Choir
MUS 130-430
Class time:
Location:
Name of Faculty:
Contact details:
Tuesday, 7.30 – 8. 30 pm
The Ridgway Great Hall
Dr Tim Williams
Office hours:
Tuesday, before and after choir rehearsal
Fall 2017
Course Description
MUS 130‐430: University Choir (1)
This course seeks to develop musicality and performance skills through ensemble singing. There will be
opportunities to perform both for the Harlaxton College community and a wider public.
Credit Hour Policy Statement
This class meets the federal credit hour policy of:
□ Other academic activities – group choir rehearsal(s) for approximately 15 weeks for each hour
of credit, or a total of 45-75 hours for each credit.
General Education Objective
This course meets the General Education requirements for:-
None applicable
Learning Objectives
Listed below are the Learning Objectives for the course:
Learning to use your voice confidently within a group setting and developing musicianship skills
Learn to work together as a group of singers to produce a polished performance
Learning a variety of music, including items from the standard British repertoire
Learning about musical notation and following a choral part
Learning about music of difference styles and from different periods and countries.
Further Information about the Course
Harlaxton Collegiate Choir is formed each semester, with the aim of introducing students to music of significance
and symbolism in British cultural history. Repertoire stretches back to Anglo-Saxon times. Through a course of
rehearsals leading to the present day, the choir focuses on sacred and secular music from the Middle Ages, madrigals
and motets from the English Renaissance and the Baroque, Victorian ballads, industrial protest songs, arrangements
of Celtic folk songs, and touches on seismic moments in popular musical culture from the twentieth century
onwards. The course is tailored to the British Studies programme, and compliments all that is learnt, introducing
students to the sounds of British culture while forging a distinct choral voice and identity from the students at
Harlaxton College. The choir works towards performance opportunities in the students’ final weeks in Harlaxton.
Schedule of topics
Choir rehearsal takes place each Tuesday evening. Repertoire for the semester is worked through on a planned
basis which will be amended according to the needs of the individual group of choir members.
Teaching Methods
Group rehearsals on a weekly basis.
Occasional rehearsals with smaller groups of singers.
Individual coaching for members taking solos.
Schedule of Assignments
The programme for the year will be designed according to the abilities of the group and the performances being
planned for the semester.
Assessment and Grading Criteria
Choir Achievement Rubric
A
Consistently excellent contributions to the choral life of Harlaxton College through the semester,
demonstrating faultless and punctual attendance, impeccably professional rehearsal discipline, and a high level of
engagement with the music, both in terms of performance and background research. Setting clear targets for
personal music development at the start of the course, and demonstrating achievement of these targets in the final
week of semester.
B
Consistent contributions to the choral life of Harlaxton College through the semester, a high level of punctual
attendance, almost always demonstrating professional rehearsal discipline, and engaging with the music in
performance and through background research. At the end of the course, demonstrates near total achievement of
clear targets for personal musical development.
C
Inconsistent contributions to the choral life of Harlaxton College, symptomized by irregular patterns of
attendance and punctuality, a lack of professional rehearsal discipline, and limited engagement with the music
either in performance or in developing background knowledge. Not able to demonstrate achievement of the targets
set at the outset of term for personal musical development.
D
Very limited engagement with the choral life of Harlaxton College. An irregular approach to attending
rehearsals, very poor rehearsal discipline, and very little interest in the music performed with no development of
background knowledge. Targets for personal musical development are not met.
F
No engagement with the choral life of Harlaxton College, no professionalism in approach, no development
of musicianship or knowledge. Targets for personal musical development are not met to any degree.
Attendance Policy
Harlaxton College operates a mandatory attendance policy that is binding on all faculty and students.
The number of unexcused absences that are allowed before incurring a penalty is related to the
number of times a class meets during a week. This means that for courses which meet three times a
week students are allowed a maximum of three unexcused absences during the semester without
attracting penalty points, for courses meeting twice a week two such absences are permitted and for
courses meeting just once a week a single absence is allowed.
Additional unexcused absences will attract a grade penalty of a third-letter grade (A- to B+).
Students are responsible for the academic consequences of their failure to attend class. If any
assessment (e.g. in-class test, exam, paper, presentation, etc.) is missed, there is no expectation or
requirement that a faculty member will accept the work after it is due, provide an extension to a
deadline, or offer an alternative assessment opportunity for a student with an unexcused absence.
Drop/Add and Withdrawal Policy
There is normally about a 10 day period at the beginning of semester what a student may drop and class
and/or add a class. The deadline date is published in the Semester Guidance handbook. Drop/Add forms
are available from the library and completed forms should be returned to the same place. Faculty
signatures are required for all classes being added
Students may withdraw from a class, with the exception of British Studies, for a longer period of time.
Again the deadline date is published in the Semester Guidance handbook. Forms are available from the
College Secretary, to whom completed forms should be returned. Forms must be signed by the faculty
member of the class being withdrawn from and the Principal.
All students must register for, and be continuously enrolled in, 12 credit hours of study to be eligible to
study at Harlaxton and remain in the United Kingdom.
Disability Policy
It is the policy of the University of Evansville (Harlaxton College) to make reasonable accommodations for
students with properly documented disabilities. University of Evansville students should contact the
Office of Counselling and Health Education to seek help with this. Students from Partner
Universities/Colleges should contact their own relevant student support office. For assistance whilst at
Harlaxton students should contact the College Secretary whose office is located adjacent to the
Principal’s office.
Written notification to faculty from the College Secretary is required for academic accommodations to
be implemented.
Honor Code
All students at the University of Evansville (Harlaxton College) agree to and are bound by the principles
and practice of the honour code:
‘I understand that any work I submit for course credit will imply that I have adhered to this
Academic Honor Code: I will neither give nor receive unauthorized aid, nor will I tolerate an
environment that condones the use of unauthorized aid.’
https://www.evansville.edu/offices/deanstudents/downloads/honorcode.pdf