Selecting Age Appropriate Choral Repertoire

Dr. Michael John Trotta

Common questions. . .

  Can MS/JH singers perform “adult” repertoire?

  How does the male voice change, and how does this affect my choir?

  Does the female voice also change?

  What factors do I need to consider when choosing repertoire?

  What is the difference between SATB, SAB, 3-pt mixed, and Cambiata repertiore.

Overview . . .   Literature selection

  perhaps the most important aspect of developing an successful rehearsals and performances. (Reames, JRME)

  A Case for Quality Music (Collins, The Cambiata concept)   New teachers often choose music that panders to the what they

think the students will like   Arrangements of “pop” music   Pop inspired settings, adolescentristic

  Master teachers select music based on educational and aesthetic tenets   Masterworks, Folk Song arrangements, Spirituals, Newly composed

music   Music that teaches the independent part singing skills needed for a

lifetime of great music making

Common problems . . .

  Putting all of the young men on the same part   Ignores the male voice change   Leads to frustration

  Choosing Literature that is too easy or trite   Having the boys sing the soprano down an octave   Picking music that does not have a boys part

  Choosing Literature that is too difficult   Some style periods are not appropriate for the young voices

because of the tessitura   Repertoire selection should be driven by vocal range

Goldilocks ?

Solutions. . .

  Step 1 – Understanding the Adolescent Voice   Male Voice Change   Female Voice Change

  Step 2 – Guidelines for matching repertoire to your ensembles   Different models of choral programs   How to evaluate a piece of music for your ensemble

Voicings

  Step 3 – Resources for finding appropriate repertoire

Step 1 - Understanding the Male Adolescent Voice

¨  Male (Cooper and Cooksey)   Three Stages

  Unchanged

  Rich, full soprano-like

Cambiata   Limited range, loss of upper

  New Baritone

  Possible “blank” middle

  NOT adult Baritone

Step 1 - Understanding the Adolescent Voice

  In John Marion Cooksey’s book Working With Adolescent Voices Midvoice I

  Lasts from 1 to 5 months, and sometimes up to 12 months. Higher pitches are lost and the singing range decreases by about four half-steps. The sound is breathy and not as rich.

Midvoice II   Lasts for about 12-13 months and begins closer to the age of 13. Higher notes become more unstable and

distinct register changes emerge between chest and falsetto voices.

Midvoice IIA

  May last anywhere from one month to ten months and the majority of boys in this stage are in eighth grade, ages 13-14. The quality is huskier and there is a loss of agility

  Adding low notes to their existing unchanged range and losing some of the top range.

  The last stage is called the Developing Baritone/Emerging Adult Voice that gradually moves towards vocal maturity. Characteristics in this stage are still not full adult, but qualities such as expansion of range and more vocal consistency are beginning to appear.

Step 1 - Understanding the Female Adolescent Voice

Prepubertal

Pubescent /Pre-Menarcheal

Puberty /Post-Menarcheal

Post-Menarcheal/Young Adult

Step 1 - Understanding the Female Adolescent Voice

  I. Prepubertal   Age 8-10/11, light and flute like easy switch lower and upper ranges

  Pubescent /Pre-Menarcheal   Age 11-13, breathiness common

  Puberty /Post-Menarcheal   Age 13-15, shortened range, husky quality

  Post-Menarcheal/Young Adult   Age 14-15, Fuller richer tone, may produce vibrato

Step 2 – Guidelines for matching repertoire to your ensembles

Different Models of choral programs

Grade level 1 2 3

Elementary Treble Choir

Auditioned Treble Choir

Middle/JH 6  Mixed 7  Mixed 8  Mixed

6/7/8 Boys 6/7/8 Girls (Combine on Concert)

6/7/8 Mixed

High School 9-12 Mixed 9-12 Audition

9 Boys 9 Girls 10-12 Mixed 10-12 Audition

9-12 Mixed

Step 2 – Guidelines for matching repertoire to your ensembles

How to evaluate a piece of music for your ensemble ¨  Vocal ranges determine the appropriateness of the piece

¨  Sop – not above F

¨  Alto – Not below Bb

¨  Tenor – G/A-a (one octave)

¨  Baritone – D-d (one octave

Step 2 – Guidelines for matching repertoire to your ensembles

Voicings ¨  SATB – with limited ranges as in some Renaissance and Baroque Music, the

tenor is high enough to make this possible ¨  SAB – This is music written for adult choirs where the men never learned

how to sing in their head voice, DO NOT use this music for changing voice choirs.

¨  SSA - ¨  TTB - ¨  3-pt Mixed – Many times this music is written with the changing voice in

mind, especially if there is an optional baritone line ¨  SSCB – this is music written specifically for changing voice choirs

¨  Having gender separate choirs provides the most options for different parts for the singers to choose from.

Step 3 – Resources for finding appropriate repertoire

CPDL – Vivaldi Gloria

Edited by Drew Collins

for changing voices

Excellent to pair with a

youth orchestra.

Step 3 – Resources for finding appropriate repertoire

CPDL – Schubert

Lebenslust

Ed Drew Collins

Step 3 – Resources for finding appropriate repertoire

Earthsongs – Gloria in Excelsis. Mass in Bb– Haydn

Step 3 – Resources for finding appropriate repertoire

ACDA Repertoire lists –

Beware ! There are many pieces on this is that violate some of the aforementioned principles.

A master teacher can adapt a work to fit the needs of their students.

Cross check with CPDL for good editions

Step 3 – Resources for finding appropriate repertoire

Agnus Dei (3pt) Poorman BriLee BL423

Adoramus Te (3pt) Crocker Hal Leonard 08740062

  Native Am Thought(3pt) Porterfiled Heritage 15/2145/H

  Didn’t My Lord (3pt) Emerson Hal Leonard 40326168

  This Old Hammer (3pt) Emerson Hal Leonard 08551837

  Elijah Rock Emerson Hal Leonard 08551274

  Exhilaration is the Breeze (3pt) Ginsberg Heritage 15/1970H-3

  The Wind (3pt) Ginsberg Heritage 15/2159H-3

  Can You Hear (3pt) Papoulis Hal Leonard 48005164

  Walk Together Children Berg Walton WLG 132

  The Pasture Stroope Colla Voce 45-21102

  And the Night Shall Be Filled Gilpin Heritage 15/1894H

Haida McRae Pavane P1201

  American Folk Rhapsody Spevcek Heritage 15/1205H-2

  Where Dwells the Soul Childs SBMP SBMP 463

  Three Madrigals Diemer Boosey M051454174

  Rhythm of Life Barnes Waring A-1316

  Kyrie Schubert Hal Leonard 00007709

  The Water is Wide Zaninelli Shawnee A0616

  Gloria Libergen Alfred 7891

Tres Cantivos Leite Earthsongs

Step 3 – Resources for finding appropriate repertoire

Collins, Don L. The Cambiata Concept: A Comprehensive Philosophy and Methodology of Teaching Music to Adolescents. Conway, Ark: Cambiata Press, 1981.

Cooksey, John Marion. Working with Adolescent Voices. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Pub. House, 1999.