Choral Rehearsal Research Articles

Music from the Berlin Sing-Akademie

Music from the Berlin Sing-Akademie Daniel F. Boomhower Carl Heinrich Graun. “Ich suchte den, den meine Seele liebet”: Kantate zum ersten Ostertag, GraunWV B:IX:5, für Soli (SATB), Chor (SATB), zwei Oboen (Oboe d’amore), zwei Violinen, Viola und Basso continuo. Herausgegeben von Tobias Schwinger. (Quellenpublikationen aus dem Archiv der Sing-Akademie zu Berlin, Bd. 3.) Beeskow: Ortus Musikverlag, 2011. [Editorial in Ger. and Eng., p. vi–vii; pref. in Ger., p. viii–xi; crit. report in Ger., p. xii–xiv; plates, p. xv–xviii; score, p. 1–53. ISMN M-700296-63-6, 979-0-700296-63-6; pub. no. OM 114. €18.50.] Johann Theile. Der Sionitin Wiegenlied: “Nun, ich singe, Gott, ich knie,” für vier Singstimmen (SATB), drei Violen, Violone (zwei Violinen, Viola, Violoncello) und Basso continuo. Herausgegeben von Ekkehard Krüger. (Quellenpublikationen aus dem Archiv der Sing-Akademie zu Berlin, Bd. 4.) Beeskow: Ortus Musikverlag, 2011. [Editorial in Ger. and Eng., p. vi–vii; pref. in Ger., p. viii–ix; text in Ger., p. x; crit. report in Ger., p. xi; plates, p. xii–xiii; score, p. 1–10, and 6 parts. ISMN 979-0-700317-04-1; pub. no. OM 135. €15.00.] Johann Christian Roellig. “Uns ist ein Kindlein geboren”: Kantate für den 1. Weihnachtstag, für Soli (SATB), Chor (SATB), zwei Trompeten, Pauken, zwei Hörner, Flöte, zwei Oboen, Fagott, zwei Violinen, Viola und Basso continuo. Herausgegeben von Klaus Winkler. (Quellenpublikationen aus dem Archiv der Sing-Akademie zu Berlin, Bd. 5.) Beeskow: Ortus Musikverlag, 2012. [Editorial in Ger. and Eng., p. vi–vii; pref. in Ger., p. viii; text in Ger., p. ix; crit. report in Ger., p. x–xi; plates, p. xii–xiii; score, p. 1–72. ISMN 979-0-700317-34-8; pub. no. OM139. €29.90.] At the time of Carl Friedrich Zelter’s death in 1832, the music collection of the Sing-Akademie in Berlin stood as perhaps the most tangible representation of how its late director influenced musical life in the Prussian capital. Even in the waning years [End Page 566] of the Enlightenment, a sensitivity toward a historical musical repertory had begun to emerge in Berlin. After his ascension to the throne in 1740, King Frederick II of Prussia explicitly imitated the Saxon court at Dresden, and in doing so promoted a less than innovative state music. Ironically, upon invading Saxony in 1756 in what became known as the Seven Years’ War, music at Frederick II’s court stagnated. Until the end of his reign in 1786, almost all music heard at the Prussian Royal Opera was composed by either Carl Heinrich Graun, who died in 1759, or Johann Adolph Hasse. Some hosts of musical salons mimicked the staid musical fashions of the court, in part to curry favor or standing in Berlin. Meanwhile, several musicians, particularly Johann Philipp Kirnberger, cultivated a different strand of veneration for the musical past, focused to a great extent on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. However, it was Zelter who institutionalized music historicism in Berlin. At least from the time of his appointment as director of the Sing-Akademie in 1800, Zelter further expanded the audience for music of the past to the educated upper middle class, and constituted the Sing-Akademie as a means of self improvement or cultivation (Bildung). In order that private choral rehearsals would support the attainment of Bildung, the collection needed to include examples of great historic music. Thus, Zelter amassed an impressive array of music, containing repertoire dating back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and extending well beyond just a performance collection. In the Sing-Akademie’s collection of music, past masters held pride of place. But, despite the growing interest in historical music among a broader segment of the population, the music collection of the Sing-Akademie had remained throughout the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century a collection available only to select members of the private choral society. By the time the collection was removed from Berlin to protect it from bombing raids during World War II, few scholars had examined its contents, despite increasing awareness among musicologists of the richness of...

Singing in “another” language: how pronunciation matters in the organisation of choral rehearsals

In this paper, I analyse the rehearsals of a choir and focus on sequences during which participants correct and practise the pronunciation of an item. In order to sing in a choir, singers orient both to musical relevancies (such as melody, pitch and rhythm) and to the linguistic features of the words they sing (such as articulation of consonants or vowels, cutting of the syllables, accent): these features are fundamental to singing and can be the object of correction. I hereby take into consideration “second language” singing and show that, during this activity, the correction of a word pronunciation can be initiated and realised either by the director or by the singers themselves. I analyse the structure of these sequences and show their implication for the organisation of the activity and for the participatory dynamics of the rehearsals. Based on the video-recordings of the rehearsals of the choir of a music school, my analyses take into account both the audible and visible resources participants orient to; they thus contribute to a conversation analytical and multimodal perspective on the interactional and institutional activity of music rehearsals.

A pilot study of using jazz warm up exercises in primary school choir in Hong Kong

This pilot study is to examine whether it is valuable to implement jazz choral practice in Hong Kong primary school setting. The findings can serve as a reference to explore the possibilities of promoting jazz education in Asian countries or in China. The participants were 70 public primary school students from grade 2 to 5 in Hong Kong. All participants were asked to sing jazz warm up exercises written by Kirby Shaw in their choral rehearsals. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Findings were presented from two perspectives – student perspective and observer perspective – in this study. After rehearsals, students were asked to complete a questionnaire related to the response in singing jazz music. Video recording and field notes were captured to observe the behaviour and expression of the participants. Six dimensions of contents were observed during the rehearsal including physical actions, verbal behaviour, expressive behaviour, spatial relations, temporal patterns and verbal records. The results have indicated that it is beneficial to use jazz warm up exercises in the traditional choral practice in Hong Kong primary school setting.

An Examination of Critical Thinking Skills in High School Choral Rehearsals

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between time spent in nonperformance and critical thinking activities in high school choral rehearsals. Eighteen rehearsal observations were collected from public school music programs. Observed rehearsal behaviors were coded into three categories of nonperformance activity: lower-order thinking, critical thinking, and nonspecific activity. Results indicated that the mean rehearsal time spent in all nonperformance activities was 53.89%, with 45.96% focused on lower-order thinking skills, 6.36% in critical thinking skills, and 1.57% in nonspecific activities, including off-task behavior and silence. A significant positive correlation was found between the amount of time spent in nonperformance activities and time spent engaged in critical thinking skills. No significant correlation was found between the level of ensemble in which students were enrolled and percentage of time spent in activities that required the use of critical thinking skills. Findings suggest that amount of time spent using critical thinking skills in high school choral rehearsals may be influenced by a variety of factors, including rehearsal techniques and learning objectives used by master teachers.

Secondary School Choral Conductors’ Self-Reported Beliefs and Behaviors Related to Fundamental Choral Elements and Rehearsal Approaches

Secondary school choral conductors from the United States were invited to complete a 10-minute electronic survey about their choral rehearsal priorities and approaches. Respondents ( N = 239) reported (a) rehearsal priorities on fundamental choral elements (balance/blend, diction, dynamics, intonation, interpretation/musicianship, rhythm, technique, and tone quality), (b) rehearsal approaches (micro–macro/macro–micro), and (c) primary professional development influences. Choral elements most frequently cited as rehearsal priorities were intonation and tone quality. Differences were discovered in rehearsal approaches as a function of teaching experience with those who taught for 10 or more years reporting a macro–micro approach. Observing other conductors/ensembles at conferences and continuing education were primary influences cited. Though there were no statistically significant differences ( p > .05) between high school and middle school choral directors’ choices of rehearsal priorities or approaches, notable discrepancies were found. Implications for the preparation of choral educators are discussed, and recommendations for future research are presented.

The Use of the international phonetic alphabet in the choral rehearsal

The Use of the international phonetic alphabet in the choral rehearsal

Perceptions of Time Spent in Teacher Talk

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare self-estimates, peer estimates, and actual time preservice teachers spent talking in rehearsal. Participants ( N = 32) conducted a short choral rehearsal and estimated their teacher talk (expressed as a percentage of total rehearsal time). Their peers also reported estimates, and the researchers took data on actual time. Later, participants observed themselves on video and used stopwatches to compute teacher talk percentages on the same session. Participants then conducted a second rehearsal and again estimated their teacher talk percentage. Results indicated that by the second rehearsal, participants reduced their teacher talk by about half, and their estimates became closer to actual time. Significant differences were discovered between all estimates from the first rehearsal and the second rehearsal. Self-analysis through videotapes appears to be a useful tool for reducing teacher talk and increasing estimation accuracy.

Differential Effects of Instructor Feedback vs. Self-Observation Analysis on Music Education Majors’ Increase of Specific Reinforcement in Choral Rehearsals

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two different types of feedback (instructor feedback and self-analysis of videotapes) on music education majors’ increase of specific reinforcement. Music education students (N = 26) from two large state universities enrolled in a choral techniques class served as participants for this study. All participants were pre-tested then randomly assigned to one of the two groups. Participants in the instructor feedback group received detailed scripts (filled out by the instructor) of all sequential patterns exhibited during their microteaching session, including the number of specific reinforcements, while participants in the self-analysis group were asked to watch their own videotapes and complete the same form with the detailed script. Results indicate that participants significantly increased their use of specific reinforcement throughout the treatment period. The greatest number of specific reinforcements evidenced was in session 3 (M = 1.92) and the lowest number was in session 2 (M = .57). In addition, there were no significant differences between the two groups (p > .05). Instructor feedback was not any more effective than self-analysis in increasing music education majors’ use of specific reinforcement. This is consistent with previous research suggesting that self-analysis may be a viable alternative to instructor feedback in teacher training settings (Yarbrough, Wapnick, & Kelly, 1979).

Choral Warm-Ups for Changing Adolescent Voices

How did you start your last choral rehearsal? Did you begin with the same warm-up procedures you used the day before (and the day before that)? Did you carefully choose the pitches of the vocalises so that each student could be successful, regardless of his or her current stage of vocal development? Did you design vocalises that addressed specific vocal issues found in the repertoire to be rehearsed that day? During two decades of observing and leading middle school choral rehearsals, I've discovered that teachers frequently repeat exactly the warm-ups they present to their young adolescent choirs at every rehearsal. If we know one thing about middle school students, we know that they are constantly changing-physically, intellectually, and emotionally. Why is it that our warm-ups usually don't reflect these changes? Think about this: if we start our warm-ups with a unison, descending, five-note, stepwise vocalise (sol, fa, mi, re, do) and then ascend sequentially by half steps for multiple repetitions, whom have we left out? Everyone who can't sing that pattern on those specific notes. We might say, Well, that kid can't match pitch, or he or she can't do X, Y, or Z. What if we were wrong? What if we simply hadn't selected an instructional task that was achievable by everyone in the ensemble? Over time, the effects on the musical self-confidence of those marginalized would be devastating, and there would be deleterious effects on the ensemble's performance. We would have failed to take advantage of what these young singers could do, instead focusing on what they physically couldn't do. Consider how young children learn to speak: they begin by babbling combinations of vowels and consonants and gradually refine and combine them to form words. We encourage young children to experiment with vocal sounds on the path toward speech, and we need to similarly encourage young adolescents to explore their new vocal capabilities made possible by the maturation process. The vocal warm-up processes used in choirs with changing adolescent voices must, in some ways, be different from the warm-up processes used in choirs of either early elementary children or older high school students. This article is an exploration of principles that need to underlie the development of warmups that meet the needs of changing voices, encourage even the most reluctant singer, and build toward ever-greater levels of choral success. In a Music Supervisors' Journal article printed more than 80 years ago, well-regarded pedagogue Charles Farnsworth wrote about the development of vocal technique:

A Social and Historical Perspective of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus

ABSTRACT This study sought to understand the various roles music played for gay men who were members of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, the world's first gay men's chorus. Specifically, it answers the following questions: What is the demographic profile of the chorus members? How has the chorus shaped or reflected social issues; how has the chorus shaped or reflected political issues; how has the music evolved over time?; How was the chorus impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic? Historical information for this study was gathered through eight interviews of original and long-time choral members as well as the current artistic director. Interviews were conducted in San Francisco at the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus office, and additional data were derived from programs of previous choral concerts, two questionnaires (Internalized Homophobia Scale and Gay Chorus Questionnaire), and observations of choral rehearsals and concerts. As a follow-up to a previous study documenting the formation of the chorus in 1978–1982, this study historically documents the chorus's evolution from 1983 through 2003, emphasizing the chorus's impact on social and political issues, the musicality of the chorus, and the impact of HIV/AIDS on the chorus.

Teacher instructional language and student experience in middle school choral rehearsals

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between teacher language use and student quality of experience during choral rehearsals. Particularly at the middle school level, few data exist about the ways in which instructional discourse during rehearsals affects student experience. Existing research suggests the use of instructional scaffolding as effective in enhancing student learning and experience, but this had not been previously investigated during music rehearsals. The language of two teachers during 20 rehearsals was recorded and examined for evidence of instructional scaffolding and sequential units of instruction; student self-reports of affect, challenge and skill were correlated with the teachers’ language. Students reported higher levels of challenge and skill (often referred to as ‘flow experience’) during rehearsals with greater use of scaffolding language. Analysis suggests that a strong positive relationship exists between teachers’ use scaffolding language, complete sequential units of instruction, and quality of student experience during middle school choral rehearsals.

The researcher as instrument: learning to conduct qualitative research through analyzing and interpreting a choral rehearsal

Qualitative researchers often describe the ambiguities and complexities of extracting meaning from ambiguous and complex data. Although methodological literature provides useful frameworks and heuristics to guide the process of transforming field data into credible findings, learning to analyze and interpret qualitative data also involves a transformation of the researcher as the primary instrument for making sense of the phenomenon under study. This pedagogical action research study involved a ‘case within a case’, in which graduate students, enrolled in a qualitative research class in music education, analyzed and interpreted data from a high school choral rehearsal captured on digital video. This study sought to answer these questions: what pedagogical moves and exercises enable beginning qualitative researchers to practice and refine the skills of data analysis? What pedagogical moves and exercises foster the development and refinement of interpretive perspectives? Implications for teaching qualitative research methods using case materials drawn from music classrooms are described.

Promoting Vocal Health in the Choral Rehearsal

Promoting Vocal Health in the Choral Rehearsal

Programming remediation to a newly complete performing arts center

A large new performing arts building at a university included an 800-seat recital hall, proscenium theater, black box theater, large instrumental rehearsal room, choral rehearsal room, and practice rooms. It was designed with attention to acoustics concerns throughout, but the final results left the owner with a myriad of problems. These problems included poor hearing conditions in the large performance space, intrusion of exterior environmental noise, excessive mechanical system noise and vibration, and inexplicable lack of separation between rehearsal rooms that were separated by an STC 70+ wall. The authors parsed through the complaints and field conditions to extract a range of reasons for the problems. The paper presents the analysis techniques for these challenges and shows options that were developed for practical solutions.

Characteristics of Teacher-Directed Modeling in High School Choral Rehearsals

Characteristics of Teacher-Directed Modeling in High School Choral Rehearsals

Shaping Identity Through Choral Activity: Singers' And Conductors' Perceptions

This article reports on a research project carried out in 2002, with funding from the United Kingdom's Arts and Humanities Research Board,i on choral activity and its relationship to singers' identity. Using a model of effective choral conducting (Durrant 1996; 2003) as a starting point, a connection is sought between perceptions of the conducting role and of singing in the shaping of singers' identity. The project focused on the choral music traditions of Finland and Sweden, where choirs are noted for their fine-quality singing, imaginative use of folk music and extensive involvement. A qualitative methodology was adopted; specifically a descriptive and interpretive case study, using interviews with conductors and singers, extensive observation of choral rehearsals and, on occasions, concerts. Issues arising from the research are reported, including: the role of choral repertoire and national folk song, singers' reasons for engaging in choral activity and the role of conductors. The research confirmed (i) that the musical and interpersonal skills of the conductor are vital in the motivation of the singers, (ii) that singers identify themselves socially as well as musically with a group, (iii) that choral activity enhanced these singers' sense of national and cultural identity through use of folk traditions and a creative approach to musical practice.

The Use of Targeted Pitch Skills for Sight-Singing Instruction in the Choral Rehearsal

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of sight-singing instruction using specific pitch skills emphasizing scale degree and harmonic function. Fifteen pitch skills encompassing scalar, cadential, and chordal tasks were included in the study. Over a 12-week period, two randomly assigned groups of novice high school singers received instruction. Group A (n = 41) received instruction with new melodies written specifically to incorporate the targeted skills. Group B (n = 26) received instruction using familiar melodies that contained the same skills. All participants (n = 67) achieved a significantly higher mean score on the posttest than on the pretest (t = 4.38, 66 df, p < .00004). Each treatment group also obtained significantly higher mean scores on the posttest than on the pretest; however, there was no significant difference between the two treatments. Targeting specific pitch skills in both familiar and unfamiliar melodies shows promise as an effective tool for sight-singing instruction.

“It's a Metamorphosis”: Guiding the Voice Change at the American Boychoir School

The purpose of the study was to describe and interpret a particular culture of boys with changing voices at the American Boy choir School by means of an ethnography. Themes that emerged were (1) the boys' own perceptions of the voice change process, (2) healthy strategies for singing through the change, and (3) psychological issues. Informants were 27 students, 2 music directors, and 10 staff members. Data-collection techniques included interviews, observation, participant observation, and the examination of material culture. Analysis involved preparation of field notes and interview transcripts, document analysis, and study of the field notes and interviews. Evidence from the data, while supporting documented patterns of the male voice-change process, pointed to the uniqueness of each boy s experience. Boys were musically skilled, vocally knowledgeable, and benefitted from group vocal instruction in addition to choral rehearsals. Boys were taught how to use all available notes in their ranges safely. Instilling confidence and the “light approach” were two strategies used to assist boys negotiating the voice change.

Harmonizing and Improvising in the Choral Rehearsal: A Sequential Approach

^M ^ usic professionals have developed numerous methimprovise by ear as ods to teach note reading to ensembles, but few have created methods to incorporate improvisation part of each day's in the choral rehearsal. Although improvisation long preceded our present system of notation and is warm-up period. still central to many musical cultures, it has never been a core musical skill of public school choirs.1 Choral singers are, in general, bound to the printed note. Creating harmony on the spot to a well-known melody can be a challenge. The oft-performed Happy Birthday is nearly always sung in unison-until the last measure. Standard holiday carols or popular songs such as We Wish You a Merry Christmas have also fallen prey to unison singing. And while most choral teachers are efficient and productive in rehearsal techniques, it is probable that their singers will complete numerous years of school choral singing and never create harmony. Not unexpectedly, music teachers cite their own lack of improvisational experience or training as the key reason for not performing improvisation.2 Azzara says that although it is understandable that teachers are reluctant to teach skills in which they have no training, both teachers and students have the potential to

Teaching Musical Interpretations through Choral Rehearsals

Teaching Musical Interpretations through Choral Rehearsals