbre, and would clearly be a joy downloads, since advocates of this style of
repertoire. To excellent Italian groups like to hear on their own. Sometimes such strong music and performance will want the visual
La Venexiana and Delitiae Musicae we may individuals do not make for a satisfying blend, and tactile pleasure of owning their own
add Cantica Symphonia, but what characterizes Cantica Symphonia is copies.
an ensemble of variable how well matched are the voices, and how
size depending upon its generously they complement one another. Philip Barnes
repertoire. Founded in The performances are uniformly satisfying St. Louis, Missouri
1995 by tenor Giuseppe and display an enviable sensitivity to the
Maletto, it has previously needs and possibilities of each piece. This
released discs of Dufay and Monteverdi, but is an outstanding group in a crowded field,
its latest CD gathers Marian motets by vari- both of which facts should gladden any lover The Road Less Travelled
ous composers throughout Europe. Much of choral chamber music. Phoenix Chamber Choir
of this anthology dates from the cusp of the Fortunately, the production values match Ramona Luengen, conductor
sixteenth century, with multiple motets by the professionalism of the performers. The www.phoenixchamberchoir.bc.ca
Jean Mouton and Heinrich Isaac, together accompanying booklet includes all the texts (2008; 65 18)
with single contributions from Josquin Des (translated into four modern languages, in-
Prez, Francisco de Pealosa, Ludwig Senfl cluding English), an expert essay by Giovanni Since their founding in 1983, this Vancou-
and Adrian Willaert. So skillfully selected Zanovello, a musicologist at the University ver-based choir has established an enviable
are these pieces that, rather than inviting
tedium, they contrast pleasingly and surprise
the listener through the different techniques
they evince.
However, what distinguishes this record-
ing is the inspired use of two modern pieces
specifically written for the four singers of
Cantica Symphonia. These are exquisite
compositions that explore sonorities in a
fashion similar to their Renaissance neigh-
bors, but in a thoroughly modern manner.
They eschew the harsher elements of con-
temporary composition without resorting to
even a smear of schmaltz. Both composers
are little known in North America, but they
merit further investigation. Carlo Galante,
whose Stella del nostro mar is this discs title
ing to the world in concert with itte ravel & ours.
track, is a child of northern Italy, like Cantica Our expertise guarantees careful attention to travel and performance details,
Symphonia itself. He is more associated with customized itineraries, well-received concerts, and a memorable tour for the entire group.
opera and ballet scores, but this piece shows
his appreciation for unaccompanied singing.
The other composition is by Yakov Gubanov,
a student of Shostakovich now resident in
the U.S., teaching at the Berklee School of
Music in Boston. His Benedicta et Venerabilis For More Information: (616) 957- 8113, 800 469- 4883
shows the influence of minimalists such as Email: groups@wittetravel.com, Web: www.wittetravel.com
Witte Travel & Tours, 3250 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512
Gorecki and Prt but has a sweetness and

Choral Journal October 2009 75

 Recording Reviews
reputation for an eclectic repertoire and
fine performances. Those not lucky enough
to hear them in person can nonetheless
catch some of their spirit
through several record-
ings of live performances,
the most recent of which
is culled from a concert
tour of Germany in the
summer of 2008. As ever,
the selections are fascinating, and range from
Hildegard of Bingen to Eric Whitacre, with
nods to their German hosts in works by En-
gelbert Humperdinck, Rudolf Mauersberger
and Clytus Gottwald (with a Mahler arrange-
ment). In between are found some central
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76
and east European composers, including
Jan Novak, Galina Grigorjewa and Dmitry V.
Smirnov, and extracts from Giles Swaynes
Missa Tiburtina. Other rarely heard works are
Thierry Machuels setting of Rabindranath
Tagore and Esto les digo by Austin (Texas)
composer Kinley Lange. The collection is
rounded off with four arrangements of
popular songs and spirituals that doubtless
served as encores on the concert tour.
Despite being forced to record in a series
of different locations, engineer Don Harder
overcomes any glaring incongruities of
acoustic and allows the listener to consider
the recording as a coherent whole. However,
with that comes perhaps an unanticipated
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1-800-922-5733.
problem of whether this creates a satisfying
program to listen through from beginning to
end. I rather think not; there are too many
disparate, even quirky, miniatures without
the anchor of a major work; the extracts
from Swayne and Novak dont fulfill this
need.The title of the disc, quoted from Rob-
ert Frost, suggests that it is the very novelty
of these pieces that unifies them, but that
is a something of a stretch! Nonetheless, as
many of us are now accustomed to sample
individual tracks on discs rather than listen
to a complete disc at one sitting, perhaps this
is not too serious a concern. It is certainly
valuable to have many of these selections
available and sung with such feeling.
simco
F O R M A L W E A R
the styles you want
Choral Journal October 2009
 Taken individually, some of the tracks
are problematic for reasons that invariably
arise in live performance; while intonation
is generally excellent, there are moments
of edgy singing and some tempi are rushed.
Encores are sometimes better left in the
memory of the audience than immortal-
ized on disc. While the speeds of Nystedts
Immortal Bach and Gottwalds arrangement
of Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen
from the Rckert Lieder may have suited the
ambience of a particular live performance,
absent that context, they are robbed of their
mystery and awe, and certainly dont reflect
their composers intentions.
Other moments of utter beauty more
than compensate for these cavils. The ex-
cerpts from Novaks Exercitia Mythologica
are magnificent, as is Swaynes Dona nobis
pacem. Finally, the singing on Langes Esto les
digo approaches perfection, with soprano
Leanne Dalton soaring towards a sublime
conclusion. She provides thirty seconds of
radiance that more than justifies buying this
disc. What must it have been like to hear
her sing it live? This recording at least allows
us to imagine.
recorded in Visitation Catholic Church in to the text helps communicate the music.
Kansas City, adding an extra richness to a
tone quality often strongly infused with head Matthew Smyth
voice. Throughout the recording, Octarium Norman, Oklahoma
achieves a beautiful blend and color, although
occasionally vowel and intonation issues
come through at higher ranges. The entire NOTES
recording consists of unaccompanied music,
and many of the arrangements would be 1 Readers interested in learning more about Foss
suitable for superior high school, church, or are encouraged to consult Karen Perones
college groups. Among the many exciting Lukas Foss: A Bio-Bibliography (Westport,
selections on the disk, one of the most entic- CT: Greenwood Press, 1991) for additional
ing works is the Leah Hamilton arrangement biographical information and source listings.
of Veni, Veni Emmanuel, which grabs us with 2 Sean Burton, personal interview with Lukas Foss,
surprising and beautiful harmonies, giving September 8, 2003.
more depth to a lovely traditional selection. 3 Cited in Robert Bagar and Louis Biancolli, The
The obvious musicianship of the group Concert Companion (New York: McGraw-Hill,
1947), 26768.
is at times overwhelming, as in Long, Long
Ago or the Rutter arrangement of The Wex-
ford Carol. It is this musicianship that allows
Poulencs difficult motet sequence to come
across successfully. Moving lines are clear and
beautifully phrased and an obvious attention

Philip Barnes
St. Louis, Missouri

Hodie
Octarium
Krista Lang Blackwood, artistic director
www.octarium.org
download at DigStation.com

Octariums Hodie is a diverse collection

of Christmas songs ranging from exciting
new arrangements of familiar pieces to
challenging staples such as Poulencs Motets
pour le temps de Noel. The
wide range and beauti-
ful selection of music on
the recording makes the
disc ideal for any director
looking for a few more
selections for a holiday program.
Octarium, a Kansas City-based profes-
sional ensemble, was founded in 2003 by
director Krista Lang Blackwood. Hodie was

Choral Journal October 2009 77

The Kings Singers
40th Anniversary Collection
SATB divisi
Hal Leonard 08748224
$8.95
www.halleonard.com
In 1993, Hal Leonard released The Kings
Singers 25th Anniversary Jubilee Collection. It
has remained a best seller since then. Now,
there is a new collection that holds similar
promise. Directors who seek first-rate ar-
rangements for their mixed choirs, smaller
close-harmony groups, students of arranging,
and Kings Singers fans should not hesitate
to order this eclectic and beautifully crafted
collection that features many talented ar-
rangers works at a very reasonable price.
According to the notes, the choice of
arrangements in compiling this collection
was guided by their most requested arrange-
ments from the past fifteen years. Some of
the selections date from the
groups earlier history but
are still regularly performed.
Others are more recent.
The genres run the gamut
from folk music to pop
tunes, spirituals, Christmas
arrangements, and even a
Victorian parlor song by Sir Arthur Sullivan.
The notes also include brief arrangement
and performance instructions that give help-
ful information not only about the origin
of the music, but which Kings Singers CD
features it.
Most of the arrangements are for ex-
tensive divisi, particularly in the tenor and
bass parts. The only arrangement for TTBB
exclusively is Sullivans The Long Day
Closes, which credits only The Kings Sing-
ers as the arranger. All others are for mixed
choir. The most elaborate of divisi settings is
Philip Lawsons arrangement of Billy Joels
Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel), which can be
Choral Journal October 2009
performed either SATTBB or with an op- exception is the optional Choir 2 part of
tional SATBB Choir 2 part which is printed Lawsons arrangement of Lullabye by Billy
on separate pages, creating an eleven-part Joel, which has no piano reduction.
arrangement. The Kings Singers 40th Anniversary Col-
The collection contains a total of 13 ar- lection is sure to be another bestseller. It
rangements. Of these, three are folk songs, provides a wealth of encore material and
three are pop music, two are spirituals, two unusual repertoire for a variety of occasions.
are Christmas pieces, and two are Beatles The arrangements are well within the reach
tunes. Arrangers include Philip Lawson, Bob of any mixed choir wishing to expand its
Chilcott, Daryl Runswick, Peter Knight, John horizons and delight audiences with music
McCarthy, and Carl Davis.
As one might expect of arrangements
for an unaccompanied group like the Kings
Singers, the part writing includes not just
melodic but rhythmic sounds as well. In Philip
Lawsons arrangement of LAfrica, for ex-
ample, all manner of unpitched consonants
are required and, even when pitch is notated,
a footnote cautions, Emphasize the conso-
nant at the expense of the note. Ensembles
need to be willing to take these demands
seriously. The effort is worthwhile. Learning
to perform these rhythms accurately will pay
generous dividends in other works. Lawsons
arrangement includes the names of the in-
struments the singers are to imitate, such as
xylophone, drums, and flute scat.
Vocal ranges are generally conservative.
However, some background parts require
voices to repeat a note for many measures in
high range. For example, Lawsons LAfrica
arrangement places the Tenor I part several
times on a g1 or a1 for seventeen consecu-
tive measures. Conversely, the soprano and
alto parts tend toward the lower part of the
range.Young male singers might find the Bass
II parts in some arrangements a bit too low.
A held D is the lowest note in Carl Daviss
Rise up, Shepherd, and Follow, but most of the
tessitura is less extreme.
Since there are several arrangers fea-
tured in the collection, harmony varies from
relatively straightforward to challenging.
Well-written piano reductions are provided
that outline the harmony clearly. The only
79
 Choral Reviews
from one of Englands finest unaccompanied
groups.
Anthony Antolini
Bowdoin College
Red Geraniums
Lisa Foland
SA, piano
Santa Barbara Music Publishing
$1.60
www.sbmp.com
Lisa Foland has composed a touching set-
ting of a text by New England poet Martha
Haskell Clark (18851922.) The perfor-
mance of this lovely piece is limited to girls
choirs because the poem begins, Life did
not bring me silken gowns, Nor jewels for
my hair, although it is musically suitable for
any childrens choir. The memorable melody
has a folk-like character that supports the
gentle and optimistic poem. Ranges are
not demanding. The well-crafted harmony
and rhythm are very accessible to young
choristers. The poems three stanzas are set
to the same melody, which is heard in unison
on the first stanza, then moving gracefully
between the two voice parts on the second
stanza and in unisons and thirds in the final
stanza. Informative biographical information
is given about the composer, but there are
no historical notes about the poet.
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This piece has much to recommend it.
The poem is clearly set so that the words
come through easily even if the poem isnt
printed in a program.The piano accompani-
ment is not technically demanding and could
be played expressively by a student pianist. It
can be programmed at any time of year and
would not cause objections from those who
wish to keep religion out of schools. One
line reads And thank God for home-sweet
things which doesnt classify the piece as sa-
cred.This piece would be an especially good
addition to a concert featuring American
poetry, women poets, or repertoire about
flowers or nature.
Anthony Antolini
Bowdoin College
Trio from the Magic Flute
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
arranged by Robert Sieving
SSA, piano
Santa Barbara Music Publishing
$2.35
Music teachers often lament the lack
of popularity and familiarity of opera with
young singers.Yet high schools dont hesitate
to program Broadway musicals that attract
singers and delight audiences. Robert Siev-
ings delightful arrangement of the trio from
Act I, Scene 1 of Mozarts Magic Flute is a fine
Toll Free 866.499.3799
antidote to the problem of opera bashing
among the young.The scene features Tamino,
lost and defenseless in a distant land, being
pursued by a monstrous serpent. As he faints
from fatigue, three ladies who are attendants
of the Queen of the Night rescue him.They
slay the serpent and then vie for the chance
to guard the handsome prince while the
others go to report the news to the Queen.
The arrangement converts the three solo
voice parts into choral parts.
The edition includes a brief but well
written synopsis of the plot but no notes
about Mozart or history of the opera. Since
this information is so easily accessible, one
cannot fault the editors for its absence, ex-
cept for the fact that there
is plenty of blank space
on the final page where it
could have been included.
Biographical information is
included about the arranger.
He has wisely simplified the
piano reduction, eliminating
most colla parte passages, where the vocal
lines are doubled by the piano in order to
enhance textural clarity. The original Ger-
man text is given in the front matter with
Sievings English translation, and the German
is included in italics beneath the English in
the score. Sievings translation is beautifully
crafted, capturing nuances of each phrase
and following the accentuation of the Ger-
man throughout.
Vocal ranges are well within the grasp of
young voices and would help parry the criti-
cism that operatic writing is too demanding
for teenagers. The piano reduction is less
technically demanding than many of Mo-
zarts piano works studied by young players
and would offer an enjoyable collaboration
between a young player and singers of the
same age. Although Sieving has published
the arrangement as a choral work, it could
also be performed with a succession of solo
voices drawn from the chorus.
Since Tamino never sings anything in this
scene, the staging possibilities of the arrange-
ment are numerous. For example, a school
athlete with no singing ambitions could be
cast as Tamino and the girls of the chorus
could serenade him.Tamino might be a male
member of the chorus or a teacher willing
to play the role. The arrangement would be
Choral Journal October 2009
suitable for any concert and a particularly
good piece for a comic encore.
Mozart has a great deal to offer young
musicians and audiences of all ages. Sievings
arrangement makes this marvelous music
accessible and might well entice people to
listen to the rest of the opera or seek other
works by this fascinating composer.
Anthony Antolini
Bowdoin College
Voices of Terezin
Aaron Rosenthal
SATB, piano
Frank E. Warren Music Service
$4.00
No website listed
Aaron Rosenthal (b. 1975) has set three
poems written by children who were im-
prisoned in the Terezin concentration camp
outside of Prague during World War II. The
poems come from a collection titled I Never
Saw Another Butterfly. Rosenthals settings
were originally composed for womens choir
in 1995 and then arranged by the composer
for mixed chorus in 1996. The young poets,
who presumably wrote the originals in
Czech, are credited by name in the front
matter but no acknowledgment is given for
the English translations that Rosenthal used
in his settings.
Rosenthal has impressive credentials
and he writes with sensitivity to the poetry.
The ranges and tessituri are not especially
demanding but his melodies and harmonies
would require careful preparation. He avoids
key signatures and writes accidentals as a
matter of course. Rhythms are moderately
difficult but well within the ability of a col-
lege or community chorus. The three poems
are divided into separate movements in the
form of slow-fast-slow. The piano accompa-
niment is more demanding than the choral
writing and would require a player with
technical proficiency. The voice parts are
largely independent of the accompaniment.
Voices of Terezin certainly should be
considered for any program involving ho-
locaust literature, child poets, or repertoire
devoted to art produced by prisoners and
Choral Journal October 2009
captives. The text is set in a straightforward Four Poems of Robert Herrick
manner, without repetition, and is dramati- John Crawford
cally powerful in Rosenthals moving musical SATB
adaptation. Frank E. Warren Music Service
$1.95
Anthony Antolini No Web site listed
Bowdoin College
John Crawfords settings of four poems
by Robert Herrick (15911674) offer a
lovely musical interpretation of this great
Carol of the Birds poets works. Concerts featuring English
arr. Robert Sieving poetry would definitely be enhanced by
SATB, divisi this music, which is well within the ability of
Santa Barbara Music Publishing college or community choirs.
$1.60 Crawfords writing is not demanding in
www.sbmp.com these settings. Rhythm is fairly easy but in-
tonation would require careful preparation.
Robert Sievings peaceful, unaccompa- The four poems are divided into the form
nied arrangement of the traditional Catalo- Moderato-Slow-Vivace-Lento and they work
nian carol is subtitled El Cant dels Ocells well as a set.
but gives no information about the origin
of the English translation. The two-stanza
poem is printed in the front matter.The divisi
involve SSATBB and ranges are not problem-
atic. The appealing melody is carried in the
soprano and tenor parts with well-crafted
voice leading in the other parts.
Christmas concerts invariably require
contrasts in repertoire. Sievings arrange-
ment is a welcome addition to the quiet
repertoire for this season. For church choirs,
this would be an inspiring selection for that
part of the service where a meditative at-
mosphere is required.
Sievings experienced hand as an ar-
ranger is evident in this piece. Attention to
his dynamic markings, which vary from part
to part, add a great deal to the overall effect.
The writing is not difficult but is challenging
for the amateur choir in terms of intonation.
A recording of the arrangement by The
Singers: Minnesota Choral Artists, to whom
the work is dedicated, is available on the
publishers Web site.
Anthony Antolini
Bowdoin College
81
 Choral Reviews
Unfortunately, the edition offers no
biographical information about the com-
poser and the poetry is not written out. A
performance would almost certainly need
the poetry printed in a program since the
composer does not always present the text
in a form that would be comprehensible to
listeners. Although locating Herricks works
would not be difficult, the program preparer
would need to find these texts. The edition
also does not include a piano reduction for
rehearsal. The choral writing is not so dif-
ficult that reading open score is out of the
question. But for many conductors, a piano
reduction would greatly facilitate rehearsal
of the work.
Anthony Antolini
Bowdoin College
Psalm 1 How Happy Those
Austin C. Lovelace
SATB, Keyboard
Emerson Music, EECH1038
$1.50
www.emersonmusic.com
This piece, based on the tune Dove
of Peace, in William Walkers Southern
Harmony, 1835, is set to a text by Timothy
Dudley-Smith. Following an eight-bar key-
board (piano or organ) introduction, the
melody is introduced by mostly unison choir.
Stanza two is written for unison mens voices
to a more florid accompaniment, while the
women (in two parts) sing stanza three, set
to a more chordal accompaniment. The final
60 years of the USC Thornton Chamber Singers
A two-disk collection of choral music
conducted by Charles Hirt, Rodney
Eichenberger, James Vail, William Dehning,
Paul Salamunovich, and Jo-Michael Scheibe
Call 213-740-7416 or email
uschoral@usc.edu to order your copy of these
historical recordings (CD set : $25).
82
stanza is set for three voice parts (soprano,
alto, and men) accompanied by consonant
keyboard writing enhancing the choral part.
A very brief, broadening ending completes
the piece. Presenting few vocal difficulties,
How Happy Those Who Turn Aside will be
enjoyed by an adult church choir at home
with choral pieces from the traditional,
nineteenth-century-like repertoire.
John Buehler
Baker University
See That You Love One Another
Dale Grotenhuis
SATB
Twin Elm Publishing (Emerson Music, agent)
#TE06-05
$1.90
Originally published in 1981, this fine
piece by the highly respected composer
is again available. Though the cover of this
piece states that it is intended for SATB
choir with piano, the piano part is notated
for rehearsal only. Set very imaginatively
for divisi mixed choir, the 1st Peter text sug-
gests an anthem of general use. Harmonically
consonant and with moderate voice range
requirements, this piece will challenge the
mature church choir able to sustain pitch in
an unaccompanied piece. The divided voice
parts may require a somewhat large choir;
however, a smaller choir, able to manage part
independence, will also find it satisfying. This
excellent piece is highly recommended for
a traditional adult church choir.
John Buehler
Baker University
The Inn
(A Ballad on Lithuanian Folk Songs)
Algimantas Brazinskas
SATB divisi, bar. solo, womens trio
G. Schirmer/Hal Leonard #50486440, $3.95
Link to pic: http://www.halleonard.com/
item_detail.jsp?itemid=50486440&order=6
&catcode=00&refer=search&type=produc
t&keywords=the+inn+
This clever setting is for the most ad-
vanced of college/university or professional
choirs. The subject matter has to do with
drinking and becoming tipsy. Beyond that, it
requires a command of dissonance, varied
tonal centers, and tone clusters that would
cause headaches among all but the most
polished of choral ensemblessomething
we have grown to expect from the Baltic
traditions of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia,
where voices are successfully treated like
instruments. The composer, born in 1937
and famous in Lithuanian circles, states: The
frequent inadvertent dissonances in the
writing are intended to reflect the vigor-
ous (if not exactly accurate) singing of the
taverns clients.
There is nothing unusual about the
ranges that are conventional, nor the
changing meters between two-four and
four-four. Eighth-note rhythm predominates
at a tempo marked Vivo. The language
offered is only English, translated from the
original Lithuanian, which should be a relief
to American choirs since there are many
difficulties of tonality and texture. Chief
among these is the instantaneous and sud-
den use of tone clusters, probably to signify
persons becoming tipsy at the inn. These
clusters proceed from a unison D in the
tenors and basses to a four-note cluster of
E , E (basses and tenors) and F and F (altos
and sopranos). The clusters, albeit displaced
over an octave, are sudden, arising out of the
D eighth-note figure, usually on the fourth
beat of the measure.There are also ascend-
ing half-step four-note clusters (text: O, my
head is spinning round). Finally, at page six,
we get our first triad and semi-tonal passage,
which seems like a great relief.
The form is basically tripartite, with large
sections being delineated by solos and/or
solo ensembles. The first is a baritone solo,
to be performed rather tipsy with the choir
performing rhythmic ostinati underneath,
which are half-spoken, half-sung.The second
is by a womens trio (Im drinkin brandy so
keep my jug handy) with individual male
voices shouting phrases like, Stop him!
Hes leading a grizzly bear! Shoot it! Call the
police! Both sections are slower and more
tonal before the rhythmic clustered singing
resumes. Toward the end, clusters have as
Choral Journal October 2009
many as nine to ten notes (after m. 118);
the pace is steady but seems more frantic
because of the increased dissonance, which
penultimately relaxes a bit to four-tone
clusters (Drink it up, for soon tomorrow
we will pay in pain and sorrow! Whirlin,
twirlin, turnin, burnin, O the floor is open-
ing below me). It ends in a four-note split
cluster, followed by a glissando downward
with a shouted hey. It paints the picture
of a day in Lithuanian folk life, but is hardly
for the light of heart in terms of pitch skills.
Donald Callen Freed
Alpine Texas
Song of Freedom
arr. Victor C. Johnson
SATB, piano
Heritage Choral Series/Lorenz 15/2235H
$1.85
Accomp. CD available www.lorenz.com
Link to pic: http://www.lorenz.com/result-
sadv.aspx?page=1&rpp=30&title=Song+of+
Freedom&itemid=&pod=False&pop=False
This is an arrangement
of two traditional spirituals,
Oh, Freedom and Over
My Head, and was com-
missioned by the Austin
Academy Choir for their
2006 TMEA convention per-
formance in San Antonio. Ranges are tradi-
tional to conservative for a high school or
church ensemble. The first section in Oh,
Freedom in unison F major with the usual
syncopation associated with that tune. The
second section is unaccompanied, beginning
with the text, No more moanin. While
traditional in harmony, it does use some
descending half-steps in the parts with re-
sulting secondary dominants and borrowed
chords, and may require concentration in
order to stay in tune. Following the second
section Over my head is introduced, first
in two-part SA followed by TB, returning to
a four-part accompanied And before Id
be a slave from Oh, freedom. Two-part
alternates with four-part again in G major,
with the final section in A, first beginning
with a two-part canon and ending with a
Choral Journal October 2009
rousing fortissimo divisi. The accompaniment text for this joyful anthem by Texas choral
is relatively easy except for the last two music educator Laura Farnell.
pages, where it becomes more syncopated A four-measure, unaccompanied (op-
and has thicker chords. This does have the tional accompaniment), fanfare-type phrase
phrase There must be a God somewhere, introduces the piece. A reoccurring quarter
so it might present sacred music problems note triplet pattern serves as a unifying
for some public schools. It is also suitable for rhythmic element of the choral parts, which
church groups who can handle the conclud- are set in 4/4 meter. While the vocal rhythms
ing divisi. There is an optional high A for divisi are straightforward, the brief piano inter-
soprano at the end. ludes have mixed and irregular meters4/4,
7/8, 5/8, 2/4.
Donald Callen Freed The composer suggests a brisk tempo
Alpine TX range of 120 32 for the quarter note
beat. A ritardando emphasizes the tonality
transition from E major to F major before
Rise Up, Shepherd returning to the original tempo for the final
arr. Taylor Davis A section.
SATB , piano The tessitura of soprano I is approxi-
Choristers Guild CGA1107, $1.85 mately one octave from the tonic while
choristersguild.org soprano II and alto tessituri are one octave
The rhythm is what makes this setting
unique. Set in predominately 7/8 meter with
sections in 4/4, this will give the Christmas
season a lilt. The predominant pattern for
singers is 2+2 + 2 +1 in 7/8, with a tenor/
bass rhythmic ostinato on the text Rise
up, shepherd and . Alto and soprano
enter over the ostinato in unison; the key
is D major so the low A might be low for
the sopranos. The rhythms constant drive
is accentuated by the intervals in the mens
ostinato part. The piano adds to the effect,
providing consistent moving rhythm, espe-
cially in the 4/4 sections. Everything comes
to a climax as rise up is reiterated following
the ostinato, in quartal harmony, followed by
an additional final rise up in unison. This is
easy to medium in difficulty, and is a refresh-
ing setting of traditional text and tune.
Donald Callen Freed,
Alpine, Texas
I Will Lift Up My Voice
Laura Farnell
SSA, piano
Hal Leonard # 08746972, $1.70
halleonard.com
Adaptations from Psalms 30, 96, and 100
(along with alternative lyrics) provide the
83
 Choral Reviews
from the dominant. The melodic movement
is primarily scalar and the limited skips are
narrow and mostly tonic.Though the texture
is homophonic throughout, there are occa-
sional countermelody and descant phrases
that add interest.
Among the musical concepts and skills
that could be taught through score study
are rondo form (with variation on the
theme), chordal harmony, homophonic
texture, mixed meter, and triplets. While
this composition would be appropriate for
an advanced middle school or intermediate
high school girls choir and would serve as
an effective festival piece or concert opener,
it could also be used as a call to worship in
a church setting.
LuAnn Holden
Cleveland, Tennessee
Andrew Carter Carols
New Collection of
12 mixed-voice
Christmas titles from
Banks Music Publications
www.banksmusicpublications.co.uk
www.andrewcarter.org
84
The Turtle Dove
John Purifoy (arr.)
SSA, piano with optional cello
Hal Leonard # 08746832
$1.70
The English folk tune from which The
Turtle Dove derives is a variant of The True
Lovers Farewell. Another alternate title is
Ten Thousand Miles. Cecil J. Sharp found nine
variants of the folk tune when he conducted
field study of English folk songs that had
survived in remote regions of the southern
Appalachian Mountains. John Purifoy, ASCAP
composer and arranger, living in Knoxville,
Tennessee, chose four poetic verses to set
in an A A B A form.
The arrangement begins with an accom-
panying figure in the piano, which is intermit-
tently repeated under sustaining vocal lines.
The cello imitates the melodic figure as a
unifying background theme throughout the
piece. Unison voices introduce the plain-
tive melody in A minor and then proceed
into two and then three part harmonies
in homophonic texture. As a departure
from the traditional tune, Purifoy provides
newly composed material for stanza three.
A modulation to B-minor precedes the final
stanza that compares the narrator and a
turtle dove.
The cello part, which is printed sepa-
rately on the back page of the octavo, is also
notated on the top staff of the vocal score.
The Soprano I and II parts, printed on the
same staff, have tessiture
that lie within the staff lines.
The alto tessitura ranges
an octave from the tonic.
Altos must use caution to
maintain the appropriate
vocal stylistic qualities of folk
music, especially where the pitches remain
below the staff for several measures.
The folksong is set in 4/4 meter to fol-
low the natural flow of the poem, and the
arranger suggests the quarter note pulse
be set at 84 beats per minute. The pensive
character of the piece is achieved through
the melodic line itself as well as the tonality,
the harmonies of the piano accompaniment,
and the timbre of the cello.
This beautiful arrangement (also avail-
able in SATB and SAB voicing) provides
opportunities for the choir to fully express a
flowing musical line through sensitivity to the
text, artful dynamic contrasts, and delicate
tempo changes.
LuAnn Holden
Cleveland, Tennessee
Climbin Up the Mountain, Children!
Rollo Dilworth (arr.)
Three-part treble, piano
Hal Leonard # 08745954
$1.70
Rollo Dilworth has provided an interest-
ing arrangement of the African American
spiritual, Climbin Up the Mountain, Children!
In the performance notes, Dilworth informs
us that the piece contains both traditional
and new material in a style that borrows
from both the spiritual and gospel genres.
After a three-measure piano introduc-
tion, the vocal parts enter (III, II, and then
I) in a layered-parts technique, each singing
a distinctive rhythmic and melodic ostinato
at mezzo-forte.This polyphonic choral sec-
tion builds to a unison statement of the
traditional chorus opening melody. Part II
declares the verse while Parts I and II (mov-
ing in parallel fifths) punctuate the melody
with a chromatic and syncopated phrase
of climbin up. After a repeat back to the
choral entrance and the performance of
stanza two, the arrangement progresses in
gospel-style with optional handclaps. The
tonality modulates from the original key of G
major upward by half steps to A major and
continues to build in intensity and dynamics
to the end.
The tessitura is a comfortable dominant
octave span for Part I. Only
for the last chord does the
arranger write a divisi requir-
ing an A2. The tessiture of
Parts II and III lie between d
and b flatthe commonly
used flattened third.
The traditional spiritual
is set in 2/4 meter with a moderato ( = ca.
63) tempo. The energetic character of the
piece is achieved through sixteenth-note
Choral Journal October 2009
rhythmic patterns and syncopation, modula-
tions with increasing dynamics, and support-
ing piano accompaniment.This arrangement
provides the basis for teaching many musical
concepts and skills to a young choir such as
blues notes, symbolism and word painting,
texture, form, compositional techniques, and
independent singing.
LuAnn Holden
Cleveland, Tennessee
Cedit, Hyems [Be Gone,Winter!]
Abbie Betinis
SATB accompanied
G. Schirmer #50486492 (includes flute part)
$1.95
Cedit, Hyems is a marvelous setting of
two Medieval Latin texts. The words mix
sacred and secular imagery, combining a
Prudentius hymn of Christs
coming with an excerpt
from Carmina Burana. The
musical setting is rhythmic
and inventive, using chang-
ing meter and speaking to
emphasize the forcefulness
of the Latin. With a modestly challenging
flute part, this is a very accessible Dale
Warland commission accessible to a good
high school chorus.
Jerry Ulrich
Atlanta, Georgia
In Thanksgiving, Let Us Praise Him (with
Now Thank We All Our God)
arr. Lloyd Larson
SATB (Available for SAB)
Brookfield Press #08745965
$1.80
Lloyd Larson has produced a lovely
arrangement of the traditional hymn tune
Nettleton (Come Thou Fount of Every
Blessing) using a text by the modern
Gospel songwriter Claire Cloninger. This
arrangement also includes an excerpt
from the well-known Crger melody Now
Thank We All Our God. Arranged for flute
Choral Journal October 2009
and oboe, the obligato parts quiem combines traditional elements found
are well written and could in the musical settings of Faur and Rutter,
be easily substituted with and new textual ideas found in Eastern
available C instruments. The Orthodox rituals and in passages from the
harmonies are two-part and
easy four-part writing and
are approachable for any church choir of
modest ability.
Jerry Ulrich
Atlanta, Georgia
Lirum Lirum
Thomas Morley/David Giardiniere
Available in SSAB (15/2261H) and
SSATB (15/2247H)
Heritage Choral Series
$1.95
www.lorenzo.com
An imaginative arranger has the ability to
use time-honored material
in a fresh and interesting
manner. David Giardiniere
has fashioned an uncom-
plicated and successful
edition of this traditional
Morley madrigal. Using
recorders and hand drum (parts available
from the publisher), he has substituted a
sacred text celebrating the shepherds ar-
rival in Bethlehem, the visit of the Magi, and
the Nativity scene. The baritone part of
the SSAB version makes this arrangement
an excellent choice for choirs with limited
male voices.
Jerry Ulrich
Atlanta, Georgia
For Us the Living: A Requiem
Alfred V. Fedak
SATB, organ, opt. orch.
Selah Publishing Co.
440-820
$9.75
www.selahpub.com
Alfred V. Fedak, a composer of numerous
hymn tunes and octavos, has produced his
first major work in For Us the Living. This re-
85
 Choral Reviews
Apochrypha. Though composed as a concert
work, the piece possesses a great deal of
liturgical value and could conceivably be
used in a worship setting.
Each movement of the work reveals
the composers ability to create beautiful
melodies (some based in plainsong), rich
harmonies, colorful orchestral effects, innova-
tive counterpoint, and intense emotion with
his chosen texts.
The opening Sentence, sung in English,
introduces melodic material that will recur
during the final measures of the Valediction,
bringing the work full circle as a represen-
tation of a life cycle. The
lyrical Introit leads into a
Kyrie eleison that clearly
draws its inspiration from
Gregorian chant; both of
these movements rely on
the traditional Latin texts.
In the next movement, Psalm 23 is set in
English. The simplicity of the opening lines
allows the text to speak clearly. The drama
comes in the middle section (the shadow
of death), reaching its climax at your rod
and your staff, they comfort me through its
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BVS/`[SR;O\(
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86
intense chromaticism.
Written in triple meter, the percussive
Sanctus introduces a new energy in the
middle of the work. By contrast, the Benedic-
tus resumes the beautiful lyricism of earlier
movements. The solo aria, Pie Jesu, accom-
panied by harp in the orchestral version, is
really more of a duet between the soprano
and the solo violin. The gentleness of the
melodic line recalls a lullaby, praying that the
departed may sleep in peace.
Fedak introduces the Agnus Dei with an
eight-measure chaconne, which reinforces
the sense of the text as a litany. The middle
section moves to B Major before returning
to the chaconne figure to close the work
with a slight textual twist. Instead of using
the traditional text of Dona nobis pacem
(grant us peace), the composer changes the
text to Dona nobis requiem (grant us rest),
underscoring the works real intent as stated
in the title, a prayer for us, the living.
Valediction, the farewell, opens with a
beautiful four-part chorale, moves into a
duet between the women and the men, and
comes back to the hymn-like style to close
with a gentle, serene Amen.
The choral writing lies comfortably within
normal ranges; Fedak knows how to write
for church choirs. Occasional three-part
divisi for the female and male voices occurs
in nearly every movement, but is counterbal-
anced by an abundance of unison writing.
Although the rich orchestration for paired
winds, horns, harp, strings and organ, the
vocal score features an extremely accessible
organ reduction for use in smaller settings.
Additionally, according to the composers
notes, movements may be performed
separately.
Fedaks requiem will prove to be an
extremely useful and accessible work for
church and community choirs.The accompa-
nying compact disc of the first performance
is well performed and serves as a useful
guide to tempi, registration, and vocal color.
Steven Young
Bridgewater, Connecticut
He Comes as King
Patrick M. Liebergen
SATB, keyboard, trumpet in B
Exaltation (The Lorenz Corporation)
# 10/3688L
$1.95
He Comes as King is a joyous setting of
the tune Macht Hoch Die Tr with the
trumpet part included in the choral score.
The piece has three stanzas, each with a
slightly different treatment. Stanza one is ba-
sically two partswomen against men, with
the exception of four parts at the cadence.
Stanza two is four parts unaccompanied for
the first half of the stanza, but the second
half features accompaniment. Following a
brief four-measure interlude, stanza three
assigns SATB unison on the melody, with a
high voice descant, with the restatement of
the last phrase, He is the mighty Lord! The
King of all adored! and the final shout of
Sing hosanna! finishes the piece.
Jubilant and energetic writing joins the
joyous keyboard (organ) part to complete
this piece. This is a welcome addition to the
repertoire for Palm/Passion Sunday, and is
well within the scope of the average church
choir. In fact, He Comes as King will find a
Choral Journal October 2009
large following simply because of the limited
rehearsal time required to perform it. A
competent high school trumpet player will
add that festive touch.
He Comes as King is
brief enough (235) so as
to serve as a Choral Introit
for Palm/Passion Sunday.
Liebergens piece is sure to
find a place in many church
music libraries!
Steven R. Gibson
Franklin, Virginia
We Walk by Faith
Joseph M. Martin
SATB, piano (optional brass and timpani
parts available from publisher, 30/2339L)
Exaltation (The Lorenz Corporation) #
10/3693L
$1.95
The form of We Walk by Faith is A A B
A C, with the Landas tune appearing only
in the C section. The piece begins with the
women introducing the theme, with parts
only at the cadence point. The second A
is presented in canon form, with women
beginning the canon. Four-part harmony
concludes that section and sets up the B
section with its chromatic progressions.
This pieces overall effect is of quiet
confidence and Martins lush choral writing
amplifies the text nicely. The piano accom-
paniment, though not difficult, requires a
perceptive player with careful pacing for
maximum effect. The voice leading provides
no surprises and stays within the acceptable
ranges for all parts.
This piece would appeal to the adult or
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Choral Journal October 2009
youth church choir and fits nicely into the The orchestral scoring is reserved and
worship service. Though not difficult, care restrained and is suggestive of the orchestral
should be taken with phrasing and dynamics. scoring in the Requiem of Gabriel Faur. The
We Walk by Faith is a well-crafted piece, score relies on a full compliment of strings,
singable and very useful. I believe that this with woodwinds and horns used for addi-
piece will make its way into many church tional tonal color. Even the harp, piano, organ,
music libraries! and celeste are used only as accents and
more sparingly than horns and woodwinds.
Steven R. Gibson Wilbergs Requiem is a welcome addition
Franklin, Virginia to the Requiem literature and will make its
way into the repertoire of church, commu-
nity and collegiate choirs. This will become
Requiem (vocal score) a work that is much beloved and I highly
Mack Wilberg recommend it.
SATB, (piano reduction)
Orchestration (rental only, available from Steven R. Gibson
C.F.Peters, www.edition-peters.com) Franklin, Virginia
3 flutes (flute 3 doubles piccolo); 2 oboes
(double 2 English horn); 2 clarinets in Bb; 2
bassoons; 4 horns in F; celeste (Glockenspiel
in absence of celeste); harp; piano; organ (op-
tional); violin I; violin II; viola; cello; double bass
Oxford University Press, ISBN #978-0-19-
380454-8
$11.95
www.oup.com by
Paul Brandvik
Author of
The Requiem is set into seven sections The Compleet
and contains both traditional texts and Madrigal Dinner Booke
those chosen by the composer, beginning
and ending with cries for peace and rest, This year make the
requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et RENAISSANCE COME ALIVE
lux perpetua luceat eis. Of particular inter- At your University, High School,
Middle School or Church
est is the juxtaposition of Latin and English
texts, just as John Rutter did in his landmark TWENTY-EIGHT DIFFERENT SCRIPTS
Requiem in 1986.
EACH SCRIPT INCLUDES:
The choral parts are moderate in diffi-
culty, but require careful attention to tuning, ALL DIALOGUE:
Greetings, Toasts, Festivities, Concert,
especially in O nata lux where the har- and Farewell
monies are extremely tight. Dr. Wilberg has HUMOROUS RENAISSANCE SKIT
combined melody and harmony in a manner (MASQUE)
that is word painting at its best. REPERTOIRE SUGGESTIONS
Ceremonial Music and Concert
For more information including synopses
and cast lists for each script, sample pages
and order forms please visit us at:
www.madrigaldinner.com
knight-shtick press
Box 814
Bemidji, MN 56619-0814
218/586-2270
madrigaldinner@madrigaldinner.com
A Division of EXTREMELY LTD.
87
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