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Views from the Choir Loft

10 Ideas for Practicing Choral Music

Andrew Leung · September 15, 2015

CTL Choral Singer N ARTICLE came up on my Facebook today and I just want to share it. The article is entitled: “Practicing Choral Music: Ten ideas the singer who doesn’t think they can practice on their own”, was written by Doreen Fryling, who also happened to be a “lifelong practice avoider” according to herself. In her article, she listed ten ways or methods to help singers practice on their own. Even though this article is written for, I believe, professional musicians, music students and those who can read music, but some of her methods can be helpful for ordinary parish music programs, where half or most of the choir members don’t read music.

For those who read music, you should try all ten methods; for those who cannot read music, you should at least try the first three methods and always bring a pencil to rehearsals (method 9). The first three ways to rehearse on your own can be done by anyone, whether you have musical background or not: (1) Start with the text, (2) Listen to a recording and (3) Analyze your music.

The text of a piece of Sacred Music is the ”soul’’. Singers must understand the text in order to make the Liturgical piece a prayer to God. With the technology nowadays, translations and recordings can be found easily. Try to listen to a good recording and that should help you get an idea of the melody and the basic structure of the piece. And don’t forget to mark your music for any repeats, dynamics, special rythms and notes from the director. Doing the first steps should help you learn a new piece easier and quicker.

If you are a director, consider taking an extra step. Send an email with links to good recordings or even make your own recordings. Choir members always appreciate the extra efforts. But make sure you also spend some time at the beginning of the rehearsal to help your singers to read music, so they won’t just rely on the recordings. I have been doing it myself ans it makes my rehearsals more efficient and enjoyable. Share the article with your choir members and encourage them to at least do the first three steps on their own. The other steps become the responsibility of the director in most parish situation and that’s why we have rehearsals.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

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    Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦
    Once, after Mass, my pastor said he really loved the hymn we did. I said: “Father, that's Holy God, We Praise Thy Name—you never heard it before?” He replied: “But the way you did it was terrific. For once, it didn't sound like a funeral dirge!” Last Sunday, our volunteer choir sang that hymn. I think the tempo was just about right … but what do you think?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Don’t You Agree About These?
    If you want to make Jeff Ostrowski really happy, send him an email with effusive praise about the individual voice recordings for hymn #296. [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass] They came out dazzlingly sensational, don't you agree?
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    Choral Vowels? Yes? No?
    Here's a live recording of one of the choral “warm-up” exercises my choir enjoys. It was taken during our rehearsal on 27 January 2023. It’s good to make sure each chord is perfectly in tune and balanced before moving to the next one. That only happens when each singer has the correct vowel. If you like, you can freely download that vocal exercise.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

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“For any member of laity, who is at least somewhat literate, the ignorance of the Latin tongue, which we can call a truly Catholic language, indicates a certain lack of affection towards the Church.”

— Pope Pius IX

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