Reminders for the last week of Choir this semester

Our rehearsal next week is Thursday from 10:30am - 12:00. Guys are to bring their sweatshirts to put over their shirts and practice for their song. Also bring props (hoola hoop) for whoever volunteered to bring it (I forget).

The concert begins at 7pm - since we have to get everyone ready and go through our song with our different accompanist - ARRIVE AT 6PM.

Refer to an earlier post for your attire reminders...

PROJECTS DUE!!!

Look at the ending of your songs and make sure you are on the right notes!!! Also refresh your memorization where needed and look at dynamics.

Watch the director...not the audience.

Can't wait till our concert! It's gonna be great!

Spring Semester Schedule Changes

We will start a week later than the brochure schedule stated. Here is the schedule - please go ahead and mark your calendars. Note that whatever week the Talent show is, we will meet that afternoon from around 3-5 and then the talent show is at 7pm on a Tuesday. We will not have class the Friday of that same week.

Jan 15 Spring Term Begins Tuition Due
Feb 12 "Snow Day" - No Class
Mar 12 Spring Break - No Class
Apr 2 Closed for Easter
TBA Talent Show (April some time - a Tuesday)
May 13th - AM Dress Rehearsal and 7PM Spring Performance

Concert Order

Remember that next week we don't meet Friday but Thursday Dec 10th to have our dress rehearsal...

Home School Choir - In Harmony - 2009 Christmas Music Order

Adeste Fideles – Flute & Drums

Away In A Manger – Guitar

Heaven's Child – Solos (Guys to change up here)

The Chipmunk Song - Christmas don't be late - Guys song

INSERT BAND (guys to change back and calm down)

Beg/Intermediate Band-
A Christmas Sleigh Ride - Feldstein/O'Relly

Beg Band
Jazzy Mice

Come Make A Place - Ladies Song

Long Time Ago – Guitar & Flute

Here I am to worship / Joy to the World (get in different formation for this song)

Intermediate Band-
Kings from the East - arr. Mark Williams
Canon of Peace - Arr. Paul Jennings
First Rockin Christmas - Arr. John O'Reilly

It's A Christmas Miracle!

Well, maybe not quite - but I can hear again!!! Practice up!!!

No Class next week

Just a reminder that we will not meet Nov. 27th due to Thanksgiving. Enjoy your families and remember to practice your songs. Make sure you have the words to "Long Time Ago" memorized and work on the endings of "Adeste" and "Here I am / Joy to the World".

Will post more info soon.

Remember you have projects due the last day of class (Dec. 10th). Also remember that we wear White tops and black bottoms to the concert...See your brochure for more info or email me with any questions. Ladies, Christmas Dresses are fine.

Assignment due Nov. 20th

In addition to making sure your parts are memorized, please take good note of your dynamics. A good byproduct of not holding music is that you can now watch the director more closely. So, be ready to keep a close eye out for me next week.

Will want you to look nice since I will be taking pictures this week at rehearsal for the article I am putting in the newspaper for your concert announcement!

Also, you may want to go ahead and copy and paste the following information to send to your friends and family to have them mark their calendars to attend the concert.

Plan to join in the fun as the Home School Choir "In Harmony" and the Home School Band celebrate the birth of Jesus on Thursday, December 10, 2009 at Trinity Wesleyan Church on 2200 Mooresville Rd in Salisbury at 7 PM.

Elisabeth Von Trapp Concert

This looks like a wonderful opportunity

The Cornelius Concert Series Presents:
Elisabeth Von Trapp
Sunday, Nov. 15
6pm -Sanctuary, Mt. Zion United Methodist Church
19600 Zion St.
Cornelius, NC

For Elisabeth Von Trapp, "the sounds of music" are part of her earliest memories. Born and raised in Vermont, she is the granddaughter of the legendary Maria and Baron Von Trapp. Elisabeth's concert repertoire ranges from Bach to Broadway... Schubert to Sting. No one leaves an Elisabeth Von Trapp performance unchanged. Audiences of all ages are drawn by the promise of her famous name, awed by the beauty of her voice and musical arrangements, their hearts touched by the sound of her unique new music. A free will offering will be taken.

Update - Nov 10th

Ethan is home and recovering well. He will have to be on oral antibiotics for a total of 21 days though.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at class this Friday.

If anyone knows of any extra verses to the Chipmunk song, do let me know.

Have your parts nailed down and memorized. We'll have plenty of good practice time this week from 10-12.

Important Announcement

I had to admit my son to the hospital today in Concord. He will probably be there for a few days with an eye infection.

Thus, we will not meet this Friday (Nov 6th). Instead, we will meet from 10-12 on Nov 13th. If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

Be sure and practice extra hard since we will not see each other this week. Music is to be memorized by the 13th.

Assignment due Nov. 6th

We could not obtain the music to "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen" due to problems with the publisher being bought out. (Sorry!) We also could not get "Away In A Manger" but I am going to take what we have and arrange it for our choir so we can still do it. Be sure and listen to it on your cd so you can learn it.

All songs need to be memorized by November 13th. And of course, you will be tested on this.

Assignment due Oct. 30th

Congratulations! Now you know what singing tests can be like. Now you know what to work on more. Practice not only with your own parts on the cd but also with the other sound tracks. Get used to hearing other parts in connection with your part. Don't just run over the parts you know already. Stop and work the sections you are having trouble with. If you don't know what that is after today...email me or call.

Solos - work on your parts. I look forward to hearing them more in the next few weeks. We will work more on hearing individuals to make sure you know your part and can hold your own.

And hey, if you go to Chick Fil A on the 31st dressed in 70's clothes, you get a free milk shake!!! Now aren't you glad you read the blog?

Assignment due Oct. 23rd

Remember to bring your blank cd's if you haven't already done so.

Listen to and practice with your cd along with your written music at least three times this week. We will have singing tests on Friday to check your progress. Know your stuff!

No "Yuletide Rhythm" this year. It is on your cd, but we will not perform it this Christmas. Also, no "Strange Way To Save The World" song. The guys will now do "Christmas Don't Be Late" - The Chipmunks song...I will tell you details when we meet again...Enjoy the these video clips!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzTG0fTLAlU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT2GLdWrqLM&feature=related

Will give solo results when we come together as well...thanks to all who auditioned!

Check this out!

An example of what a small group can do!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCFCeJTEzNU

Assignment due Oct. 16th

Remember to bring a blank cd in an envelope to class so I can give you a cd to rehearse with at home. Then you won't have to look it all up on line or be on the computer.

Be ready for solo auditions after class on the 16th. We'll be working in sections next week so have questions about your parts so we can make sure you know your stuff. We will begin having singing tests (sing in sets of twos to hear everyone) on the 23rd. Everyone will be responsible to know their own parts. Keep listening and practicing with the music at least 3 times a week. You'll be amazed at how wonderful you'll sound by December doing this!!!

Call or email with any questions as they arise. To listen to your music this week continue to copy and paste it in a new tab and you can hear it all I believe.

Also, on a vocal note, it may help you all to lip trill your parts this week as part of your assignment. It will help your breath support and thus your overall tone...

Mrs. Susan
shoshanna1@juno.com

Assignment due Oct. 9th

In addition to listening to your previous songs, we now have all but two of our songs in. One of them came in and was the wrong arrangement. So I am posting these songs for your enjoyment. Let me know how this is working for everyone. You can actually make your own cds or mp3 files and go mobile! You are all tech savvy, right? This gives you pretty much everything we have this semester. You can listen to everything and learn it pretty quickly. Nothing is majorly difficult. If you have any questions, please ask!

Yuletide Rhythm -

This is a youtube link. Get your parent's permission to check it out. We will probably move to our song and we'll see just how. I like some of their movements, but not all. I think we can do better, don't ya'll?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RaZ5AAHu_w


Away In A Manger – EA5191 (this one came in - wrong arrangement.)

http://shawneepress.com/producttitle.asp?title=away%20in%20a%20manger


Long Time Ago –

http://lorenz.com/product.aspx?id=10_3888L

Assignment due Oct. 2nd

Written part of your home work this week is to go through your songs and determine where the ending consonant sounds go at the end of each phrase. Do this in pencil so you can correct any mistakes. Follow the way we did it in class and you will do fine.

In addition to working on the other 3 songs, here's a new one to listen to and get a good feel for. I wanted to expose you to something you probably haven't gotten to work with much - Jazz~! It's a melody with words you know in a meter that will be NEW! Try to count this one out! It's a jazz progression set in 5/4 (5 beats per measure, quarter note gets the beat). Anybody know a good saxophone player?

God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen – Alfred pub. 00-30972
On Flash player -

http://www.alfred-music.com/player/AlfredChoralDesigns2009/30972/player.html?osCsid=caa6172397c50600103d0e1a8c93e5f9

If the above doesn't open right, try this route-

http://www.alfred.com/alfredweb/front/ProductDetail.aspx?itemnum=%20%20%20%20%2030972&pubnum=0

Call me if you cannot get to any of the recordings I have posted so far this year...

Assignment due Sept 25th

In addition to listening to and working to memorize the last two songs, begin listening to Adeste Fideles. (I am waiting for the rest of the music to come in.)

Adeste Fideles - I edited this post for the link 9/21/09 - Try again! Let me know if you have problems now...

http://lorenz.com/product.aspx?id=15_2573H

Words and translation (Pay attention to pronunciation and get a good idea of the repeated melody lines.)

Adeste fideles, Venite, venite in Bethlehem:
O come, all ye faithful, O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.

Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Glory to God in the highest.

Get ready to try out for solos that are also posted (lyric links below).
Heaven's Child -
http://www.lyricstime.com/the-martins-heaven-s-child-lyrics.html

Strange Way to Save the World -
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jump5/strangewaytosavetheworld.html

Christmas Concert - December 10th - 7:00 PM

This is a Thursday. We will meet that morning for our dress rehearsal. This means we will run through the program in order and so forth. Not that you need to dress up.

Mark your calendars now!

Listening for First Week's Assignment

Due September 18, 2009

Remember to follow along in the music as you listen.
3 times this week!

Come Make A Place -

http://www.halleonard.com/closerLook/75712097/75712097_ComeMakeAPlace.mp3
Partial recording (beginning and ending)

Here I am to worship / Joy to the World -

http://www.halleonard.com/closerLook/75712067/75712067_HereIAm.mp3

Enjoy!

Mrs. Susan

Solo Opportunities for Females

We are making available songs for solos this year. Listen and see if you would like to participate. Several can sing portions of the same song.

Heaven's Child –

http://www.halleonard.com/closerLook/75709070/Emmanuel_HeavensChild.mp3

Not an exact sound I am after, but you get the idea...

Solo Opportunities for Males

We are making available songs for solos this year. Listen and see if you would like to participate. Several can sing portions of the same song.

Strange Way to Save the World – New link (youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4olA_FIvmwo

Welcome to the 2009 Fall Semester

We now meet at Trinity Wesleyan Church on 2200 Mooresville Rd. in Sallisbury on Friday mornings at 10:30 am. Our first class is September 11th.

Look forward to seeing everyone there!

Susan

Great Concert Opportunity

April 17, 2009 - All County Concert - 6:30 at Corriher Lipe Middle School