ED 2520: Vocal/Choral Methods Presentation

The American Boychoir

Choir Biography

Choir Bio

❖ Founded in 1937 as the Columbus Boychoir in Columbus, Ohio.

❖ Initially formed by businessman Ralph Riley and choirmaster Hubert Huffman

❖ Choir later moved to Princeton, New Jersey in 1950, where they became the American Boychoir in 1980.

❖ Recently celebrated their 75th anniversary during their 2012-13 tour season, in which they had major performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, the New Jersey Symphony, the Boston Symphony, and several other collaborations

• The choir’s mission statement includes four main points:

1) To build character in young boys and prepare them for good citizenship.

2) To provide an exceptional training program for musically talented boys, regardless of their religion, social background or financial circumstances.

3) To make this unique opportunity the motivation for general educational attainment.

4) To help enrich the cultural life of the nation and to produce a musical organization that is recognized throughout the country as the finest of its kind.

(Taken from the American Boychoir’s ‘Mission Statement’ page on their website)

• The American Boychoir is divided into two choirs:

1) The Training Choir which, as the name suggests, is used to train singers for the more advanced Concert/Tour Choir. Typically, boys in grade 5 and those entering the school in grades 6-8 are in the Training Choir.

2) The Concert Choir, the choir which takes part in multiple tours and performances throughout the year, having been known to tour North America roughly three times per year, as well as several smaller day-trips or miniature tours.

Director Bios

❖ Fred Meads - director of the Training Choir. Also responsible for training some choristers through private instruction, as well as teaching music theory.

❖ received Bachelor of Music degree in music education from Ithaca College, NY and a masters in choral conducting from the University of North Carolina.

❖ has directed honor choirs in numerous states and presented multiple workshops

❖ completed his Kodály training at Capital University in Columbus, OH, in 2005.

• Fernando Malvar-Ruiz - the Music Director of the American Boychoir, specifically the Concert/Touring Choir. He leads the choir in over 100 performances annually across the U.S. and internationally.

• received Bachelor of Music in piano performance and music theory from Reál Conservatorio Superior de Música in Madrid, Spain.

• received Masters in Choral Conducting from Ohio State University, and has completed all coursework towards a Doctoral Degree in musical arts from the University of Illinois.

• completed Kodály certification in Kécskemet, Hungary

• widely sought after as guest clinician, lecturer and presenter. For 11 years, instructed summer masters program in Kodály at Capital University

American Boychoir School

On top of being two nationally and internationally-renowned choirs, the American Boychoirs are a private school. Attendance is year-round, and includes instruction in both regular school subjects (math, social studies, language arts, science, etc.), as well as studies in music theory, aural skills, vocal technique and rehearsal technique. The school also uses a custom learning method for while touring, having classes while aboard the tour bus, in airport and hotel lobbies, and other various settings, allowing students to keep up with their academic studies while also maintaining an extensive touring schedule.

Repertoire Recommendations

❖ 1) Sure on This Shining Night - Samuel Barber

❖ I really liked how they captured the haunting atmosphere of this piece. The really pure-sounding high notes that the boys sing multiple times in this piece contributes very well to that overall mood.

❖ 2) Tres cantos nativos - Arr. Marcos Leite

❖ In this work, the choir demonstrates excellent skill in being able to sing in a different language, especially for a boys choir, not to mention the use of various animal calls and the use of polyphony early on in the work, all quite excellently achieved.

❖ 3) War Requiem, Op. 66: VI. Libera me: “Let Us Sleep Now” - Benjamin Britten

❖ the choir demonstrates excellent balance between themselves, the soloists, and the orchestra. This is something not easily achieved in a very soft work such as this, yet they pull it off well with soft, unison high notes. Being able to do this and maintain excellent diction throughout is quite remarkable for a young boys choir.

❖ 4) The Gift of Love - Arr. Hal H. Hopson

❖ the choir demonstrates excellent four-part voicing and balance throughout this work. Performing in four parts can be challenging for a boys choir, especially where voices are just developing and going through puberty, but they pull this off quite nicely regardless.

❖ 5) How Can I Keep From Singing? (arr. Eric Nelson)

❖ The choir does a lot of sacred singing, as can be evidenced in their recordings.

❖ The choir demonstrates very good breath control throughout this piece, with some very long sustained notes sounding seamless. Furthermore, their unison singing in this piece almost sounds as though one person were singing it. Diction is also very good, with every syllable easily understood.

Other Recommendations

❖ The choir’s website is highly detailed and extremely effective for finding out information about the choir and the school.

❖ the website also offers some material for music educators, including a free ‘Music and Fun Workbook’ and several music downloads

❖ the group is also active on Facebook and Twitter, allowing them to reach out to a very large audience through the use of social media