Sample Student MUS 356 – Choral Methods Dr. Miguel Felipe October 9, 2012
Middle School Mini-Program
1. Songs from Gahu. Arr. Kelly, Armstrong. C Major. Celebratory. 00:02:30
Laudamus Te. Vivaldi, Antonio; arr. Leavitt, John. G Major. Bright, cheery. 00:02:30
When I Am Laid. Purcell, Henry; arr. Matthews, Christopher. G minor. Dark, mournful.
00:03:00
E Nana Kakou I Na Manu. Mahelona, Herb. F Major to G Major. Calm, relaxed. 00:03:00
My Favorite Things. Rodgers, Richard; arr. Hirokawa, Joy. E minor. Jazzy, upbeat.
00:04:00
2. The program is selected for an advanced middle school treble choir. Songs from Gahu, a
set of four call and response pieces from West Africa, opens the concert. The students
process in during the first piece in the set, “The Gahu Song,” a greeting song done with
motions and percussion accompaniment. The movement and percussion continue in
place as the students sing the remaining three numbers, after taking their place on
stage.
The cultural focus then shifts to the European concert tradition for two pieces.
First, the Vivaldi, which carries over the bright mood of the Gahu songs. The Purcell aria
follows, which relates to the Vivaldi in compositional style, but starkly contrasts in
character and tempo. We move away from Europe for the Hawaiian “E Nana Kakou I Na Manu.” The
audience relaxes from the somewhat more challenging harmonic nature of the Purcell
into the pleasingly simple lines of the Mahelona. The audience also enjoys the Hawaiian
language, and the feeling of connection to local culture.
The concert closes with a jazzy arrangement of “My Favorite Things,” based off
of John Coltrane’s recording of the tune. We loop measures 93-108, where, at the
composer’s suggestion, student soloists perform their own improvised scat solos. The
upbeat tempo, engaging rhythms, familiar tune, and student soloists bring the program
to an exciting and memorable close.
3. This set of repertoire teaches students about a variety of cultures and styles, and
provides opportunities to develop diction and tone. Through the Vivaldi and Mahelona,
we can work on the pure Latin vowels, a process which will also lend itself to developing
a mature tone. They might be rehearsed right after warm-ups, which will most often
address those same vowels. The Purcell gives us further opportunity and motivation to
develop a full and resonant sound; its musical and programmatic content make a “pop”
sound especially inappropriate, which will make it easier for students to discern and
understand the difference. The Purcell also contains some challenging chromatic notes,
which gives the opportunity to teach (or reinforce) chromatic solfege syllables. Through
both the Vivaldi and Purcell, students will be taught about classical music forms and
genres (mass, passacaglia) as well as eras and styles (Baroque, Renaissance). The “Songs from Gahu” do not pose any great technical challenge, but they will be used to challenge the students through exclusive rote teaching. The leader who does the calls will be rotated amongst each of the students, as will the two percussion parts.
In this way, the song will make a valuable tool for changing the dynamic of rehearsals. It will also be an invaluable opportunity to make formative assessments of individuals on their vocal technique and rhythm, without the students knowing they are being assessed.
“My Favorite Things” will be used to teach swing style. Through demonstrations, call and response exercises, and listening to recordings, the students will learn the idiomatic changes of both rhythm and inflection that define the genre. The scat sections will be especially useful here; the arranger uses stylistically appropriate articulation markings and syllables. Students will also learn to improvise, and each will get multiple opportunities to do so over the course of the rehearsals. Improvisation and style will be most often taught concurrently, with a lot of call and response between teacher and students (as a group and as individuals).