TCDA Convention 2016: Be Inspired!
High School Treble/Men
Cynthia Douglas, Conductor
Jeanna Baibos, Accompanist
Shout For Joy!
Dan Davison
SSAA, piano
There is so much to be learned from singing in unison. Although this is SSAA, there are significant unison sections. The style is
consistent throughout and there is plenty of repetition, making it perfect for the beginning of the year when there are so many
fundamentals to cover and so little time.
Application
Accents and articulation choices- Have students highlight the accents and insist on them every time, regardless of objective.
There are often articulation choices to be made by the director which are not marked. For example, should the pick-up quarter
notes in m. 48 and m. 56 be connected or detached? Decide early and have your students mark it.
Multi-meter pieces such as this require a steady subdivision of the beat. Take time to explain how ¾ and 6/8 have the same
number of 8th notes in each meter, and that they are simply regrouped. Show this on the board for your visual learners.
Practice conducting together in both ¾ and 6/8 while keeping the 8th steady. We use our metronome all the time!
The fast tempo will require some decision making regarding conducting pattern. There will be times when you will want to
conduct in 1 in order to achieve the desired legato line.
Diction! There are so many ways to bring out expressive text, ensure clarity, and even improve tone with careful attention to
diction. Diction is always more difficult for students, believe it or not, in their native language. Never underestimate the time
you will need to spend polishing English diction. Just a few examples:
o Consonants combinations such as [tf] in the middle of “Shout for” and “burst forth”.
o R rules: R preceded by a consonant and followed by a vowel is a regular American [r]. R preceded by a vowel and
followed by a consonant is dropped. R between two vowels is flipped. In practice, rules are sometimes made to be
broken if you have a really good reason. Whatever you decide, be clear and consistent with your students.
o To glottal or not to glottal…there is a decision to be made in m. 18. I would put a light glottal in front of the word
“in” for the sake of clarity and articulation.
o The word “praise” ends with a [z], not an [s]. This is one of my diction pet peeves!
o Double initial consonants like “blast” need to be slightly before the beat so that the vowel can be achieved quickly
and precisely. Some refer to this as rhythmic diction.
o Watch out when a final, unstressed syllable is held for a long time, like the second syllable of “music” in mm. 22-24.
When the students speak this word, that vowel is very close to a schwa, a neutral sound. You will likely need to
brighten and unify that vowel.
Perspiration
The melody lies largely in the girls’ middle break and will require a light, heady, forward tone for intonation. In the middle of
the staff and lower, on an energetic and exciting piece like this, girls may tend to push.
Be sure to tune all the octaves, mm.65-end. Point out all of the parallel octaves if you have time and are so inclined!
Inspiration
This would be a great teaching piece for the Fall Concert with a non-varsity or advanced non-varsity treble choir. It would also make a
good festival piece for advanced middle school choirs and region choirs. A clear candidate for an opener. They’ll love the dance-like
feel!
Dominus Vobiscum
Jacob Narverud
TBB, a cappella
Nods to chant and Renaissance style. Consider teaching the opening chant line to everyone and practicing small chunks of it in your
daily warm up for a while. This concept is a good example of what I call “easy-hard”. (Seems easy. I get it. Why can’t I DO it??) No
extremes in range; a good piece for programs with lots of bari-tenors, like mine.
Application
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Mix it up! I’d teach mm.32-end first, then 12-20, then 21-31.
Latin diction pet peeve alert: “o” in Latin is open o, not closed [o]. As an added bonus, the correct vowel will eliminate the
[ou] diphthong.
Tenutos=word stress.
Tapered phrases and syllabic stress are essential to the style.
Spend time on the upbeat releases at 15, 21 and 35.
Perspiration
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Fundamental vocal technique will make or break this piece. Much depends on the students’ understanding and execution of
good support, unified placement, and legato line. Highlight legato warm ups, no louder than mp, while you are learning this
piece in order to encourage the lighter, yet fully supported tone required.
Good balance=good intonation. Cadences will be special balancing projects, especially the 4-part cadences with dissonance,
and hollow 2-part cadences in inversion.
Inspiration
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Great for varsity men or a region men’s choir. An excellent non-varsity men’s choir may be ready for this in the spring. The
text is the well-known “The Lord be with you…And with your spirit.” (or “And also with you.”) It might be neat to pair it
with a joyful contrasting opener. Perhaps a small ensemble, strategically placed in the performance space.
My November Guest
James Baas
SSA, piano and optional cello
This features a high quality text by Robert Frost. Be sure to study this poem with your students. It’s always good to let your English
Department chairperson know when you are doing a piece with text that may fit their curriculum. The cello solo is student friendly
(though admittedly I am rather spoiled by Elizabeth Ledford and her amazing students at Cy-Ranch, so judge for yourself!), and you
can check minor tonality off your TEKS punch list. Ever noticed the kids LOVE to sing in minor? Note to self: do more minor.
Application
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“Don’t just know your part. Know what you’re a part OF.” This statement has been so lovingly and repeatedly borrowed, its
origins begin to blur. Dr. B.R. Hensen is a likely candidate. Tell your students when to “be inside” and when to “come out.”
Be sure to have students mark unison pick-up notes and occasions when their part “takes over” from another.
Note the form early on, have them mark it, and give the “hallmarks” of each section to your students. Here’s an example :
o A- m. 6. Unison.
o B-m. 19. Parts which peel seamlessly in and out of unisons.
o C- m. 29. Expressive interpretation (Oh’s and Ah’s). Identify primary parts and listen for who’s featured.
o D-m. 49. A mix of unison and parts. Homophonic until the last two measures, which are transitional.
o E-m. 63. Climactic section. Dynamic peak.
Perspiration
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Intonation will need constant attention. Much of the melody lies in the difficult mid to low range, many cadences descend by
skip, and there are ascending perfect 4ths everywhere.
Inspiration
This song has Bella Voce written all over it. Bella Voce is our advanced treble ensemble, with all of our sophomore girls and the
upperclassmen girls who do not make varsity mixed. They are a non-varsity choir that we need to treat and make feel like varsity, and
this piece works well for that. It would be a challenge for them in the fall, but it would be their bread and butter later in the year for
UIL or festivals. They will love the text and the minor tonalities.
Matona Mia Cara
Orlando di Lasso, arr. Patrick M. Liebergen
TBB, optional piano
A classic in a new arrangement. The optional piano accompaniment is useful in a pinch. I always try to give the students a brief, kid
friendly bio for a composer like this. Did you know Orlando di Lasso was a singer? The story goes that he was kidnapped three times
as a youth because of his exceptionally beautiful voice!
Application
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Dig into the madrigal style, and highlight structure and contrast. Careful not to clip phrase endings. Make a decision early
about how you would like the “don “articulated.
Embrace the Italian! Never fake it…there are many good resources available. With a strophic piece like this it will be a
challenge to memorize. Use the form to help, always do a word for word translation (not just the poetic one given), and rest
assured that the time this takes will be balanced with less time polishing vowels. Students sing beautiful vowels faster and
easier in a foreign language.
Perspiration
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“Where are we?!” Avoid this question (sometimes) by making sure your students mark and understand the form. A m.6; B
m. 29; B1 m.50; A m. 71. I would teach the refrain first, then the two B sections because they are more challenging and will
need more time, then the A sections. Always be memorizing, all the time every day, in small chunks. Get to the text as soon
as possible, and do not let bobbles go… a repeated mistake quickly becomes “practiced in” and permanent.
Inspiration
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This would be great for non-varsity men, or even an excellent middle school tenor-bass choir or MS region choir, although
I’d seriously consider raising the key at least a half step for middle school. It would be great for small ensembles and singing
Valentines!
They will love rolling their [r]’s. Italian just makes your mouth happy!
Fair Phyllis
John Farmer, arr. Emily John
SSA, a cappella
And one for the ladies… I feel the same way about this as I do about Matona mia cara.
Application
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2/2 is always hard for students to count. I have tried many things, but in the end I always end up just letting them count it in
4/4 and then switching later.
Style demands tapered phrases and syllabic stress (ex. “wanderED”).
Rhythmically accurate cut offs matter a lot in this piece, not just for accuracy, but also for balance and momentum and
energy in the phrase.
Perspiration
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Meter and tempo. Do not be tempted to teach the meter changes at 33 and 42 by rote. They will eventually be able to “just
feel it”, but first they must understand it. Keep the quarter note constant and use a metronome to avoid slowing at the ¾.
Precision of rhythm is key. Spend more time than usual counting and chanting. Take sections like 42-52 and have students
learn to count and chant EVERYONE’S part. Work in small chunks!
Inspiration
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This would be a great UIL or spring piece for non-varsity girls. They will love the cheeky text and the bouncy style. Sing it
on “doot” or “bing”. Get one of the students to “beatbox” along.
Break of Day
Michael John Trotta
TB, piano, optional oboe
This would be nice for any concert or festival performance. There are SATB and SSAA arrangements of this as well. We have quality
text in the poetry of John Donne. I would choose this for an older ensemble that craves a mature text, but is less experienced and needs
a moderate range. The optional harmony really makes the refrain! It’s a “must do.”
Application
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Legato line is everything here. Insist on adherence to phrasing and stagger-breathing. Have students form groups of three or
four within their section. Allow them a moment to confer with their “stagger-breathing buddies” regarding where they are
each going to breathe. Be insistent that they comply with their planned breathing spot every time! It’s easy to get lazy about
it.
English diction. Dig in!
Perspiration
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Streams of repeated eighth notes in the line, paired with moderate range, could equal notey-ness. Use syllabic stress and word
stress to shape the legato line.
Inspiration
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Great for teaching your men to “croon”!
Fecit potentiam
from Magnificat 5 by Kim Andre ArnesenSSAA, organ
I’ve known many choir directors who have had a need for this piece. Say you are joining up with your orchestra program and doing a
major work with your mixed choir. Need something for a treble choir to do on the same concert? Well here it is! It could be done any
time of year, but the Christmas text would pair especially well with a Gloria on a holiday masterwork concert. This arrangement is
accompanied by organ, or you could check out the orchestration, which is exciting and student-friendly.
Application
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The articulation is light and bouncy. Keep your conducting gesture small, and consider using a stick, even without
orchestration.
Look at m. 19 or any of the many places like it. It will be essential to energize the [t] cut off of “Fecit” and the breath on the
eighth rest in order to set up the momentum going into the next part of the phrase.
Perspiration
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Repetition is both your friend and your foe. Fight apathetic, “auto-pilot” singing! Make them do something different every
time melody and text repeat. Have them change their facial expression, or make a gesture.
Inspiration
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This is great for festival and honor choirs, and for masterwork concerts.
They will love the contrast between the happy “Fecit” melody and the lush and lovely melody at D
She Walks in Beauty
Connor J. Koppin
TTBB, piano, oboe
More delicious text, this time by Lord Byron. Always analyze poetic text with your students! This piece features a gorgeous melody,
with no extremes in range. The oboe solo is really essential. I think I’d hire a pro for this one.
Application
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Smooth out the line. “Sing every note from the same space in your face.”
Impeccably shaped phrases with attention to word stress and syllabic stress.
English diction. It will never be done!
Momentum to the downbeat in places like m. 34. “These three go here.” –Mike Ware.
Perspiration
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Dynamic pacing is very important in this piece. There is nothing above mp until page 9; the piece climaxes with f at the top
of the next page, and then we have one more page to take it back down to p. The climax will be lost if we allow our choirs to
crescendo too soon.
Inspiration
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This would be beautiful for varsity men on any concert, at UIL, or a festival performance. Make her year and surprisededicate it to your accompanist (then see if she can make it through the piece without weeping), or to a beloved teacher or
administrator.
They will love the build to f at 53, and then the neat echo effect that highlights the dénouement at 60-63.
I’ll Tell My Ma
Irish Folk Song, arr. Jimmy Bass
SSA, piano, optional violin
What fun! This Irish (the English claim it too) folk song accompanies a children’s circle game. Play it! Consider playing the Youtube
video of The Dubliners for your students. You really just can’t say you did this piece justice without the fiddle!
Applications
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Style point- consider making cadence notes and notes before a breath staccato, though not marked that way in the score.
Diction must be crisp and precise, but not “fussy”.
Insist on 4-measure phrases to avoid choppiness.
Careful not to rush, especially repeated quarter notes like mm. 13-14.
Perspiration
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Look for balance issues with the altos at m. 49 and when the descant enters at m. 89.
Precision of rhythm, tempo and diction are going to be your big job. Try whispering the text in rhythm.
Key changes will need “muscle memory”. Teach them to not need the accompaniment, and then give them the
accompaniment.
Inspiration
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Non-varsity and intermediate treble choirs will love this, and advanced choirs as well. It will be welcome on theme concerts,
or as a closer for festival or honor choir performances.
They will love the character, wit, and style. Solos! Clapping! Dance break!
Tantsulaul (Dancing Song)
Veljo Tormis
TTBB, a cappella
Meeste laul (Men’s Song), from Meestelaulud 1
Turgi soja laul (Songs of the Turkish War), from Meestelaulud 1
I clumped these Estonian folksongs together because they are all very similar in style, and I found in my score study that I would teach
them all in much the same way. And boy would I ever teach these pieces! This is manly, tough-guy singing. They feature rich,
character-driven text, often funny. The fellow in Tantsulaul fancies himself an excellent dancer. Notice the tempo marking:
“Flatfooted waltz”! Meeste laul is basically a trash-talking song in which the men of one village proclaim their awesomeness, even
calling out the other villages by name. These guys are tough and proud. They may not have showered, but who cares? Interestingly,
the text of Turgi soja laul is a mix of Estonian and Russian, because the men of Estonia were forced to fight for the Russian army.
Look up the history and share it with your students.
Application
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Work the Road Map.
Articulation is for now, not later.
Perspiration
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Strophic means get to text asap!
Articulation. If you wait, it’ll be too late! The articulation affects everything else.
Estonian? Don’t panic! Walton has IPA for you on their website, and translations come with the octavos. You really must
make friends with IPA. Teach this valuable tool to your students and save tons of time in the long run. I have all of the
vowels posted on my choir room wall, because I refer to them so often, and I put the needed consonant symbols on the board
for the kids to copy into their music. I do not know how to teach choir without IPA.
Inspiration
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Concerts, festivals, Men’s Day Out. It would work for any size ensemble, but the sheer force of a large ensemble would be
most striking. Perform these in a situation where you can be lusty and loud, not fussy and super-polished. Listen to some
online recordings and you’ll see what I mean. A persnickety cut-off would just ruin it.
Meeste laud would make a great processional.
These lend themselves to movement!
They will love making everyone laugh! They will love that they get to just throw back their heads and go for it!
Angele Dei
James Baas
SSAA, piano
Again, I do love me some unison, and this has a lovely melody with which to work. It’s very singable with moderate ranges. The text
is a traditional prayer which is often the first that children learn. It would be lovely for advanced children’s choirs! Though officially
SSAA, you’ll notice it’s really 3-part until m. 53, as parts are doubled. Be thinking about this for voicing to avoid balance issues.
There are learning tracks and an accompaniment track available at choraltracks.com.
Application
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I would teach A, A1, and then B.
This Latin text is loaded with the dreaded “eh” vowel. It will require direct teaching and modelling to avoid flatting.
Tapered phrases and syllabic stress, especially “dei”, “mei”, and “custos”.
Focus on dynamic pacing. This piece grows consistently to the end, so it will be important to keep the first two sections “in
the jar”. Notice that as the dynamic requirement increases, so does the divisi. Point this out to your students!
Perspiration
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Singing through the upper-break, both ascending and descending, and on a closed vowel, for the S1’s in m. 20 and 23.
m. 71-end, though not difficult to read, may prove to be one of the biggest intonation challenges. Energize the sound and
place very forward and bright.
Inspiration
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This would be a good piece for non-varsity treble in the spring, or for advanced non-varsity in the fall, and would work on
concerts, at festivals, and in competition. A strong middle school varsity treble choir or region choir could also make good
use of this piece. It is rich with detail, but sticks to fundamental musical concepts. A great teaching piece!
They will love that it’s not hard, but doesn’t sound “easy”. They will love the melody…this just feels nice to sing.
If Ye Love Me
Thomas Tallis, ed. John Leavitt
TTBB, a cappella
Careful not to see moderate ranges and quarter notes and underestimate this piece. It’s “easy-hard.” It is essential repertoire in an easy
to use edition. Though the meter is 4/4, consider conducting it in 2, or you will have trouble getting that serene flow that is this piece’s
hallmark.
Application
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Practice counting more than you think you need to. Wood-shed ties across bar lines. Be a “Rest Fanatic”.
Isolate and rehearse transitions.
Homophonic vs. polyphonic sections. This is important vocabulary.
Word and syllabic stress shapes the phrase, and featured material must be allowed to shine through.
Perspiration
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At m. 18-23, tune intervals and the descending line, and match timbre to maintain intonation.
Taper and tune cadences, especially the final open chord.
Subdivide! Beatbox, conduct, pulse on eighths, turn on the metronome. Can they sing it on staccatos without rushing? No?
Then they are not subdividing.
Inspiration
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This is one of my all-time favorite pieces. It’s so serene, placid, and sincere. The style will make them love it, so you must
teach to the style. Once they don’t need support at the piano, take them on a “road trip” to the most ringy, live spot in your
school, and they will fall in love. Don’t worry too much about disturbing nearby classrooms. At Cy-Ranch they open their
doors and beg for more! (But do keep the testing schedule in mind out of courtesy.)
All My Trials
Gwyneth Walker
SSA, piano
Distinctive and wonderful Walker. This has been available for SATB, but now we have a SSA arrangement with moderate ranges,
fundamental rhythms and meter, and the long legato lines that signify Walker’s style. I love seeing the word “cantabile”, and there it is
in the very first measure. There is a solo opportunity for an exceptional soprano.
Application
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Minimize the [l] in the words “all”. It will color the vowel and affect intonation. Tell them to articulate with the tip of the
tongue, rather than swallow the [l] with the back of the tongue.
Every marking is essential and perfect with Walker. Trust her and just do it.
Duple against triple at mm. 47-52.
o How to pat two against three when you can’t pat two against three.
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o “Drag those duples!”
Shape those long phrases! < >, never just sit on it.
Perspiration
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Articulation changes at 56-70.
Negotiating in and out of unison at E without affecting the desired phrase shape. “Everybody put your soprano hat on. “
“Ah” has to MEAN SOMETHING every time they sing it.
Inspiration
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I would use this for Bella Voce, our intermediate group, in the spring, or varsity treble any time of the year. A region treble
choir would appreciate this very much, and it would give the clinician a lot of rich detail to play with. It would be a great
UIL or festival piece, but keep in mind it’s 6 minutes long.
They will love the text painting! Analyze the text with them, and dig into the history.
Non nobis
Dwight Gustafson, arr. Trevor Manor
TTBB, organ or piano, drum, optional trumpet and French horn
With its text from Psalm 115:1, “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory…”, this would be an excellent opener
or closer, especially in a sacred setting. There is a feature solo opportunity (choose wisely… the solo opens the piece and is a
cappella), and the instrument parts are all student-friendly. The ranges are moderate.
Application
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Everything rides on well-matched and balanced unisons here. Spend lots of time unifying vowels and tone, and centering and
focusing every pitch in the melodic line.
The melody is superimposed over an unrelenting drum, so precision and tempo are key. Subdivide early and often. Consider
conducting with a stick.
Perspiration
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When the accompaniment enters at m. 17, here’s hoping everyone is still in E-flat!
Inspiration
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You could easily add the women to this and use it for a big combined opener or closer. In a worship service, you could even
have the congregation join in at B. The “March-like” tempo paired with the militaristic drum part makes this a natural for a
processional.
O Oriens
Thomas Juneau
SSA(A), a cappella
This would fit right in at UIL or in any concert. I’d consider this in the spring for our intermediate Bella Voce, and it would be “bread
and butter” for varsity treble. It would make a very nice region treble piece. Although it features an Advent/Christmas text, it could be
performed any time of year.
Application
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This is another piece which will benefit from a focus on subdivision for precision. Try rehearsing it at faster tempos and use
the metronome. But don’t let your students abandon phrase shape or dynamics! Being precisely together but boring is not
where it’s at.
At mm. 16-17, use syllabic stress to shape repeated eighths. Be prepared to stop and tune every eighth note pulse in this
section.
Consider unison notes (often the initial note of each phrase) when rehearsing phrase shape.
Altos must be solid and foundational at mm. 18-19.
Perspiration
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The S2 part throughout, as well as the unison line at 35-36, are in the middle break and will demand attention to placement
for intonation. “High-talker”, “Ladies who lunch”.
Consider lowering this a half-step. The S1’s are in their high break on bright vowels mm. 18-20, the altos can handle it, and it
would relieve the S2’s of repeated B-flats, which is smack-dab in the middle of their break.
Inspiration
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These are the interesting harmonies and delicious dissonances that the girls love. Try excerpting 46-end and singing it from
memory whenever the mood strikes. Surprise them with it; don’t let them open their music. Sing it at the end of rehearsal, or
on Fridays. Every chord in this passage will need to be balanced and tuned.
They will love singing this in that super ringy spot on your campus! They’ll want to go there every day. And they will love
m. 6.
Bile Them Cabbage Down
arr. Mack Wilberg, adapted for male voices by James Rodde
hand piano, optional instruments
TTBB, Tenor solo, four-
The fiddle, string bass, wood block and tambourine add so much!! There are many great solo opportunities, and baritones could sing
these solos as well.
Application
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The accents and staccatos are about style. Try not to be too fussy about them. This style is simple. Shorts, longs, and punchit’s.
An accent is strike and decay. Teach this! Students will strike, but forget to decay. They’ll be yelling at you before you know
it. Teach the difference between accent and marcato.
Practice the key changes until they can do them without the accompaniment. Then give them the accompaniment.
Move quickly to text! It will give the rhythm differences relevance and help their accuracy. It won’t help to sing this on
solfege, saying things like “No! This is the one with the REST!”
Perspiration
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Rushing! Especially during the a cappella lines.
Inspiration
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This would be fun to do as a combined piece with ALL of your men. Also for festival choirs, honor choirs, and hoedowns. ☺
They’ll all want to play the percussion parts. Choose wisely! They have great power!
Consider inviting your silly, choir-loving administrator to come play “gut-bucket”!
They will love that this piece GOES! It has so much going on! It’s like an action movie.
Voice on the Wind
Sarah Quartel
SSAA, hand drum
This is composed in the style of an Irish folksong and really moves! It’s nice to get an SSAA a cappella piece that’s rhythmic and
energetic. The melody is infectious and the text has a neat twist which takes it beyond a typical “song about singing” text. There is a
feature solo in a moderate range that any voice could sing to start the piece, but soprano timbre would be best in my opinion.
Application
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I would teach the syncopated rhythm that occurs throughout beginning at 33-42 as a regrouping of the eighth notes within the
4/4 meter. Think of it as 8/8 instead of 4/4. Instead of 12-34-56-78, we have 123-456-78. Triplet, triplet, duple. Put 8 eighth
notes up on the board and group them both ways for your visual learners.
Analyzing and marking form will be crucial.
How to sing the word “voice”.
S1 and S2 are in unison against divisi altos at m. 55. Give your altos a fighting chance and voice accordingly here.
The rhythm of the melody is expanded at 67. Teach this vocabulary!
“Rooted and confident” at 83, not “Pressed and heavy”. A f statement of the melody which begins on a middle C is
dangerous… keep it heady and warm.
Perspiration
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Play with tone color in this piece. This style has a very distinctive timbre that will add so much. Look for spots to add detail.
For example, at m. 101 attack without vibrato and then warm the timbre as you crescendo.
Inspiration
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This would be really great for Region Treble Choirs!
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Consider adding dancers, or perhaps a little well-placed choreography with colored scarves.
They will love the empowering text, and the experimentation with timbre.