Workshops & Tips

The Horsley Choral Society

Last update: 13/05/2006

How can we improve our singing?

On Saturday 6th October 2001, Stephen Hope led a workshop to prepare us for our Autumn Concert.	Click here to reach Helen's notes.
Our conductor worked us hard in our Spring Workshop, preparing for the Leith Hill Festival.	Click here to reach Helen's notes.
We had a very helpful session with Alison Mary Sutton, adjudicator from Leith Hill Festival 2000.	Click here to reach Helen's notes.

Notes from 6th Ocotber 2001 - preparation for the Autumn Concert

Page & ref

Voice

Action

Image / explanation

Hymn to St Cecilia

4

T&B

Need to place notes accurately.

4

T

Must place first note correctly

Racing image: start in pole/position!

4

all

note dynamics - smooth, sweet, virginal, pure

Fresh churned milk ...

4

all

In - pronounce 'eeen'

4

all

tuning tends to be flat.

Need to hitch everything up. Land from above - SAS parachutist - swing in from the top

14

s

energise quavers - lighten - separate out the quavers

14

s

accent on 'I'

15

ab

articulation on I cannot grow - accents

16-17

I on = major third

18

s

change of pattern

Robin Hood

20

t

final 2 bars at bottom/of page - whom I could wrong repeated - BAGF BAGF

write in skull & crossbones+ Stephen's face!!!

21

s

I am defeat - articulate - explosive consonant'de' - use the d; care over vowel sound 'feat'

21

a&b

When - one semitone under - only thing acceptable!!

22

t

contrast I am defeat with previous version

22

s

14. Be aware of syncopation - place the 'de' on 3rd beat - physicalise and feel the beat - look at the conductor

Stephen won't spend any longer on this!!!

all you live through - don't rush - imagine quaver beat tapped out by Stephen in background

27

all

practise finding this note

sops e = 5th of the next chord

27

a

spire = G# - contrast G natural next time!

28

all

be aware that rall starts in 2nd bar of lower stave (immortal fire)

27

b

bar 3 - don't move too soon from Celia to appear

like 2 'up' bows from end of Celia to the a of appear

29

all

conduct yourself - divide each beat into 2 - '1 and 2 and 3 and'

30

t

figure 19 - practise the interval - like 'Maria' in west side story

lock into your vocal memory - go for it - until you anchor it.

31

t

intervals between and - dread - born. Crescendo

supply the energy - as if you are hitting a ball into a goal

31

a

break after released - cresc - dread longer than you think - wait until after the second beat before moving to 'born'

Bruckner - 2 Offertorium

3

all

pronunciation of 'er' - Italian open sound - hard e (as in 'air'

3

all

at the comma, lift

3

all

virgines - veee - best sound to sing on - supports thesound - tuck in the g

Yorkshire people have it right - eee by gum

3

all

no breath after tibi

3

all

clear break between 'e' and 'am'

3

a

figure 8- clear break between each ejus, ejus, softer at the end of each

3

t

fig 8 3rd bar - increase volume through 'e' of'ejus', then decrease to end of phrase

Pange lingua

all

in 2

5

all

bar 8 verse 3 - tuck s just before the jubilatio

5

t

bar 9 into 10- note the length the notes

5

all

fig 10 - cresc

5 - 6

all

fig 19- sit prononce sit as 'seat'

6

all

dim pretium make sure oooo on um sound - focused, quality

imagine Stephen pointing at his mouth! He can't do it in the concert - might be on video!

6

all

don't slow down esp after 29 four bars

6

all

dictio = deak (as in beak)

6 Graduale (Lydisch)

11

t2

difficult passage

imagine going up and down the dales.

11

t1

downward scale made exciting by syncopated rhythm - like Tchaikovsky

13

a

beware bottom of the page - be ready for the b over the page!

14

t

26 -really difficult! crescendo lingua - build up to be able to reach top note

13

s&a

lingua pronounced 'lean' gua

Notes from our February 2001 workshop with Stephen Hope.

(The bits Helen Blow has remembered and marked in her score!)

Two Hungarian Folk Songs

Szilvas village

*Bar/ reference*	*Voice*	*Comment*	*Prompt / visual reminder!*
45 'He will wield'	S2 A1 A2 (but esp. S2)	Dramatic – he will wield a knife!	Imagine Stephen rushing at you with a fierce expression and a knife – the opposite of a skipping Stephen!
50-53	All	Make sure you keep sharp

2. Pleased to meet you; now goodbye

Bar/ reference

Voice

Comment

Prompt / visual reminder!

Throughout

All

Be aware of rhythm – keep up!

Clarity of dotted rhythm especially important.

Beware page turn – straight in at top of next page

Write something in your copy! (VO)

Locus Iste

*Bar/ reference*	*Voice*	*Comment*	*Prompt / visual reminder!*
1-2	All	Crescendo – fade on 'te'	< >
4	All	Crescendo through 'fact', diminuendo on 'est'	< >
8	All	Shorten third beat to quaver (est) so that bass starts cleanly (i.e. place the 't' on the 'and' of the beat count – 'three-and')	Put a tail on the crotchet!
11	All	As above for the first beat (est)	Put a tail on the crotchet!
20	Tenor	Float on the 'irreprehensibile'	Float
23	Bass	Shorten 4^th beat to quaver (est) (place the t on the 'and' of 'four-and')	Put a tail on the crotchet!
Coda	All	Watch carefully for the conductor's right to change the speed – watch the beat!	Spectacles sign
Last bar	All	Place the 't' at the same point – the 'one' of the down beat of the imaginary next bar!

Mother I will have a husband – Thomas Vautor

*Bar/ reference*	*Voice*	*Comment*	*Prompt / visual reminder!*
1	All	'Lift' the notes – especially 'have a'	'È È ' on top of 'have a ' '- ' on top of 'hus'
9-10	SSA	Lift on 'John a'; relatively more stress on 'Dunn'; lift on 'should have had me';	È È __ È È È È
11	SSA	Stress long – fade to this	- >
13-14	All	Legato 'He said I had good lips to'	'legato'
15	SSB	Place the 's' of kiss after 2½ beats (i.e. on the 'and' of 'three-and')
15	A	Place the 's' of kiss on the down beat of next bar ('one')
15	T	Place the 's' of kiss after 1½ beats (on the 'and' of 'two-and')
16	A	Energise the 'Mother' – important bit for altos!	'energise'
31	All	Statement sung by all in exactly same rhythm – lift the notes, except for stressing 'I'
39 – 55	All	Waltz time – be aware – lighten beats 2&3	Imagine sopranos swaying from side to side!

Rest RVW

*Bar/ reference*	*Voice*	*Comment*	*Prompt / visual reminder!*
16	All	In unison – all sing a G!! Sound mysterious and breathy	'Unison'
17	All	Place the 's' of questions after ½ beat – shorten 'tions' to a quaver (on the 'and' of 'two-and')	(Imagine Stephen's fury if we don't!! – he keeps telling us!!)
19	All	Place the 's' of replies after ½ beat (on the 'and' of 'one-and') – shorten to a quaver
19	All	Place the 'd' of hushed as written – after ½ beat (on the 'and' of 'two-and')
26	All	Unison – all on a D Pronounce still as 'steel' Place the final 's' of stillness softly, immediately before the 'that'	Ness sthat
29	All	Place the 'se' of Paradise on the down beat of the following bar (on the 'one' of the next bar)
42	All	WAIT until the down beat to place the 's' of stir	"touch the s"
51	All	Place the 'd' of 'end' as shown i.e. on the down beat of beat 2 (on the 'two' of 'two-and')
56-57 (last 2 bars)	All	WATCH the beat	Spectacles

HCS Choral Workshop. Saturday 29^th January 2000 with Alison Mary Sutton

Aim	Exercise + explanation / theory
Warm-up	Sing 'Senua descende, senua' GGFE -DCC GGFED- CC CCBAG - AAGFE FFEDE – CC Rhythm: Song uses easier vowel sounds
Vowels open – 'inner lift'	Drop jaw wide when singing vowels Imagine: floppy face – vowels 'drop' from an imaginary line under the eyes. Some vowels easier than others – e, a = jeans hanging down, i (as in kyrie) = socks hanging down! Open mouth, clearer throat
Open throat for maximum sound – 'inner lift'	Sing above. Ensure tongue and soft palate not constricting throat – don't let tongue retract raise soft palate (imagine: the beginning of a yawn which you cannot show / sucking a straw which is blocked up) Throat acts as a tube – make it as empty as possible A higher palate makes it easier to breathe 'Inner lift' enables you to work the jaw
'Outside lift'	Imagine cheek muscles support a line just below the eyes 'Outside lift' helps inner lift
Sounding consonants	Attack consonants. (Chr …, Kyr … Gl ). Form them at the front of the mouth, to allow the vowel to resonate. Catapult forward. Don't hear the breath on the consonant. Gl.. more difficult, hence sometimes better to make more of a 'k' sound. Practise: ggggg kkkkk Maximum use of breath for vowel resonance. Onset without breathing.
Synthesis of above!	Descending scale 'Chris-te, Chri-ste' CECB, ACAG, FAFE, DBDC Rhythm: triplet, crotchet etc.
Awareness of the importance of controlling breath	Feel side – fist at side of rib cage, by breast bone. Breathe in and out – feel rib cage come in. Imagine a V shape (cf the U of a timpani) – try to keep breath in it. Diaphragm dome shaped. Need to try to maintain air for breathing. When singing, try not to let the rib cage collapse!
Posture	Head at 90 degrees to neck Legs hip-width apart. Roll forward and back- find a comfortable position, back straight. Seated: edge of chair – both feet on the floor, as if on suction pads (NB Mike tells tales on you if you forget this!) Need to allow sufficient breath
Breathing out	Lift to top, imagine puppet strings on top of hand, push palms out and bring arms down. Breathe out as if through the eye of a needle. Practise with words Kyrie, Glorie, Christe, tollis When need more breath – imagine 'open the sliding doors' of the throat / open the dome of St Paul's in the mouth / sing the inner pyramid'! Need to control breath
Summary	Build up practices described gradually – they will become natural. This is an 'ideal goal'. As if you have olive oil around your joints Silent chewing before practices Vowels flopping off the line High soft palate – the beginning of a yawn
Breath control again!	Imagine stretching your muscles to about 60%. If 100% it is difficult to retract, to recover (fight or flight mode follows!) Aim to expand the V shape. Seated, hold chair legs. First pull 100%, then 50%, and blow through eye of needle. Don't release all air. Breathe from down there, rather than snatching breath up here!
	Exercise: descending and ascending scale with 2 beats in between. Go – go – go – go – (repeat of go ensures retaining vowel sound) Gradually reduce number of 'go' Go - - - Go - - - Go - - - - - - - - Notes bouncing off the palate like drops Repeat to ya, da, ga 'energetically generated scale'
Preparation for first note	Imagine the note on a bulls eye – out there
Consonants	Ensure impact on consonants, whatever the volume. Vowels provide the volume. Consonants always the same – clear. Enjoy the 'm'
Breath control in long passages	Mime if necessary – ensure you maintain the vowel sound. If you struggle / collapse, stop and re-poise Plan where you are going to take the extra breath!
Shaping phrases	Don't sing notes – sing the line, the shapes
Conscious maintenance of sound	Be committed! Don't rely on the conductor- don’t be passive – keep the vowel sounds going. Sing each new phrase as if it were the first.
Lively passages	e.g. Cum sancto – imagine a series of mini vomits – throw up and over (sorry, but that's what she said!!)
Runs	Practise them in groups
Big intervals	Memorise the music! Sequence: Listen + look Listen + don't look Mime Listen again Sing as if speaking Then the jump finds its own way …!