Good luck, Students.
I’m looking forward to meeting you and making music together in March!
Keep in mind that these files are meant to help in your practice, but do not replace the time you spend preparing with your director. Rehearsal files tend to be somewhat unmusical, ignoring fermatas, and unable to replicate dynamic changes. These files will be great for getting the notes and rhythms, after which you should put them away and begin making expressive music.
Again, very much looking forward to working with you, and best wishes as you practice and prepare!
—— Dr. Helsel
Everlasting Melody
Consider the rests (silence in music) and the notes that fall on beats to be as important as the syncopation (off beat notes) that tends to define this song. Enjoy the high energy of this piece, which will close our concert!
I Will Bring You Brooches
One weird fact is that the word “brooches” is actually pronounced “broaches.” Beyond that, we’ll work on placement of consonants aligning together and singing beautiful phrases that always crescendo and diminuendo along with the movement of this beautiful poem. I didn’t make rehearsal files for this one because there is only one part - we’ll all sing together. This song is about unification, and not about vocal harmonies. So, let this YouTube video be your guide for this one. We’ll go a tad faster than the choir on the video.
Be Like the Bird
This is a canon that we will do in multiple parts. We might use it as a procession, and we. might not get the music, so we might have to learn it together in March. Here’s the melody just to get it in your mind. Here’s a choir doing this piece. We’ll have fewer moving voices than them, but mostly pay attention to the opening line, which really just repeats.
Dream Keeper
Ribbons in the Sky
Weave Me a Poem
I’ve kept the tempo changes a bit more subtle than what’s marked in the music, and I’ve kept the rehearsal files moving. We’ll be a little more free about time when we sing this together in March.