Close harmony is when the distance between the notes of the chord are close together. The range of the full chord, from highest to lowest pitch, might be very narrow. This kind of harmony is very popular in barbershop music, vocal jazz and more recently, in the contemporary choral music of composers such as Eric Whitacre, Ola Gjeilo and Morten Lauridsen.
Choose a well know solo or melody to sing in unison with your choir. I like to use “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. Once you are confident they know it, ask …
In his book, Serious Creativity, Edward de Bono defines creativity at its simplest level as “bringing into being something that was not there before” For music, what could this sound …
This is a fun brain gym warm up to get your singers moving and smiling, as well as exploring different vocal timbres. Variations: 1. Add can can kicks 2. Substitute …
Tongue Twisters are a sequence of words or sounds, typically of an alliterative kind, that are difficult to pronounce quickly and correctly, as for example Peter Piper picked a peck …
Using backing tracks to accompany your singers can help to give the performance a real sense of authenticity. It can improve the overall rhythm and groove – both for your …
Sharing songs from different cultures helps us to become aware and learn more of those cultures. ‘Inanay’ is an Australian aboriginal lullaby. It is sung in Yorta Yorta, the language of …
First impressions count, right? So the same goes with how you kick off your regular choir session with your singers. Getting your choir engaged in the first 5 mins can …
Are your singers sounding quiet in their lower range? Or perhaps their tone is a little dark, cause by a low larynx position and flat tongue, and you want to brighten their sound in a section or phrase of one of your songs.
By word of introduction, back at the outset of the pandemic, when I launched the CCL, I answered a ‘Monday Motivation’ Facebook post by Roger Emerson who was offering to share his music in online reading sessions with choir leaders.
