Issue 26 • Winter 2020
In This Issue: State Conference Info Middle-Level Honor Choir Update What’s in the Folder? A Half-Century of Whitacre The Official Publication of the North Dakota Chapter
of the American Choral Directors Association www.ndacda.com | 1
North Dakota ACDA Leadership Cheryl McIntyre, president, Jamestown High School Dean Jilek, president-elect, University of North Dakota Rebecca Raber, past president, University of Mary Sheldon Weltz, treasurer
North Dakota Repertoire and Resources Committee Repertoire-Specific Coordinator: Tom Porter, University of Mary Men’s Choirs: Tom Porter Women’s Choirs: Lauren Brandenburg, Fargo South HS/Eielson MS Vocal Jazz: Mike Seil, Bismarck Legacy High School Showchoir: Connie Stordalen, Horizon Middle School Ethnic/Multicultural Music: Phillip Voeller, Beulah Middle/High School
Youth Coordinator: Sarah Barnum, Discovery Middle School Children and Community: Brady Gudgel, Mandan Middle School Middle School/Junior High:
Lacey Hanson, Center-Stanton Public School Samantha Steffan, Hazen Public Schools Senior High School: Brian Saylor, Bismarck High School
Collegiate Coordinator: Chris Redfearn, Valley City State University Youth College/University: Chris Redfearn Student Activities: Melanie Popejoy, University of North Dakota
Life-Long Coordinator: Sara Lichtblau, Fargo South High School Community Choirs: Sarah Barnum Music in Worship:
Traditional: Vicky Boechler, St. Mary’s High School, Contemporary: Sara Lichtblau Brent Rogers, Dickinson State University Editor and Designer, The Chorister brent.w.rogers@dickinsonstate.edu 2 | The Chorister • Winter 2019
Contents State Conference Info
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Middle-Level Honor Choir Tips and Updates
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Lacey Hanson, Canter-Stanton Public School What’s in the Folder?
11
Sara Lichtblau, Fargo South High School A Half-Century of Whitacre
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Tom Porter, University of Mary
Visit NDACDA online at ndacda.com, or by clicking below.
www.ndacda.com | 3
NDACDA State C Venue: Grand Forks Red River High School
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Conference 2020 Guest Conductors Treble Choir: Laura Farnell Composer, Clinician Arlington, Texas
Mixed Choir:
Jeff Stone Assistant Professor of Music Bismarck State College
Women’s Honor Choir: Carrie Tennant Founder and Artistic Director Vancouver Youth Choir www.ndacda.com | 5
Conference Schedule 2020 North Dakota ACDA Conference Schedule Grand Forks Red River High School Friday, February 7, 2020
12:30
Membership Registration: Lobby of Red River Performance Hall Honor Choir Registration: Lobby of Red River Performance Hall
1:00
Honor Choir Rehearsals Begin Treble Choir • Directed by Laura Farnell • Orchestra Room Mixed Choir • Directed by Jeff Stone • Choir Room Women’s Honor Choir • Directed by Carrie Tennant • Band Room
1:10–1:30
Coffee Time Visit Resources Table in the Choral Library/Teacher Lounge
1:30–2:20
“Sight-Singing in the Choral Classroom and the Live Audition” Sara Lichtblau and Dean Jilek
2:30–3:20
“Body Mapping in the Choral Classroom” Amanda Moreno
3:30–3:50
Reading Session
4:00–4:50
“Developing the Young Male Voice” Kelly Burns
5:00–7:20
Dinner 5:00: Mixed Choir in Central Cafeteria 5:30: Treble Choir in Central Cafeteria 6:00: Women’s Honor Choir in Cafeteria
7:30
North Dakota ACDA Showcase Concert Wahpeton Middle School, directed by Jessica Stoppleworth NDSU Madrigal Singers, directed by Michael Weber Grand Forks Red River High School Concert Choir, directed by Brad Sherwood 2018 Showcase Choirs and Outstanding Choral Director Awards $5 Admission fee
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Saturday, February 8
9:00
General Membership Meeting in the Red River Theatre Meeting for SSIS Site Managers
10:00–10:50
“How to Arrange & Compose Songs for Class B Choirs: Tips/Tricks/Legal/Licensing/Dos and Don’ts–YOU CAN DO THIS TOO!!!” Andrew Miller
11:00–11:50
“Diction and Vocal Solo Repertoire” Marla Fogderud
12:00–1:30
Lunch
1:30–2:20
“Composing for the ND Council on the Arts” Tom Porter
2:30
Doors open for the NDACDA Honor Choir Concert Volunteers needed to hand out programs
3:00
North Dakota ACDA Showcase Concert Grand Forks Red River Performance Hall 2020 Honor Choirs and Outstanding Choral Director Awards $5 Admission fee
www.ndacda.com | 7
Midd l e-Level Honor Choir
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Tips and Updates
s we near the 2020 NDACDA State Conference, several of our teachers and students are busy preparing for the Honor Choirs. This annual event has proven to provide a high-quality opportunity for our middle school students. I do not have any doubts that 2020 will not disappoint! With the audition and selection process not far in the past, I wanted to make sure to communicate with teachers of a few tips and updates. Samantha and I have tried to post clear directions and simplify the process with the new uploading option to the Google forms, but we both understand that there’s always areas that could be missed or misunderstood. We hope that the tips and reminders below can be saved in your files to help ease the process next year! Also, always know that we are more than welcome to help and answer your questions. Audition Process: 1. One of the areas of misunderstanding this year were the Google forms. Please remember that when submitting auditions, we need both a school form and a student form. Several schools sent in multiple auditions, so we did not begin to send confirmations until we saw the school form submitted with the total number of auditions. Several schools sent in the student forms but not one for their school. 2. Overall, the uploading seemed to work very well this year! The only issue that we noticed were that a few people had their files either mislabeled or in the wrong format (wav vs. mp3). The labeling is very important because when you submit them they are then moved into separate folders for each voice part. Some students were listed as alto on the student form, but their files were labeled soprano. Also, please remember to use the following format when submitting: PartLastName-FirstName-Solo Example: Alto-Hanson-Lacey-Solo or Alto-HansonLacey-America 3. Please check your files before submitting. We try our best to listen to every single submission, but keep in mind we had over 600 auditions! Some accidently sent the solo twice and had one labeled as “America”, some were blank, and others had some sound quality issues. (very soft – hard to hear the student, reverb, buzzing in the background, etc.) Also, please note for next year that “America” must be unaccompanied. We did have some submit files that had it accompanied. 4. For those of you that were in attendance at last year’s conference, you may remember the session about recording quality. We are very lucky that NDACDA 8 | The Chorister • Winter 2019
has purchased multiple zoom recorders for members to check out and use to record their auditions. If you are interested in this, please contact Brian Saylor at: brian_saylor@bismarckschools.org. 5. Once selections are announced, please remember to submit both the school and the student registration Google forms. T-shirts cannot be ordered until all of the student forms are submitted. Also, remember to print off the consent/ behavior forms from the NDACDA site and keep them for while you’re at the conference. The forms do not need to be sent to Samantha or myself. 6. When submitting checks to Samantha, please make them out to “NDACDA” vs. “ACDA.” We had another year of high-quality auditions from across our state. They are truly an example of the outstanding Music educators representing ND! Our judges had a lot of great comments and were very impressed with the talent within our state. Below are some of the common comments from all of the judges. Please keep these in mind when recording next year’s auditions: 1. Phrasing – each judge noted that the phrasing on “America” was one item that set students apart. Some suggested singing it at a slower tempo. 2. Tone quality: Some noted breathy tone, pop style voices, and scooping (especially on “America”). 3. Sound quality: Some heard reverb, buzzing, and volume issues (mic/recorder too close or too far from the singer). If you have students participating in the upcoming Honor Choirs, please keep in mind the following and know that if there are any schedule changes we will notify you all via email and on the NDACDA website. Congratulations to all of your students and to all of the directors! You are all doing an amazing job and it shows with these amazing auditions. Please let us know if you have any questions, or suggestions to make this process clearer for everyone. We look forward to seeing you all in February! 1. February 7-8 at Red River HS, Grand Forks. (Registration begins at 12:30 and rehearsals start at 1:00)
2. Dress-Code (please reference the recent email from Samantha) – Friday’s concert is the Honor Choir t-shirt and nice jeans. Saturday: Girls – dress or dress pants; blouse; skirt/dress falling BELOW the knees. Boys – dress pants/dress shirt/tie/dress shoes. 3. Please reference the NDACDA website for bios on the guest conductors, full schedules, and rehearsal files. https://www.ndacda.com/junior-high-all-statehonor-choirs Lacey Hanson Center-Stanton Public School • NDACDA Middle/Jr. High R&R Co-Chair www.ndacda.com | 9
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H
What’s in the Folder ? appy New Year! Hopefully you’ve had a restful break and are ready to begin the next semester. My choirs are in between concerts right now but we are looking at some great pieces of music. Some we will perform and others we are just sight-reading and working on technique, vowels, full tone production, etc.
In the past couple of years, I have found that my students enjoy discussing the meaning of the music and looking at the text. These pieces allow us to do that and write about it weekly. Concert Choir (Juniors and Seniors)
Tree of Peace, Gwyneth Walker (https://ecspublishing.com/the-tree-of-peace-br -piano-choral-score-40560.html)
The text is derived from a poem “O Brother Man” by John Greenleaf Whittier. A chamber orchestra can be used for accompaniment or the piano accompaniment is beautiful as well. As Walker says in the program notes, “Passages of tenderness alternate and intertwine with passages of strength to form a confluence of the message: a prayer for peace.” Belle Orso Voci (Select Choral Ensemble) We are looking at two settings of the same poem to examine how the composers set the text.
i carry your heart with me, David C. Dickau (https://www.giamusic.com/store/ resource/i-carry-your-heart-with-me-satb-print-wjms1104)
The opening piano line sets the mood of the piece. Even though this group typically sings a cappella it’s a nice change to add the ‘other voice’ of the piano.
i carry your heart, Eric Whitacre (https://www.halleonard.com/product/269490/icarry-your-heart)
This unaccompanied version is the first difference from the Dickau piece. The distinct harmonies will allow us to make sure we are tuning the chords and paying attention to the importance of each note. Plus, the singers get to slide a little bit which is exciting to them.
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Mixed Choir (9th and 10th T/B and 10th grade S/A)
Winter, Fire and Snow- arr. Roger Emerson (https://www.jwpepper.com/Winter% 2C-Fire-and-Snow-/10070780.item#/submit)
This piece is a lush mid-winter song. It is available for piano and cello. The students like the text and can lean into the few dissonances that occur. Some others that are in the folder:
Under Winter Moon, Andy Beck, SATB piano and cello (https://www.alfred.com/ under-winter-moon/p/00-39834/)
Just the Way You Are/Just a Dream (mashup), SSAA a cappella (https:// www.halleonard.com/product/118966/just-the-way-you-are-just-a-dream)
You Stole My Love, Walter Cecil Macfarren, ed. Geoffrey M. Mason, a cappella (https://www.giamusic.com/store/resource/you-stole-my-love-print-w7016) Hope to see you at the conference in February! Sara Lichtblau Fargo South High School
NDACDA Lifelong R&R Coordinator lichtbs@fargo.k12.nd.us
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A Half-Century of Whitacre
T
his year marks the 50th birthday of American composer Eric Whitacre. Whitacre’s choral compositions have forever changed the landscape of choral music, and his innovative techniques, most notably the virtual choir, have changed the way choral singers create and interact in the 21st century. While much of his output requires an advanced, and often large, ensemble, there is merit in exposing our choirs to his music regardless of whether or not our choirs are able to perform it. As music educators, it is perhaps important to note that Whitacre did not begin singing in choirs until college. In high school he studied piano on-and-off, played in marching band, and aspired to be a techno-rock star. As a student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, his first choral experience—performing Mozart’s Requiem— changed his life. He spent seven years earning his bachelor’s degree in composition, and continued his composition studies at the Julliard School under the tutelage of David Diamond and John Corigliano. Whitacre wrote his first choral composition in 1990. Although it was not published until 2001, the piece foreshadows his signature cluster style in its opening phrase:
Whitacre burst onto the choral scene in the mid-1990s with two ground-breaking significant works, “Cloudburst” (1992) (performed by NDSU Concert Choir, directed by Dr. Jo Ann Miller) and “Water Night” (1995) (performed by Concordia College, di14 | The Chorister • Winter 2019
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rected by René Clausen), both published in 1996. Based on texts by Nobel Prizewinning Mexican poet, Octavio Paz, the pieces demonstrate Whitacre’s passion for drama, cluster chords, and extended choral techniques. The opening chord of “Cloudburst” demonstrates the cluster chord heard in a number of his compositions:
One can peruse the list of Whitacre’s works on his website or any number of search engines, and listen on YouTube to his music recorded by choirs from around the world. Choir students may find his work with virtual choirs particularly interesting and engaging, and the concept may be of use in the choral classroom even if Whitacre’s music is not accessible to the particular ensemble. It is interesting to note the technological changes in the progression from his first project, “Sleep,” to more recent projects, “Water Night” and “Fly to Paradise.” Our students are capable of incorporating similar technology into their choral experience, and exposure to online sources such as these may spark interest and engagement that goes beyond our imagination as directors. Some choral works worth considering for performance (or for demonstration/ study) include:
Glow (2013): Written for Disney, the piece was premiered by a virtual choir. The music is accessible to a medium size/level choir (originally SATB, now available SAB, SSA, TTB with piano), and the text is appropriate for a holiday or mid-winter concert.
Sainte Chapelle (2013): A beautifully constructed work that evokes wonderful imagery of stained glass windows, angels, and a walk through a classical cathedral. Written for the 40th anniversary of the Tallis Scholars (SSATB, a cappella).
Goodnight Moon (2012): Originally written for solo voice, this classic text is beauti-
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fully set, and will bring tears to the eyes of every parent in the audience (SATB with piano). Those who are interested in more information on Whitacre’s composition origins may find interesting the dissertation, In His Own Words, by Phillip Swan. For information on his more recent activities, his personal website provides a number of resources and links, including his most recent project, “Deep Field.” During this anniversary year, consider programming or bringing to the classroom music by fifty-year-old American composer, Eric Whitacre. Tom Porter University of Mary NDACDA Repertoire-Specific Coordinator
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Photo Credit: Nick Taffs, flickr