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What Are We Feeding Them?
What Are We Feeding Them?
Selecting Literature for the Choral Ensemble
Dara Gillis, President
Dara Gillis,
President of the Ohio Choral Directors Association
The greatest challenge and greatest joy for the choral music educator is the selection of literature. I refer to the repertoire we choose as the choir’s diet. What we feed our singers musically is not unlike what we feed our bodies. It impacts health, growth, strength, and development. Are we feeding our singers a balanced diet? Below is some “food for thought” which includes guidance in programming, musical selection, and resources.
Experienced teachers face challenges in finding fresh and exciting material for us as our diet may have become a bit stale. We sometimes feel we have sung it, taught it, heard it, and bought it all before. For new teachers, selection of literature is daunting as they first need to discover what is or is not in the current library and second what money is available to purchase new material. Regardless of where we are in our careers, we must determine what is already in the pantry and what is needed to create the perfect menu.
A good rule of thumb when selecting literature for any ensemble is to keep standards high but realistic, ensuring that each selection introduces the singers to something they have not already experienced. Whether it is a new concept in rhythm or dynamics, or a text that teaches new vocabulary, the students should be learning something new through each piece. I am often guilty of falling in love with the music of a particular composer. This can lead to overprogramming of a specific style or compositional technique. While we all love great comfort food, our job is to broaden our musicians’ boundaries.
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We should not shy from language challenges and particularly romance languages which are some of our best teaching tools. Even the youngest singers will benefit from selections in Latin, Spanish, Italian, etc. For less experienced singers, selecting works that are slower in tempo and more lyrical with limited harmonic requirements is wise. Even a more mature choir will grow stronger from learning a melodious foreign language work in unison. Beyond romance languages, I am thrilled to see the number of pieces published in more unusual texts which expose our students to cultural traditions they might not otherwise experience. This is not unlike visiting a restaurant to try the food of another culture. So much to be gained!
Good choral nourishment includes a variety of genres. Just because your ensemble is not ready to sing The Messiah, doesn’t mean that they can’t sing Baroque music. There are many arrangers and publishers that are doing outstanding work with this literature for all ages without diluting or “dumbing down” the material. When selecting repertoire for concerts, it is wise to have at least three different time periods and styles represented. A piece from the Renaissance, one from the Classical or Romantic period and a spiritual or piece of vocal jazz will provide a healthy diet and will surely challenge the singers. It will also ensure there is something on the bill of fare that every singer will like.
But where does one find these wonderful ingredients and pantry staples? The OMEA Adjudicated Events song lists are a great place to start. The repertoire is challenging and is specifically selected to create well rounded singers. For an inexperienced choir, a selection or two from the Class C list at the start of the year and one or two from the Class B list in the spring will be beneficial. This is also an excellent way to build a strong music library. If you are drawn to pieces on these lists but they are still too challenging for your students, consider locating other pieces by composers found there whose music intrigues you. I also encourage you to visit the resources link at ohiocda.org and comb the incredible selections offered by the state R&R chairs of our organization. There is outstanding music listed from every genre for every age and experience.
Lastly, consider joining us at the OCDA Summer Conference, June 15-17 at Upper Arlington High School. We will have many reading and interest sessions that will help you “beef up” your musical cuisine! Registration is now open at ohiocda.org. We would love to see you!
