Voice of WCDA E TH

Transcription

Voice of WCDA E TH

Voice of WCDA
THE
The Namekagon/St. Croix River, North West Wisconsin
A quarterly choral resource newsletter published by
the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association, Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Click on titles to access.
Letter from the President: Matthew Wanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
“What’s Cooking?”
Some of my favorite summertime activities are picnics with family and friends... Without a
carefully devised strategy, persons could find themselves out of breath and helplessly
immobilized... Instead, make a game plan ahead of time. With that in mind, let’s take a look
at what’s been cooking in the WCDA kitchen lately.
Letter from the Editor: Bryson Mortensen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
“As the temperature cools down...”
Lawrence University Chapel
WCDA 2015 Convention Venue
I like to imagine the first tree doing a critical analysis of its life as the frosts come and the
temperatures get cooler: “...Those leaves aren’t gonna do me any good. I’ll let them go!”
The joy is, that shedding those leaves makes room for new growth to come in the spring.
WCDA 2014 Awards: Nominations due October 17! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
We hope that you will take a few moments to consider which of your colleagues would be a
good fit for one of these WCDA awards: Morris D. Hayes, Stanley Custer Distinguished
Service, Outstanding Middle Level Choral Director, Outstanding Church Musician,
Outstanding Young Choral Director.
WCDA Event: 2015 State Convention & All-State Choirs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Joy Paffenroth, Convention Chair.
Don’t miss out on the 2015 State Convention in Appleton, from fantastic performing
ensembles to fascinating interest sessions, the convention is the perfect place to connect
with colleagues and get revitalized!
Kathy Alan, All-State Chair.
The convention will include six All-State Choirs, with the return of Vocal Jazz!
Sound Ideas: Choir Travels on a Budget! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7
Katelyn Peterson, North West District Representative.
A choir tour for less than $100 per student? That was the dollar amount and challenge my
principal gave me when discussing the option of taking a 7th and 8th grade choir tour.
Links to WCDA / NCACDA / ACDA
WCDA Website
Join WCDA’s Facebook Group
North Central Division Website
ACDA Website
WCDA Central Office
1005 Quinn Drive, Suite #158
Waunakee, WI 53597
Phone: 608.850.1033
Email: officemgr@wischoral.org
Message from our Neighbors:
A Few Words with Jo-Michael Scheibe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–9
Sean Burton, ICDA R&S Chair for Colleges/Universities.
Following a couple chance meetings with Jo-Michael Scheibe (USC) through mutual
friends... I requested that Dr. Scheibe share some of his ideas with our Iowa membership in
the form of a concise e-interview.
Ask WCDA: “What’s the best idea you ever had?” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Vol. XXXXI, No.1: Fall, 2014
WCDA CALENDAR & DEADLINES
October 14, 2014
• Nomination Form Due.
WCDA Awards
October 19, 2014
• Nomination Forms Due.
WCDA All-State Choirs:
Collegiate, HS Men, HS Women,
Vocal Jazz • Middle Level • Children
November 1, 2014
• Online Pre-Registration Opens
2015 WCDA State Convention
November 8, 2014
• Singing in Wisconsin
Non-auditioned state-wide festival!
Appleton-Chippewa FallsWausau-West Milwaukee
Registration Is Now Closed.
through November 14
• Sing Up!
National Membership Initiative.
Info in President’s letter.
also on ACDA website
Coming in November
• “The Voice” Convention Issue
January 9–10, 2015
• WCDA State Convention
Paper Valley Hotel and the
Lawrence University Chapel, Appleton.
SPECIAL GUESTS: “Voice of Chicago,”
The top choir of the Chicago Children’s
Choir; Josephine Lee, conductor
• All-State Choirs
GUEST CONDUCTORS:
Elaine Quilichini: Children
Mark A. Boyle: Middle Level
Andrew Last: Men
Jennaya Robison: Women
Sigrid Johnson: Collegiate
Timothy Buchholz: Jazz
From the Editor: This new column in “The Voice of WCDA” is an opportunity for us to take
advantage of the collective knowledge we have in WCDA. Every issue will have two
possible questions.
High 5s from WCDA R&S Chairs:
High School: Jacob Truby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12
Men: Dennis Gephart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Women: Phillip Swan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Middle School/Jr. High: Beth Herrendeen-Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Music in Worship: Jason Meissner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
SAVE the DATE!
February 17-20, 2016
NC-ACDA Division Conference
Sioux Falls, SD
© 2014 Wisconsin Choral Directors Association, Inc. • Waunakee, WI 53597 • www.wischoral.org • wcda@wischoral.org. All Rights Reserved.
THE
Voice of WCDA
Links to Articles
Click on titles
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Matthew Wanner
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Bryson Mortensen
WCDA 2014 AWARDS
Descriptions/Nomination Form
CONVENTION/ALL-STATE CHOIRS
Headliner/Performing Choirs
Interest Sessions/All-State Guest
Conductors/Nomination Form
CHOIR TRAVELS ON A BUDGET!
by Katelyn Peterson, NW Rep
MESSAGE FROM OUR
NEIGHBORS:
Interview with Jo-Michael Scheibe
by Sean Burton, ICDA
Ask WCDA (New Column)
“What is the best idea you ever had?”
High 5s from WCDA R&S Chairs
High School: Jacob Truby
Men: Dennis Gephart
Women: Phillip Swan
MS/JH: Beth Herrendeen-Smith
Music in Worship: Jason Meissner
The Voice of WCDA: Vol. XXXXI, No. 1
Return to Page 1
Letter from the President
“What’s Cooking”
Matthew Wanner, Waukesha
Muskego High School
matthew.wanner@muskegonorway.org
Some of my favorite summertime activities are picnics with family and friends. There are delicious salads,
grilled meats, and sweet desserts that fill tables on end. Without a carefully devised strategy, a person could
find themselves out of breath and helplessly immobilized having attempted to complete an “around the
world” sampler platter. Been there. Friends, no matter how often your dear Aunt Garla attempts to scoop
everything in sight onto your plate, do not attempt this foolish antic. Instead, make a game plan ahead of
time by surveying the delectable landscape before climbing the mountain. With that in mind, let’s take a look
at what’s been cooking in the WCDA kitchen lately. Fortunately, you can safely enjoy everything offered here
without fear of hospitalization.
Mission Statement
In July of this year, the WCDA board adopted a mission statement to guide all future activities and decision
making of the organization. In crafting the following statement, the board strove to answer these questions:
1) Who do we serve? 2) How will we serve them? 3) What is our purpose?
The mission of the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association is to foster musical excellence within an
inclusive singing community through education, collaboration, and inspiration.
Bylaws Committee
The WCDA Bylaws Committee has been meeting for the last year to update and revise the existing bylaws.
The committee intends to present a draft to the board in the coming months that is more reflective of current
WCDA practice and will more effectively aid in the governance of our organization. We are grateful for the
leadership of past president, Susan McAllister, for her dedicated leadership in this important activity!
Helping Hands Initiative
The Helping Hands initiative was designed to foster greater connection between our colleges / universities
and school age choral programs. Participating university / college conductors, as well as collegiate ACDA
chapters, are generously offering their services without cost. Whether you are looking for assistance in a
world language diction, vocal technique, or anything else, they are there to help! Many thanks to our
treasurer, Stephen Sieck, for spearheading this initiative! Help is only a click away → WCDA Helping Hands
Now……..Who ya gonna call?
WCDA Awards
Is there a choral conductor you believe deserves recognition for their excellent work? Why not take a few
moments and nominate her or him for a WCDA Award? Our awards are given annually at the conference
luncheon in January where we celebrate the many contributions of our members. Please take a moment to
familiarize yourself with the WCDA Awards and then nominate someone you know by October 17, 2014!
Sing Up!
The national office is again sponsoring the Sing Up! membership campaign through November 14. Last
year, Wisconsin proudly ranked 7th in the nation for overall growth in membership with some of the highest
retention among the states! Here is how the program works:
1) Student Membership Initiative: state and national subsidies allow collegians to join for only $5!
2) Complimentary Memberships Program: Wisconsin has been allotted 25 complimentary memberships
for new members. If you know of a deserving individual, please contact your district representative for
consideration!
3) Colleague Referral Program: While supplies last, both the “referrer” and “referee” will receive a thumb
drive with 21 previously unreleased new choral works that were premiered during the 2014 divisional
conferences.
Of course, the best way to find out “what’s cooking” in the WCDA kitchen is to participate in one of our
statewide activities like NextDirection (September), Singing in Wisconsin (November), the 2015 state
conference in Appleton, or our summer conference, Refresh!. Get involved and bring a dish to pass,
because the picnic is best when everybody brings something to the table. Incidentally, there is this salad
made with Doritos that absolutely slays me every time...email me for the recipe.
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Vol. XXXXI, No. 1: Fall, 2014
Matthew Wanner
THE
Voice of WCDA
Links to Articles
Click on titles
Matthew Wanner
Bryson Mortensen
WCDA 2014 AWARDS
Letter from the Editor
Bryson Mortensen, Janesville
bryson.mortensen@uwc.edu
Fall is by far my favorite season of the year. Besides sweater weather (I think I look infinitely better with a
sweater on, but that’s just me) and the perfect temperature for baking delicious stuff for me to taste and for
my students to finish, there are some beautiful reminders of how the outdoor world prepares for winter.
As the temperature cools down each year, all of the trees in our neighborhood shed their leaves, an
appendage that will no longer be useful as they hibernate through the winter (do trees hibernate?). I like to
imagine the first tree doing a critical analysis of its life as the frosts come and the temperatures get cooler:
“the branches I need, the roots store the energy for the winter, I need the rest of that in between the two.
Those leaves though, they aren’t gonna’ do me any good. I’ll let them go!” The joy is, that shedding those
leaves makes room for new growth to come in the spring.
As I plan for the fall, I find myself doing the same process: “The solfeggio method worked really well this last
year, I didn’t like being at the piano so much, though, and the grading system did not work. I’ll drop it and try
something new this year.” Once I have dropped the processing, the habits, the crutches that are not working
(every year I find new ones!), I find room for the processes, systems, or teaching methods to the classroom
that transform the choral experience.
MESSAGE FROM OUR
NEIGHBORS:
This year, “The Voice of WCDA” has undergone a similar experience. While we haven’t shed that much, we
are working to find new ways to provide you with information that will be useful to you in a format that works
best. Right now, we hope you will notice several of the new columns and participate in those where we need
your help:
Men: Dennis Gephart
Women: Phillip Swan
2. Message from our Neighbors is a chance for us to see what some of our colleagues in neighboring
states are saying in their newsletters. I hope you will enjoy, and if you ever see something from a
neighboring newsletter that you would love to see in ours, feel free to email me!
Return to Page 1
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1. Ask WCDA! will be an opportunity for you to share your knowledge about questions that seem to plague
all of us. The first column this fall is a collection of ideas that appeared during a Refresh session this
summer, but there are two questions for the next issue of “The Voice.” Read up and share your ideas—
for answers OR questions— at ASKWCDA@gmail.com!
Happy reading!
V
Bryson Mortensen
THE
Voice of WCDA
Links to Articles
Click on titles
Matthew Wanner
Bryson Mortensen
WCDA 2014 AWARDS
MESSAGE FROM OUR
NEIGHBORS:
Men: Dennis Gephart
Women: Phillip Swan
Return to Page 1
Page 4
WCDA 2014 Awards
We hope that you will take a few moments to consider which of your colleagues would be a good fit
for one of the following awards. We have so many wonderful artists in Wisconsin that deserve to be
honored for their effort. You can fill out a 2014 Nomination Form HERE. Nominations are due by
October 17th.
MORRIS D. HAYES AWARD:
Established in 1985, this award was named for one of the founders of WCDA, Morris D. Hayes, who
was president of WCDA, NCACDA, and National ACDA in three consecutive years. The award does
not have to be given every year, but is to be reserved for people of outstanding merit. CRITERIA:
Candidate must be a current or former resident of Wisconsin who has demonstrated a commitment to
choral music whether through teaching, conducting, or service to the art and who has made
outstanding contributions to choral music in Wisconsin.
THE STANLEY CUSTER DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Established in 1994, and renamed in honor of our unique benefactor and champion of choral music,
Dr. G. Stanley Custer, in 1999. CRITERIA: Candidate must be an individual whose contributions to the
organization are exemplary and/or go beyond the normal services provided for the operation of
Wisconsin Choral Directors Association, Inc.
OUTSTANDING CHURCH MUSICIAN AWARD
Established in 1998 to recognize an individual whose contributions to music in the church are
exemplary. CRITERIA: Candidate must be a current WCDA member who has made significant
contributions in the field of church music in the State of Wisconsin.
OUTSTANDING MIDDLE LEVEL CHORAL DIRECTOR AWARD
Established in 1998 to recognize significant contributions made in the area of middle level choral
directing. CRITERIA: Candidate must be a current WCDA member and middle level choral director
(grades 6–9) with a minimum of ten years experience who exhibits characteristics usually associated
with master teachers.
OUTSTANDING YOUNG CHORAL DIRECTOR AWARD
Established in 1993 to honor teachers with five or fewer years experience, the scope of this award has
been expanded to include ALL choral directors with ten or fewer years of experience. CRITERIA:
Candidate must be a current WCDA member who exhibits characteristics usually associated with
master teachers, including enthusiasm, energy, musicianship, student rapport, and professionalism;
who has made a considerable impact on the size, quality of performance, festival involvement, and
visibility of the program; and/or who has also made a commitment to the community through church or
civic choral organizations, youth activities, or civic service organizations.
Nominations will be considered by the WCDA Board of Directors.
V
THE
Voice of WCDA
Links to Articles
Click on titles
Matthew Wanner
Bryson Mortensen
WCDA 2014 AWARDS
MESSAGE FROM OUR
NEIGHBORS:
WCDA Event
2015 WCDA Convention PREVIEW
Joy Paffenroth, Sherwood, chair
paffenrothj@chilton.k12.wi.us
We will enjoy the hospitality of the Paper Valley Hotel as our convention headquarters and be treated to
performances and interest sessions on the campus of Lawrence University. Many exciting things are sure
to spark your interest at this convention including the return of All-State Vocal Jazz!
ONLINE RESERVATIONS OPEN NOVEMBER 1.
Don’t miss out on the 2015 State Convention, from fantastic performing ensembles to fascinating interest
sessions, the convention is the perfect place to connect with colleagues and get revitalized!
More about the choir and their director at http://www.ccchoir.org/ensembles/voiceofchicago.html
Performing Choirs
LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY VIKING CHORALE, APPLETON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephen Sieck, conductor
MACDOWELL MALE CHORUS, APPLETON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Herb Berendsen, conductor
UW-ROCK COUNTY JAzz SINGERS, JANESVILLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryson Mortensen, conductor
KENOSHA TREMPER HIGH SCHOOL CHORALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Polly Amborn, conductor
“EFFECTIVE – AFFECTIVE”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Bowman, presenter
experience, demonstrating the Choir's
commitment to diversity, ambassadorship, and
artistic excellence. These advanced singers are
selected from the In-School and Neighborhood
Choir Programs and through open auditions,
bringing together a diverse group of children
from throughout the city. The repertoire is unique
among children’s choirs, spanning classical,
world, gospel, and popular music, all performed
in the original language.
As a national and international touring
ensemble, Voice of Chicago has performed on 5
continents.
Andrew Last
SOMERSET HIGH SCHOOL CONCERT CHOIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott Perau, conductor
pinnacle of the Chicago Children’s Choir
Sigrid Johnson
Headlining Choir
We are so pleased to welcome Voice of Chicago to the stage of the Lawrence Memorial Chapel on Friday
night—the top ensemble of the Chicago Children’s Choir under the direction of Josephine Lee!
Interest Sessions
“TRADITIONAL AND ART MUSIC IN GHANA”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryson Mortensen, presenter
The world-renowned Voice of Chicago, is the
Guest
Conductors
Make plans now to join us January 9th-10th, 2015 in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Men: Dennis Gephart
Women: Phillip Swan
Return to Page 1
FOND DU LAC HIGH SCHOOL CONCERT CHOIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cory Schneider, conductor
LAKE DENOON MIDDLE SCHOOL CHOIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sean DeBoth, conductor
“FROM WORDS TO MUSIC” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blake Henson, presenter
Jennaya Robison
“CAN WE REALLY SING “RELIGIOUS” MUSIC?” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Kinchen, presenter
“CONCERTS THAT CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY AND COLLEAGUES” . . . . . . . Kathryn Brown, presenter
“DIVERSITY WITHIN THE PHILOSOPHY OF AN AFRO-CANADIAN COMPOSER” . . Wallace Cheatham, presenter
All State Choir
Kathy Alan, chair
Nominations open until October 19
Guest Conductors
COLLEGIATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sigrid Johnson, St. Olaf College
Mark A. Boyle
HIGH SCHOOL MEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Last, Luther College
HIGH SCHOOL WOMEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jennaya Robison, Luther College
MIDDLE SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark A. Boyle, Seton Hill
CHILDREN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elaine Quilichini, Calgary Girls Choir
THE NEW VOCAL JAzz CHOIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Timothy Buchholz, UW-Marathon Cty.
V
Elaine Quilichini
Timothy Buchholz
Chicago Children’s choir, “Red Jacket Optional” performance, 2013; Josephine Lee, conductor
Page 5
Josephine Lee
THE
Voice of WCDA
Links to Articles
Click on titles
Matthew Wanner
Bryson Mortensen
WCDA 2014 AWARDS
MESSAGE FROM OUR
NEIGHBORS:
Men: Dennis Gephart
Women: Phillip Swan
Return to Page 1
Sound Ideas from our District Representatives
Choir Travels on a Budget
Katelyn Peterson, North West District, New Richmond
New Richmond Middle School
katelynp@newrichmond.k12.wi.us
A choir tour for less than $100 per student? That was the dollar amount and challenge my principal gave
me when discussing the option of taking a 7th and 8th grade choir tour to Madison, WI in the spring of 2013.
If your district is anything like mine, not all students can afford much more than that for a trip. So the
challenge was set, the students were excited for at the prospect, and I had some work in front of me. What
became of the trip? 153 7th and 8th grade choir students, 11 parent chaperones, 1 piano player, and 1 choir
teacher took 3 coach buses and one school van on a tour to Madison, WI well within that budget!
Now, I am not saying I am an expert in student travel, nor do I think the trip described below will work for
every choir, but I do think there are some great tips and pointers I was given and would love to share with
you. Before I get too far into some suggestions, here is the final itinerary for the trip we took in May 2013:
FRIDAY, MAY 10TH
Depart from NRMS wearing Choir Tour T-Shirts
Performance at Menomonie Middle School (Menomonie, WI)
Lunch en route to Cambridge, WI—one of two meals on students’ dime
Performance at Nikolay Middle School (Cambridge, WI)
Pizza Party at NMS—food provided by tour funds
Disney’s “Aladdin” at Children’s Theater of Madison
Return to NMS and lights out
SATURDAY, MAY 11TH
Breakfast at NMS—food provided by tour funds
Performance at Wisconsin State Capitol
Free time at Henry Vilas zoo—with snack provided by tour funds
Pizza Party at Kalahari Indoor Water Park
Free time at Kalahari Indoor Water Park
Dinner en route to NRMS—second of two meals on students’ dime
Arrive at NRMS
It was a packed weekend, and we were all definitely tired when we got back to school Saturday night, but
the memories created on those two days were greater than any fatigue spent getting the tour organized and
the tour logistics worked out. Here are some simple suggestions that helped me provide a great weekend
to my students, and ideas I continue to use as I plan the next NRMS tour in March 2015.
First, a suggestion on lodging. Out went the idea of staying at a hotel if we wanted to stay within $100 per
student; in came an idea many have used in the past. Namely: gym floors. Hands down this was the most
cost-effective way to keep the tour costs low. I was very grateful Nikolay Middle School in Cambridge, WI
allowed us to stay on their gym floor for nothing. There are schools who, rightfully, will ask for a small fee to
cover custodial needs or a small donation—well worth it for an easy night’s lodging. Yes, I just said “easy” in
regards to sleeping on a gym floor. Before you “guffaw” at the thought, let me explain. The positive sides of a
gym floor are numerous:
1. All students are contained in one location, boys have their half and the girls have theirs (we were able
to put down the divider in their gym, but I remember a couple band trips in junior high and high school
where the chaperones just made a long line in the middle of the floor so there was no way to get to the
other side without walking over them).
2. Wake-up call? As easy as turning on the lights.
3. Supervision. It’s a snap as again students are all in one location and with strategic chaperone placement
we had no fear of students wandering off into the building (they also had the fear or alarms going off in the
rest of the building). There is also no concern about students doing not-so-smart things in their hotel
rooms in the middle of the night.
4. Cost. I know I mentioned it above, but again, the cost fits within small budgets. When I asked my students
if they’d rather sleep on a gym floor or have one less attraction on the trip they were unanimous in
wanting the gym floor.
5. Drama. As little as we like to admit it sometimes, middle school (and high school) students come with
drama and rooming lists were one less item for students to get upset over. They could all stay friends with
eight+ sleeping bags pulled next to each other.
6. Full-sized bathrooms with many sinks. Most gymnasiums have locker rooms attached to them, and
more than that, they have room for 50+ people to all get ready.
7. Easy breakfast set-up. Kids need to eat, and for us it was very simple to purchase large bags of cereal
before leaving for the tour from Walmart, and send a chaperone to pick up milk and fresh produce from a
local grocery store.
There are downsides to sleeping on a gym floor, the first and foremost is comfort. I will never try to convince
you that a wooden gym floor is more comfortable than even a not-so-great bed, nor will I say the idea of a
solitary room after a full day of rambunctious 7th and 8th graders isn’t tempting, but the cost and ease of
mind over what students could be up to vastly outweigh a night of wood floor bed. Also, I definitely allowed
chaperones to bring an air mattress or cot for the night.
Page 6
The second item I’d like to share with you is the advantage to looking into free activities for the area.
Anywhere a student can get out, socialize, and have some time to explore an area is a great idea for a tour.
For our tour, we went to the Henry Vilas zoo in Madison, WI. This is a great zoo with quite a few animals and
things to explore. Also, I can’t forget to mention the cost of admission: $0. Now, not every city or destination
will have a free zoo, but there will definitely be a park or an attraction to allow students this free time for free.
There are also quite a few museums who will give great group rates for students and allow them not only a
chance to stretch their legs, but learn something as well.
Continued
Katelyn Peterson
Voice of WCDA
THE
Links to Articles
Click on titles
Matthew Wanner
Bryson Mortensen
WCDA 2014 AWARDS
MESSAGE FROM OUR
NEIGHBORS:
Men: Dennis Gephart
Women: Phillip Swan
Return to Page 1
Sound Ideas from our District Representatives
Choir Travels on a Budget, continued
Another element that helped make this tour feasible was the ability to request funds from a local fine
arts organization. New Richmond is blessed to have the New Richmond Fine Arts Council (NRFAC) an
organization focused on raising funds annually to support different fine arts initiatives for the community
(both adult and student). They were able to donate $5 per ticket for the performance of Aladdin at the
Madison Children’s Theater. There are a few of these organizations throughout the state in communities and
other forms of funding through government grants.
A huge money-saver for the trip is not exactly a time-saving option. For the 2013 Choir Tour we did not
go through a traveling company or agent to help book the schools, tours, and attractions. I did it myself
during the summer. There’s no use trying to deceive you, this can be quite time-consuming especially if you
like to find all the available options for a trip, then get bids from multiple options for busing, food, and
attractions. However, the financial benefits of planning your own tour are great and directly impact the cost
to the student. Things to make sure to take care of when you’re planning your own tour include itinerary,
groceries for breakfast/snack, busing, hotels for bus drivers, payments for all the events, figuring out price
for varied numbers of students (I worked pricing for 120, 130, 140, 150 and 160 students), paper products,
funding requests, locations to stop en route for food, fundraising options, parent information, t-shirts, busing
lists, accounting, record-keeping, chaperone selection, and much more. A quick note about logistics, you’ll
want to make sure the price reflects at least two free tickets/admission for yourself and either an
accompanist or another teacher. If I spent all the time planning the tour, I definitely didn’t want to have to pay
for it completely on my own.
Most importantly, remember it’s a music tour—make music! I know I don’t have the best memory, but
the parts from tours in college I remember most is not the sights nor the food but when we sang as a group
in random locations. Yes, this definitely got a bit old when you sang at every temple on a Korean mountain,
but looking back, it’s when I had some of the best musical memories from the trip. Now, I’m not planning on
taking students to Korea to sing in temples, but we did find a couple fun locations to try some songs out.
Because we were in Madison, we requested permission to sing at the capitol in the beautiful rotunda—a
huge highlight for most of the students, but we also sang in the Rotunda Room of the Overture Center. It
happened rather unexpectedly as we arrived early for Aladdin (performed in the Playroom Theater of the
Overture Center) and while trying to contain 153 7th and 8th grade students we sang most of our songs
unaccompanied in this space. The musicality that flowed from those students was something remarkable.
They took the idea and ran with it; singing almost every song from our concert repertoire as well as most of
our warm-ups. It was awesome to have such a beautiful moment happen unplanned in the tour and become
such an organic experience for them. This is the moment we all search for as a choir— while singing
impromptu in this space, they all became a team. If I learned nothing else from this tour it was to remember
what is so unique about being on a choir tour—your instruments are always with you. Experience them in
new ways with your students, it will undoubtedly remain one of their highlights of the trip.
Now for the final numbers. It was a packed two-day trip, and the students definitely got their money worth.
Thanks to the suggestions I listed above the tour was fun-filled and delightfully exhausting.
ITEM
Kobussen Trailways Busing
Disney’s Aladdin
Pizza Party in Cambridge, WI
Breakfast in Cambridge, WI
Plasticware
COST
$5660.70
$2988.00
$700.00
$112.00
$38.62
COST DESCRIPTION
FURTHER INFORMATION
$18/ticket
$5/ticket in NRFAC Funds
$0.70/person
Cereal, milk, produce covered
3–56 passenger
$4.16/person
Plasticware
Plates, napkins, bowls, cups
$0.95/person
Water, granola bar, flavor packet for water
T-Shirts
$1344.00
$8/shirt
Kalahari Water Park
$2520.00
$15/person
Snack at Henry Vilas zoo
Hotel Rooms for bus drivers
Bus for Disney’s Aladdin
$159.60
$160.00
$500.00
Initial Total
$13,682.92
FINAL TOTAL
$12,842.92
Subtract Funding from NRFAC
-$840.00
Pizza, soda, and tip covered
$80.00/room
Pizza party and admission
3–77 passenger
$5/ticket
$77 per STUDENT
Funds specifically for Disney’s Aladdin
ALL ITEMS LISTED ABOVE INCLUDED AND COST OF TWO TEACHERS
From the initial budget plan for the tour to the final numbers at the end there was only a slight change in how
much was spent as to what was projected. We charged $85.00 per student to make sure everything would
be cleared and to allow scholarships to students in need. The final-final total with scholarships and lastminute needs factored in was $82.00 per student.
So, that’s it. Some simple suggestions to go on a choir tour for less than $100.00 per student. I’m sure there
are other ideas and options for value travel, and the size of the groups can alter the cost of itinerary items
greatly. If you have any suggestions or questions, I’d love to hear from you. As I mentioned earlier, we’re
working on a choir tour for March 2015 at the moment.
If you and your choir are ever in the New Richmond area, give NRMS a call—we’d love to hear you perform,
and who knows, maybe you can sleep on our gym floor!
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Women: Phillip Swan
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Message from our Neighbors
A Few Words with Jo-Michael Scheibe
Sean Burton, Iowa Choral Directors Association College/University R&S Chair
Originally published in Sounding Board, November, 2013
One of the great joys of our profession can be found in the opportunity to develop relationships with
experienced colleagues locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally through attendance and
engagement at ACDA conferences. Following a couple chance meetings with Jo-Michael Scheibe through
mutual friends at these kinds of events, I requested that Dr. Scheibe share some of his ideas with our Iowa
membership in the form of a concise e-interview. When I approached him about this project, I requested that
we avoid unnecessary academic jargon and focus upon plain, conversational talk that would be useful for
practicing conductors in myriad circumstances and at all levels. He delivered, and to that end, the content of
this article is derived from electronic correspondence between me and Mike during the summer of 2013.
Meet Jo-Michael Scheibe
Jo-Michael Scheibe (b. 1950) is Chair of the Department of Choral and Sacred Music and Professor of
Choral Music at the Flora L. Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California where he
conducts the USC Chamber Singers, teaches choral conducting and choral methods, and supervises the
graduate and undergraduate choral program. He is immediate past national president of ACDA and has held
numerous leadership positions in the association. Ensembles under his direction have sung at six national
ACDA conventions (1985, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2003, 2007), two national conventions of the former Music
Educators National Conference (1996, 2000), the 2011 National Collegiate Choral Organization conference,
and at various regional and state conventions.
In the fall of 2008, Scheibe returned to USC after a fifteen-year tenure as Director of Choral Studies at the
University of Miami’s Frost School of Music (1993–2008), as well as previous faculty appointments at
Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff (1985–1993), Long Beach City College (1978–1985), Vintage High
School in Napa, California and Huntington Beach High School. He has also served as music and artistic
director of several community choral organizations and churches. In frequent demand as a clinician,
conductor and adjudicator for choruses at the university, community college, community, and secondary
levels, Scheibe maintains an active annual travel schedule throughout the U.S. and internationally.
With collaborators ranging from Luciano Pavarotti, Morten Lauridsen, Sir Colin Davis, and Michael TilsonThomas to Kenny Loggins and The Rolling Stones – plus everything in between – his practical experience
in choral music runs the gamut from the glorious traditions of the Western Classical canon through the
most current creative elements of contemporary choral composition. Scheibe earned his D.M.A. from the
University of Southern California and his B.A. and M.M. degrees from California State University at
Long Beach, where he was a recipient of the distinguished alumnus award.
SB: What does a typical day for Jo-Michael Scheibe look like when school is in session?
JMS: Well, while no two days are the same at USC, I believe I can make some generalizations. I normally
leave the house very early to beat the Los Angeles traffic and I go to the gym before going into the office.
My gym time is when I begin to collect my thoughts, center myself and go over what needs to happen that
day. I arrive at the office well before my students and I check my calendar and then begin responding to
emails. I make a to-do list, and then review my rehearsal plan or lectures for my teaching day. My day then
will rotate between teaching conducting lessons and reading dissertations. I set up a two hour window each
week to review new publications or manuscript submissions and I am honestly about four to six months
behind in those reviews. I also meet with students and colleagues, and rarely leave my office for lunch.
In the early afternoon, I touch base with my Teaching Assistant and we go over issues that need to be
addressed such as upcoming concerts, correspondences and any other details that need to be taken care of
in order to keep the organization running smoothly. For one hour prior to my rehearsals, I close my door so I
have the time and space to center myself. After the USC Chamber Singers rehearsal, I again meet with my
TA to put together the plan for the next rehearsals and then I visit rehearsals for our other ensembles. Many
evenings there are recital choir rehearsals and while the choral faculty shares the responsibilities for the
individual recitals, we ensure that a faculty member is always present in the recital choir rehearsal providing
feedback. This can often mean a twelve to fourteen hour day.
Add in committee meetings, professional development, fundraising, and supervision of graduate students,
and there is little time to sit and relax – but I thrive on the buzz, the energy and the activity.
SB: I think it’s fair to say that many colleagues are familiar with your approach to tone and programming
through conference performances, festivals, and your recordings on the Albany, Cane, Naxos, Arsis, and
ANS labels. Would you share a few insider insights about your approaches to developing ensemble and
selecting repertoire in terms of the day to day work?
JMS: I believe programming and selecting repertoire are at the heart of success for any choir. Knowing your
ensemble’s strengths and weaknesses is critical, as is your understanding of the voice. I love repertoire,
I love reading new repertoire, and I thoroughly enjoy working on the music of young, emerging composers.
I truly have a difficult time choosing repertoire for the concerts I plan and conducting only one choral
ensemble has made it even more difficult. My office is filled with stacks of scores that are separated by
theme, music I must do before I retire, music that works for all-state and honor choirs, etc. I spend hours and
hours during the summer and the school year going through these stacks in order to put together programs
that are challenging for the singers and interesting for the audience. There’s no easy way to do it – it’s just a
lot of hard work.
As for tone, I am constantly learning from my readings, my colleagues and my choral voice faculty. I always
try to assess what it is I am hearing, what it is I want to hear and what I can do as a conductor and teacher
to help my choir achieve that sound ideal with vibrant healthy singing. I want to hear healthy onsets,
exceptional tuning and changing choral color that is appropriate to the style of each composition being sung.
Page 8
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Sean Burton
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Message from our Neighbors
A Few Words with Jo-Michael Scheibe, Continued
SB: Following up the previous question, your work as a series editor with Walton, Colla Voce, and Santa
Barbara is well known. Who do you think might be some up and coming composers we need to know about
and some others “on the books” already that we don’t know enough about?
JMS: I believe it is important to understand that no matter whose name I list, there are so many I either:
1.) Have not yet come across, or
2.) May not be someone who fits my specific needs as the conductor of the USC Chamber Singers or as a
clinician at this moment in time.
As I stated before, I review thousands of scores that have been submitted to me each year, both published
and unpublished. I find it refreshing to see that the growth of choral music and teaching of composition
seems to be prospering.
Composer websites, Spotify, iTunes, and other digital listening sources have made it significantly easier for
composers to circulate their music. When the music educator/conductor sees the enormous amount of
music being published, it can be overwhelming. It is easy to look for clips on YouTube or publisher websites
when trying to decide on what music to select, but that hardly takes the place of sitting down and playing
through or singing through scores.
With apologies to those not listed, here is a short list of some of the newer composers whose music I am
currently promoting:
Eric William Barnum
Daniel Hall
Abbie Betinis
Seth Houston
Stacey V. Gibbs
Susan LaBarr
Daniel Brinsmead
Ola Gjeilo
Sydney Guillaume
Jocelyn Hagen
Kurt Knecht
Kevin Memley
Jordan Nelson
Matthew Nielsen
Joshua Rist
Jake Runestad
Jason Saunders
Christina Whitten Thomas
Timothy Takach
Dale Trumbore
SB: Joseph Joubert said: “To teach is to learn twice.” Related to that mantra, how has your activity as a
teacher of conductors influenced your own rehearsal procedures and conducting technique?
JMS: Less is more—in gesture and in talk. Make movement count, and make sure you are the solution and
not the problem. As conductors, it is our responsibility to ensure the success of our ensembles and the more
I teach, the more I try to learn. I video record my rehearsals so that I can watch myself with a critical eye.
I watch and learn from other professionals and students alike, and look for solutions by using the Rod
Eichenberger “What They See Is What You Get” method. One of the joys in teaching is when a willing
student accepts a suggestion and has an “ah-ha” moment. I often wish we could all allow ourselves to be a
bit more vulnerable in our conducting. The assessment tool for each of us is the sound of our ensemble and
we are responsible for that sound from the moment we choose and start to prepare a score, through the
rehearsal process and finally to the performance. I continue to learn more about the importance of efficiency
in rehearsals. At USC, with only two one hour and forty minute rehearsals weekly, efficiency and making
each minute count is the standard for the faculty, the conducting students and the singers.
SB: As a lifer in this profession, would you mind sharing a few thoughts about how the choral arts in the U.S.
have evolved over the course of your career thus far and where we might be headed for the next forty
years?
JMS: I do see considerable change. We seem to see several things occurring, including better teacher
education, the growth of the children and youth choir movement, the development of professional
ensembles such as Conspirare, the Kansas City Chorale, Phoenix Chorale, and Seraphic Fire, plus the rise
of technology. Recordings have also improved and we see major changes in the dissemination of scores
through composer and publisher websites. Our singing, in my opinion, has come a long way too. We have a
more complete understanding of voice science and Chorus America and NATS have helped us in many
diverse ways.
We are very fortunate that we now have the ability to use FaceTime, Internet2, or Skype to communicate
with composers so that our students see them as living, breathing individuals and that these composers can
speak directly and passionately with our students about their music. We have a greater global musical
connection now because we are able to meet an Esenvalds, or Buchenberg, Cosma, Woo, Leek, or Park, or
any of the hundreds of other composers in other countries. If we think about it, the Scandinavian music that
was new to many of us in the early 1970s was introduced because Frank Pooler and Norman Luboff brought
it to the U.S. from Scandinavia in manuscript form. Now, new composers and their new music are just a click
away.
My dream is that “No Child Left Behind” will one day mean that the arts will become part of the core
subjects. I hope that someday assessment testing will be eliminated and that we will we embrace music and
the arts as an integral part of each child’s education. On the other end of the spectrum, I would like to see
senior members of our society more actively involved in music making and having the opportunity to share
the importance of their musical lives with younger generations. I also hope that those who teach will
someday soon receive wages that reflect the importance of their work educating future generations. And
finally, I hope for a time when we can sit and listen to other excellent choirs without criticism.
SB: Indeed, and thank you sir, for your excellent insights. Do you have any other concluding thoughts to
share with the readers of this interview?
JMS: I have never regretted my decision to follow my passion, and hope at some point, every person will
find passion in their chosen vocation.
Page 9
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Ask WCDA!
From the Editor: This new column in “The Voice of WCDA” is an opportunity for us to take advantage of the
collective knowledge we have in WCDA. Every issue will have two possible questions.
If you have a response to a question, or an idea for a question you would like asked, send it to:
ASKWCDA@gmail.com
These are the questions for the next issue. Submit your answers with your name and school to
ASKWCDA@gmail.com by December 1, 2014.
WCDA 2014 AWARDS
MESSAGE FROM OUR
NEIGHBORS:
Men: Dennis Gephart
Women: Phillip Swan
Return to Page 1
1. “What are your most successful recruiting activities: church, community, school?”
2. “What aspects of vocal technique make the biggest difference in your choirs’ sound?
How do you teach them?”
THIS ISSUE’S QUESTION: “What is the best idea you ever had?”
(summarized from a great session at this past summer’s “Refresh” event in Green Bay)
• Interval Workout Rehearsal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephen Sieck
7 min rehearse hard, 1 min break to talk with friends. Then slowly increase the length of the interval.
• Folder Cabinet. Eliminate traffic jams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan McAllister
Divide choirs so each choir puts music folders in 3 different folder cabinets, rather than all in one cabinet.
• Write a Mission Statement for yourself. Powerful exercise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan McAllister
• WSMA “Beyond the Ratings.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathy Brown
Broke down the judge’s form into phases, created a document for the kids to help them
pace prep for S/E, and used the PBJ format to help them prepare. Goal setting as a part.
• PBJ reminder: P– Posture, B– Breathing, J– Jaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathy Brown
• Think before you sing: TBS... “Without the T, it’s just BS…” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan VanSickle
• Boys— translate (shift into the octave that works) Basement register to mid register.
Girls— listen and join as the boys reach mid, then continue on up as the boys go into their falsetto.
Reverse the girls to see how low they can actually sing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carol Dahle
• Target Field Trip grant. Don’t be afraid to apply! ($700 grant) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelly Ribbens
• Use the Remind website. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dennis Gephart
Use it to send reminder announcements via text or email. The kids can’t respond, just open and read.
• Give students the liberty to make musical choices on their own. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Wanner
“You have permission to be a musician...GO”
• Have a student come up and conduct how they feel the music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Pufall
Get the kids up there to lead and take ownership in the musicality.
• Colored folders for each grade level choir or ensemble. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carol Dahle
• Have pencils stocked in the room, and keep them in the room. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan VanSickle
I buy them pre-sharpened from Suzie Masters, Owner Master Wholesale Supply, 308 NE Dartmore Court
Lee’s Summit, MO 64064. 888-328-8270 fax: 866-460-0074 http://www.masterwholesalesupply.com/
• Have custodians collect and give you the pencils they find. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhonda Knoespel
• YouTube video Jack Stamp— music vs. baseball stats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jesse Baumgart
• Ear training exercises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eduardo Garcia-Novelli
Do Re Mi - pivot last pitch and call it Do, and sing down Do Ti La OR
Do Re Mi - pivot to Do and start again, singing up Do Re Mi.
• Use hand signals and “Erase the Mi,” to start at Do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeanne Julseth Heinrich
• Separate genders in 7–8 grade choirs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhonda Knoespel
6th grade is all mixed gender. Put boys all in their own section, away from the girls. Both groups are more
comfortable and more focused.
• Go Paperless with website. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jesse Baumgart
Robes and concert dress sign out and check back in. Easy to track. Use technology!
• Visual Aid— 30 second Keyboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan VanSickle
Teach how to draw it on the first day. Useful for them to visualize relationships, intervals, etc.
• Have a large, visible piano keyboard display in front of classroom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan McAllister
A Wisconsin woodworker, Ward Hammond, builds beautiful wooden 3-D keyboards and installs them in
your music room. They are pieces of art AND incredibly useful. Contact: Ward Hammond, (608) 437-3894,
toast@mhtc.net See photos at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ward-Hammonds-WWHWoodworking/234502763409730
• Pennies in a Jar. Hand out a penny as a reward, and they drop it in the jar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Janet Holdt
• Write the text on the board, with the translation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Sieck
Erase one word at a time, until only the translation is left.
• Grammy Award Performance Concert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynn Bondeson
Formal wear, music, art, forensics event at the end of the year. Handed out Eagle Trophies instead of the
various awards. Taking 2 events and restructuring them into one for success!
• Department Blog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Krista Kjos
Pictures of events, All-State kids, S/E results, scrapbook for students, parents, and reference for yourself.
• Monk Day. The students can’t talk at all during that rehearsal! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathy Brown
• Opera Day. Every question has to be sung in opera style that day! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Pufall
Page 10
• Field Trips Unplugged - no phones, camera, other devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carol Dahle
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Women: Phillip Swan
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Repertoire & Standards: Recommended Repertoire from our R&S Chairs
High 5: High School Choirs
Jacob Truby, WCDA R&S Chair, Madison
Beloit Memorial High School
jtruby@sdb.k12.wi.us
I absolutely love how hard music teachers in Wisconsin work to share repertoire ideas with one another!
Whether it’s at our “Refresh!” workshop in the summer, reading The Voice, or at our convention in January, I
always walk away from WCDA events with a handful of new ideas that I not only want to do with my choirs,
but I want to start on them today. I hope that these selections help serve you and become finishing touches
for a concert theme or choral season.
At “Refresh!” this summer, someone mentioned how beneficial it would be if music teachers began posting
their repertoire selections on their school websites. I think this idea is absolutely genius, so much so that I
promise you I will post all of Beloit Memorial High School’s concert selections over the past three years on our
school website by the end of September. Knowing what other pieces schools are doing at different times of
the year, what their concert themes are, and the type of choir they are performing, could make the job of
selecting repertoire so much easier. I hope many more of us start to do this. The best of luck to all teachers
about to start the school year!
1.) Title: “Afternoon On A Hill”
Composer / Editor / Arranger: Colin Britt
Publisher: Alliance Music Publications, Inc.
Edition #: AMP 0805
Voicing: SATB Divisi Voices
Accompaniment: unaccompanied
Comments: I still remember the first time in high school where I was overjoyed just to have witnessed
something beautiful. There was not a wish to change what was being witnessed, to create an experience
there; rather, I just was glad that I could be in this right place at the right time. The Edna St. Vincent
Millay text ‘Afternoon On A Hill’ will resonate with high school students and hopefully remind them of a
similar experience. Colin Britt does a fabulous job at musically creating the sensations expressed in the
poetry. Its sudden forte dynamic changes speak to the energy of the human spirit; its sudden piano
dynamic changes speak to the knowledge one might have to savor a moment. There is divisi in all four
voices, but never at one time and always with simplicity and accessibility. Colin Britt has done a fabulous
job at delivering his message with as little notes as possible; there is no more music written on the page
than what is needed. Its freedom of tempo will keep students captivated throughout the whole piece. It is
sure be a favorite among your high school singers!
2.) Title: “Star Sonnet” (from Three Nocturnes)
Composer / Editor / Arranger: Daniel Elder
Publisher: GIA Publications, Inc.
Edition #: G-8646
Comments: As children, we were in many ways taught to fear the night. Bad things, according to many
of our great children’s books and movies, came out when the sun went down. But then, there was
hopefully a point in our childhood when we learned the true beauty of night, when the moon felt as bright
as the sun and brought about moments of refection, excitement, and tranquility (Remember night
games? They were the best!). Star Sonnet speaks to the curiosity of the night sky, how a night of stars
can often make a town appear brighter than when in the middle of the day. The text was written by the
composer and is filled with captivating imagery and thoughtful word choices; hours of conversation could
be had with your choir on a single line of the poetry! There is word painting tied in to every line of text
and often dances between polyphonic ideas, returning to homophonic writing at important moments of
text. There is a wealth of passages and phrases that your students will grab hold to and look forward to
singing. It is an excellent selection for an advanced high school ensemble!
3.) Title: “Vox Populi”
Composer / Editor / Arranger: Giedrius Svilainis
Publisher: Alliance Music Publications, Inc.
Edition #: AMP 0802
Comments: “Where there is unity, there is victory.” Recently performed by the UW-Eau Claire Concert
Choir, my students pleaded with me to learn this piece after they got a chance to hear it. I am so glad we
did! What’s not to love in this score? It has high energy, it speaks of love and togetherness, it’s
accessible (there are tough portions here and there but other sections will come together quickly), and
invites your students to open up and sing out! The piece opens and closes in a fanfare-like quality, but
the middle section incorporates addicting ostinatos in each section that fit perfectly on top of one another.
An idea to conductors interested in this piece: start the fanfare, conduct the fanfare, and then get out of
the way! Let your students sing these ostinatos and middle section without a director (you will not be
needed… you could also join them!). The students will love the change of performance setting, not to
mention looking at one another, and it will help bring out the meaning of the text so much more!
Continued
Page 11
Jacob Truby
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Page 12
High 5: High School Choirs, continued
4.) Title: “Jesu! Rex admirabilis” (Jesus, wondrous King)
Composer / Editor / Arranger: Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina
Publisher: Choral Public Domain
Edition #:
Voicing: SAB or SAT
Comments: This short little motet would be a perfect contribution to your caroling repertoire this year
(and every year). Written for three voices, this piece moves very homophonically and is syllabic in nature,
quite the opposite of many works that we see by Palestrina. Like most (if not all) works by this composer,
students will enjoy the sense of weightlessness that comes with Renaissance singing without the
responsibility of having to confidently sing multiple melismas, especially if you are working with a smaller
choir or one with fewer men. It would make for a great opener while caroling around your community!
5.) Title: “From This House”
Composer / Editor / Arranger: Ben Allaway
Publisher: Santa Barbara Music Publishing, Inc.
Edition #: SBMP 225
Voicing: SATB, Double Choir
Accompaniment: Percussion
Comments: “From this house to the world, we will go hand in hand.” This wonderful and uplifting text
could serve as a great end to a great year for you and your choirs, not to mention even a possible theme
for an entire concert. Its musical inspiration comes from South African Freedom Songs and Swahili text;
its accompaniment is filled with many different types of percussion instruments and drumming. Don’t be
initially overwhelmed with the double choir, as most of the music for each choir is the same. It would be
quite fitting and a wonderful musical moment if seniors performed in Choir I, for example, while the rest of
the department or choir provide support in Choir II. Your students and parents will love it!
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Bryson Mortensen
WCDA 2014 AWARDS
MESSAGE FROM OUR
NEIGHBORS:
Men: Dennis Gephart
Women: Phillip Swan
Return to Page 1
High 5: Men’s Choirs
Dennis Gephart, WCDA R&S Chair, Belgium
Port Washington High School
dennis.gephart@pwssd.k12.wi.us
1.) Title: “Quest of the Kings”
Composer: Jacob Narverud
Publisher: SBMP #1183
Voicing: TTBB
level: Medium
Comments: This piece takes the traditional “We Three Kings” and reconstructs it. Dramatic in nature, I
am planning on using it as a processional into the men’s set of my next concert. With only a bass drum
as the accompaniment, it adds a different flavor to your concert.
2.) Title: “Take, O Take Those Lips Away”
Composer: J. Edmund Hughes
Publisher: SBMP 1029
Voicing: TB
Accompaniment: Piano
level: Medium
Comments: Only in two part, this is a very doable piece for even the youngest men’s choir. With the
emotion as the core, students can emphasize the musical line and phrasing.
3.) Title: “Der Gondelfahrer”
Composer: Franz Schubert, ed. Carl zytowski
Publisher: SBMP 253
Voicing: TTBB
level: Medium
Comments: One of Schubert’s famous part-songs, here carefully edited with a word-by-word translation
and a singable English text below the original German. Young men’s groups will love the challenge of this
piece.
4.) Title: “Kansas City Kitty”
Composer: Walter Donaldson, arr. Jacob Narverud
Publisher: SBMP 1137
Voicing: TB
Accompaniment: piano, fiddle, opt. bass
level: Easy
Comments: This is a fun and upbeat piece for men’s groups from middle school to college. Placed in the
roaring 20’s style, there are lots of opportunities for small staging. A great closing number or encore for
any of your guy groups.
5.) Title: “Wuh-Duh-Yuh Do with a Drunken Sailor?”
Arranger: Allen Koepke
Publisher: SBMP 782
Voicing: TTB
Accompaniment: piano
Level: Medium
Comments: You can almost feel the rocking of the sea in this up-tempo chart. Full of clever mischief, this
will be one the guys will love.
V
Page 13
Dennis Gephart
THE
Voice of WCDA
Links to Articles
Click on titles
Matthew Wanner
Bryson Mortensen
WCDA 2014 AWARDS
MESSAGE FROM OUR
NEIGHBORS:
Men: Dennis Gephart
Women: Phillip Swan
Return to Page 1
High 5: Women’s Choirs
Phillip Swan, WCDA R&S Chair, Appleton
Lawrence University
phillip.a.swan@lawrence.edu
1.) Title: “Cantate Domino”
Composer: Daniel Friderici (1584-1638)
Voicing: SSA
Publisher: Choral Public Domain Library
http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Cantate_Domino_(Daniel_Friderici)
Text: Latin (Psalm 97)
Duration: 1’ 40”
Level of difficulty: medium easy
Comments: It’s difficult to find early works for women’s choir. Consequently, I was thrilled when I ran
across this jewel on CPDL! Straightforward and repetitive, it is an easy piece to teach and will allow you
to focus on musical phrasing and vocal technique.
2.) Title: “Moon Goddess”
Composer: Jocelyn Hagen
Voicing: SSA
Publisher: Independent Music Publishers Cooperative – JH-C020
Accompaniment: 4-hand piano, large frame/buffalo drum, finger cymbals, suspended cymbal
Text: English
Level of difficulty: medium difficult
Comments: Moon Goddess (2011 ACDA Women’s Choir R&S Consortium Commission) is a bold,
powerful, and infectious piece that will allow your women to demonstrate strength and intensity in their
vocalization. It is a distinctly feminine anthem to the goddess Inanna by Enheduanna (the first writer in
history, male or female, whose name and work have been preserved). “In her poems to the Sumerian
goddess of love, Inanna, she speaks to a deity who has descended to earth as an ally, as a friend to
help her in her need. In the poems’ sensuality, surprising metaphors, and intimacy, they recall Sappho’s
poems to her ally Aphrodite.” ~ Willis Barnstone http://www.imp.coop/works/jhagen/moon-goddess
3.) Title: “Indian Summer”
Composer: Daniel J. Hall
Voicing: SSA
Publisher: Walton Music, WJMS1094/HL 8501667 (Jo-Michael Scheibe Choral Series)
Accompaniment: oboe and piano
Text: English (Emily Dickinson poem)
Level of difficulty: medium difficult
Comments: I had the pleasure of working with Dan Hall while at the University of Miami (a talented
composer, vocalist, and conductor). His sensitive, beautifully melodic setting of an Emily Dickinson poem,
is a work of sophistication and depth that highlights the beauty and warmth of female voices.
http://www.waltonmusic.com/Sound12/IndianSummer/
4.) Title: “Moondance”
Arranger: Jeremy Fox
Voicing: SSAA
Publisher: University of Northern Colorado 10296851(includes rhythm parts)
Accompaniment: piano, guitar, bass, drums
Text: English
Level of difficulty: medium
Comments: Interested in introducing your women to vocal jazz literature (swing)? My friend, Jeremy
Fox, has created an arrangement of the Van Morrison classic that will become a favorite. There is a short
solo at the beginning of the work, opportunities for improvisation over basic 12-bar minor blues, a hardswinging vocal soli in the middle of the chart, and the familiar chorus returns to conclude the work.
Page 14
5.) Title: “Two Gypsy Songs” (Járba, Màré Járba and Erdö szélen sátoroznak)
Composer: Glen Adkins
Voicing: Unison and SA
Publisher: earthsongs, S-314 and S-315
Accompaniment: piano or guitar
Text: Beas (Gypsy) / Hungarian
Duration: 2’ 50” and 1’ 50”
Level of difficulty: easy
Comments: Two Gypsy Songs provide a great opportunity to introduce your choir to the folk styles of
Hungarian Gypsy life. They have been set in a manner that is sensitive to the need for providing an
appropriate, authentic, and culturally rich performance of these folk songs. Notes about the pieces are
taken from the earthsongs website:
• Járba, Màré Járba should be accompanied by guitar or several guitars, strummed in a percussive
Gypsy style and preferably on nylon-stringed (classical) guitars. The vocal range of Gypsy music is
lower than traditional female tessitura, and often male and female voices sing in unison in the same
octave. If guitars are used the key can be raised by using capos. It is common for an aluminum milk jug
to be used as a percussion instrument. To see and hear this folk song performed in Gypsy style using
traditional instruments, a YouTube video is available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1aEGtreQWM
• Erdö szélen sátoroznak is a Gypsy folk song popular with the Roma people in Hungary. The text is in
Hungarian, but the origin of both the text and the music is unknown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgWE8Hv2MQY
V
Phillip Swan
THE
Voice of WCDA
Links to Articles
Click on titles
Matthew Wanner
Bryson Mortensen
WCDA 2014 AWARDS
MESSAGE FROM OUR
NEIGHBORS:
Men: Dennis Gephart
Women: Phillip Swan
Return to Page 1
High 5: Middle School / Junior High
Beth Herrendeen-Smith, WCDA R&S Chair
Mahone Middle School, Racine
bsmith2450@wi.rr.com
1.) Title: “Afternoon on a Hill”
Composer: Cynthia Gray
Publisher: Heritage Music Press #15/2519H
Voicing: Two-part
Difficulty level: Medium-easy
Comments: This is a beautiful setting of Edna St. Vincent’s magnificent, descriptive poem. The
harmonies are lovely and easily accessible for young choirs. Repeated up and down intervals allow for
more intensive work on intonation. This is a beautiful choice for a spring concert.
2.) Title: “J’entends Le Moulin,” French Canadian Folksong
Arranger: Emily Crocker
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation #08551983
Voicing: Two-part / descant
Difficulty Level: Medium-easy
Comments: This fast-paced folksong is loaded with French and English lyrics, but the repetitive nature
and pronunciation guide allow students to learn them easily. Frequent dynamic and articulation changes
make this piece a great teaching tool for young choirs. The descant at the end of the piece adds a
challenge for a few of your singers.
3.) Title: “You Gotta Sing,” traditional Spiritual
Arranger: Roger Emerson
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation #08552103
Voicing: Three-part mixed
Difficulty level: Medium
Comments: This spiritual is a hit with young singers, and is also available in a great two-part
arrangement. Tempo changes and syncopated rhythms add an extra challenge for your mixed choir. The
unison opening gives the men confidence before it breaks into more complicated harmonies.
4.) Title: “Cum Sancto Spiritu”
Composer: Antonio Lotti, arranged by Patrick Liebergen
Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. #SV9112
Voicing: SAB
Comments: This piece is a wonderful way to introduce your choirs to baroque choral music and Latin.
The imitative melody in the beginning of the piece will be quickly learned. The final page of “Amens” is a
fabulous lesson in counting. The piece is unaccompanied, but the vocal parts could be doubled with
baroque instruments to make it more accessible for mixed choirs.
5.) Title: “Obwisana (Goin’ to Ghana)”, Two folksongs from Ghana
Arranger: Mary Donnelly and George Strid
Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. #18655
Voicing: Two-part
Accompaniment: Piano / optional drums
Difficulty level: Easy
Comments: This upbeat partner song will have your choirs singing harmony in no time. The first
folksong is introduced in unison, and then a simple harmony embellishes it the second time it is
introduced. Handclaps, drums, and an upbeat accompaniment enhance and support the voices.
This is a great piece to start the year with your youngest singers!
V
Page 15
Beth Herrendeen-Smith
THE
Voice of WCDA
Links to Articles
Click on titles
Matthew Wanner
Bryson Mortensen
WCDA 2014 AWARDS
Jason Meissner, WCDA R&S Chair
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Oconomowoc
jazzdup74@gmail.com
Here is a compilation of works that include additional instrumental forces, as well as several simpler
arrangements designed as “standbys” as the church year progresses. One never knows how far ahead or
behind one will be, or how many singers will be missing due to annual illnesses.
1.) Title: “Bless the Lord, O My Soul”
Composer: Joel Raney
Publisher: Hope Publishing, C5562
Voicing: SATB
Accompaniment: Piano with optional 3-5 Octave Handbells, Flute, or Violin
Difficulty level: Medium / Skilled pianist preferred.
Comments: This medium tempo selection is great for an opener for a church concert setting, or a significant
anthem for one of the Higher church days in the year such as Easter, Reformation, or All Saints. With a full and
robust instrumentation, the text is based on Psalm 103. This should be programmed with a larger choir that is
capable of producing full tone, and can effectively demonstrate the use of wide dynamic contrasts. Bell choir
difficulty would be a 2+ rating based on today’s publication standards. Strong flute or violinist skills needed. Full
score is available. Joel Raney is known for his well-orchestrated accompaniments, which demand full tone
production, and an overall larger sound from the choir.
2.) Title: “Pie Jesu”
Composer: William Bradley Roberts
Publisher: Morning Star Publishers, MSM503412
Voicing: SATB
Accompaniment: Organ, with optional String Quartet or String Orchestra
Comments: Roberts used the Requiem Liturgy in an Adagio tempo marking, (“Gracious Jesus, Lord Our God,
grant eternal rest to them”) using long phrases that demand stronger breath support. Beginning with a Soprano
solo, the writing is simplistic, and the part writing is well within comfortable ranges for all vocal parts, yet demands
an eloquent sense of the beginning and ending of phrases. This setting would be appropriate for Ash Wednesday,
Lent, Communion Anthem, or as a doxology toward the end of a worship service.
Men: Dennis Gephart
Women: Phillip Swan
3.) Title: “Ancient Words with ‘Amazing Grace’”
Composer: Phillip Keveren
Publisher: Daybreak Music, 08745774
Voicing: SATB
Accompaniment: Piano with optional instrumental peak, for Flute, Oboe, F Horn, Percussion, Violin 1&2, Viola,
Cello and Bass.
Difficulty level: Medium-Easy
Comments: If you’re looking for an arrangement which will cross multiple generations, but yet don’t have much
time to prepare, this praise styled arrangement will be an easy and enjoyable learn. “Ancient Words” became
popular in the earlier stages of Christian Praise Music, and combines with the ever famous “Amazing Grace.”
The vocal range is comfortable enough to be performed early in the morning, when the voices are usually the least
flexible. This is a good “standby” selection to have in your library.
Return to Page 1
4.) Title: “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
Composer: Asahel Nettleton
Arranger: Frank Pesci
Publisher: E.C. Schirmer Music Publishing. 8006
Voicing: SATB
Accompaniment: Organ
Comments: A well-written arrangement integrating a softer flute organ registration with pedal. This reflective
setting integrates independent vocal writing at times, yet not enough to allow the ensemble to become unstable.
The soprano range approaches high G several times within the height of various phrases. Suggested for first
communion, a communion anthem, Ash Wednesday, or Lenten anthem. You will need to plan rehearsal time to
properly prepare the average church choral ensemble.
5.) Title: “Amazing Grace”
V
Page 16
High 5: Music in Worship
MESSAGE FROM OUR
NEIGHBORS:
Arranger: David Brunner
Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes
Voicing: Two-Part Treble Voices / SATB Chorus
Accompaniment: Flute and Piano.
Difficulty level: Medium - Advanced
Comments: This is a completely different melody which will captivate your congregation and choir, simply
because the text is familiar, but the melodic line is much more intriguing. This is a longer anthem which fluctuates
meter from 6/8 to 2/4 frequently. The flute part could also be played by oboe. Brunner uses all elements of wide
dynamic range to significant tempo changes, longer phrasing, and use of fermatas. This is by far one of my most
favorite selections, and must be done with high musical intellect and sensitivity.
Jason Meissner

Voice of WCDA E TH

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