19
votes
Accepted
Best practices for community choir audition with unknown song
I share your puzzlement about the audition. As a choral conductor myself, I wonder why they choose a standard audition piece without informing the candidate. If the desire is to see how well the ...
- 24.4k
17
votes
Accepted
Why does Bach not resolve this chordal seventh down by step?
The D on the fourth beat in the alto is an error. It should be an E. You can compare editions at IMSLP. Both the original edition of the 1780s and the second engraving of 1831 have the E; the D was ...
- 24.4k
12
votes
Why doesn't vocal music use C clefs nowadays?
I think they've simply fallen out of use, to a point where most musicians are unfamiliar with them. The vast majority of music for both voice and instruments are written in treble or bass clef. Back ...
9
votes
What's wrong with my strategy of recording two groups of 50 chorus members singing to an accompaniment over Zoom, and then mixing everything together?
As existing answers & comments have established, forget Zoom. Also forget trying to run 50 sets of headphones through an amp - as far as I know 8 channels is luxury in headphone amps, unless you ...
- 27.9k
8
votes
Accepted
What's wrong with my strategy of recording two groups of 50 chorus members singing to an accompaniment over Zoom, and then mixing everything together?
I definitely have my doubts about the approach. (Also, TLDR spoiler: It's not really a new problem, and there are other solutions.) Among the problems a pessimist could imagine:
On recording day, you ...
- 18.7k
8
votes
Accepted
Numbers at the start of hymn
They represent the number of syllables that fit to the lines of the tune. Thus, any hymns with the same series of numbers can be sung to any other (with the same numbers). And vice versa.
- 196k
7
votes
Best practices for community choir audition with unknown song
Auditions are a different experience from concerts or lessons, and unfortunately most folks get to spend very little time getting used to them. The very best way to "get better at auditions" ...
- 18.7k
6
votes
What's wrong with my strategy of recording two groups of 50 chorus members singing to an accompaniment over Zoom, and then mixing everything together?
Horribly complicated and prone to glitches.
Do it this way. Record the accompaniment. Point some speakers at the singers. Point some microphones at the singers. As far as possible, try not to ...
- 94.8k
5
votes
How should I choose a piece for a beginners choral audition?
The choice of piece matters very little (especially in a "no prior experience" audition). What matters is that you use a piece that you are comfortable with and know well, and that shows ...
- 18.7k
5
votes
Accepted
Is there a word in English to describe instances where a melody is sung by multiple singers/voices?
There's no formal term, but "in chorus" or "in concert" would be understood to mean what you have in mind.
- 92.5k
5
votes
Where does divisi marking go if vocalists begin a slurred/tied note together, but end it divided?
Use version a without the div. indication.
Elaine Gould, in Behind Bars, advises as follows:
Voice-part division on a single stave
in rhytnmic unison
A divided voice part should take a single set of ...
- 92.5k
5
votes
Why do people think rapping is new and different from singing?
Why do people think rapping is new and different from singing?
Because, well, they are. Perhaps you meant to ask what the differences are.
I asked this because I don’t think rap and singing are ...
- 24.4k
5
votes
Is this breathing indication unclear?
Both the period after "elements" and the breath mark between "elements" and "Clouds" are correct.
The structure set up in the previous two phrases is a breath every four ...
- 92.5k
4
votes
Name and meaning of "mirrored" accent sign
A simple way to obtain this symbol in LilyPond is to use the rotation property to rotate a normal accent.
\version "2.22.2"
reverseAccent = \tweak rotation #'(180 0 0) \accent
{
c'-> ...
- 1,941
4
votes
Accepted
In what form are the pieces "12 Days of Christmas" and "Green Grow the Rushes-O"?
Songs like those are called cumulative songs (or perhaps songs of complexity since computer scientist Donald Knuth published this article).
I don't know of a term specifically for those based on the ...
- 5,543
4
votes
How to condense an SATB choir section with mixed dynamics, voices & hairpins
One way is to place any expression markings relative to that voice's placement on the staff. In other words, markings relating to the soprano and tenor lines should go above their respective staves, ...
- 84.9k
4
votes
Organizing a HUGE music library
Well, I'd look at what a public library would do. In my [misspent] youth, the card catalog would include, for example, a card listed under composer's name referring to one of those omnibus volumes ...
- 15k
4
votes
Why do people think rapping is new and different from singing?
It probably has more to do with the fact that rapping is closer to rhythmic recitation than singing at a defined pitch. At least, that's why I think that rapping is different from singing. Not speed, ...
- 3,075
3
votes
Accepted
Does "the original" Dies Irae show up in Verdi?
No.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Giuseppi Verdi were among the composers of
religious works who wrote original music on the text of the hymn.
Note: I'm sure someone will come along and claim some ...
- 12.7k
3
votes
Bobby McFerrin Psalm 23
We could argue whether the bass Eb on beat 1 affects the tenor note on beat 4, particularly as the notation doesn't use seperate 'stems up' and 'stems down' voicing. But I think it was sensible of ...
- 94.8k
2
votes
How to identify the 4-part chorale?
These four-part chorales are still triad chords. The only difference is that:
Like @replete said, one of the notes (usually the root of the chord) is doubled--For example, in the first chord, there ...
- 124
2
votes
Accepted
How did composers use the technique of "fauxbourdon"?
Seems like all you have to do is have an instrument play a single-note line that is a fixed interval below the melody line.
So if you have a synth playing a certain melody, then another synth or ...
- 57.7k
2
votes
Reducing staff numbers in LilyPond
Short answer: yes, or pretty close.
Basic template:
top = {
\repeat unfold 4 { b'4 }
}
mid = {
\stopStaff s1 \startStaff
g'4^\markup "Tutti" 4 4 4
}
low = {
\clef bass
\repeat unfold 4 { ...
- 3,462
2
votes
Accepted
can you major in choral works as an instrumentation or is it just voice?
When people study music they can pick a concentration: voice, a instrument, composition, and conducting are all quite common. A person can focus graduate studies in choral conducting, but it is not ...
- 25.6k
2
votes
Why doesn't vocal music use C clefs nowadays?
why doesn't vocal music nowadays use C clefs?
The use of treble clefs for choral scores arose in the 19th century. (Treble clef for soprano parts is common outside of German-speaking Europe even ...
- 24.4k
2
votes
Why doesn't vocal music use C clefs nowadays?
Most singers who can read music will have learned in the course of learning a musical instrument. Piano is the most common, and of other instruments the higher sounding ones are often preferred for ...
- 1,454
2
votes
Name and meaning of "mirrored" accent sign
The arranger is indicating that the word should be accented against its normal pattern of emphasis.
Ordinarily, the second syllable of "rättfärdig" ("-fär-") receives the emphasis; ...
- 92.5k
2
votes
Name and meaning of "mirrored" accent sign
The "reverse accent" is a legitimate articulation symbol in Musescore called "Fade in":
- 14.2k
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