Festival Schedule:
Saturday, October 5
9:30am: Registration & Coffee
10:00am: Welcome
10:15am–11:15am: Workshop Session I
11:30am–12:30pm: Workshop Session II
Lunch Break (with option to order onsite catered lunch)
2:00pm–4:30pm: Festival Choir Rehearsal with organ, brass, and percussion
Sunday, October 6
2:30pm–3:30pm: Festival Choir warm-up rehearsal
4:00pm: Festival Choir Concert
** An optional note-learning rehearsal will be held on Saturday, September 21 from 10:00am to 1:00pm. **
FESTIVAL COLLABORATIVE MUSICIANS
Christian Lane, director of music at Emmanuel
Tom Sheehan, organist of Washington National Cathedral
National Philharmonic Brass
Festival Choir RepertoirE
Participants are responsible for obtaining their own legal copies of choral scores. Scores might be borrowed from your parish choir’s existing library — or can be easily purchased from Cliff Hill Music (www.cliffhillmusic.com). The total current cost of this list is $23.55.
JOHN RUTTER: Wells Jubilate
arr. RICHARD WEBSTER: When in our music God is glorified **
JOHN RUTTER: Look at the world
DAVID ASHLEY WHITE: Cantate Domino
SARAH MACDONALD: Sing, my soul, his wondrous love
arr. RICHARD WEBSTER: How shall I sing that majesty **
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: O how amiable
PHILIP STOPFORD: The spirit of the Lord
C.H.H. PARRY: I was glad when they said unto me
arr. JULIAN WACHNER: All creatures of our God and King
** for the Webster arrangements, no score purchase is necessary; a hymnal is sufficient **
WORKSHOPS In Session #1 (10:15-11:15am)
1. The Somatic Singer, with Peabody faculty soprano Claire Galloway
What: This workshop will be an introduction to a somatic exploration of the power of breath, connecting to our bodies, and vocalizing through movement. Somatic practices work from the body up so that we can fully understand how to regulate our nervous system through movement, breath, and truly comprehend what 'grounding yourself' can mean. There will also be a specific focus on how to use these tools to prepare for high-anxiety situations, like auditions and performances.
Why: We have become so disconnected from our bodies as humans and as singes - even vocal pedagogy talks about the larynx up, generally! By exploring breath, we connect to our entire being, find peace and safety within ourselves, and can allow our voices to fly.
What to wear/bring: Wear comfortable movement clothes and come with an open, curious self :) If you’d like (and have one) to you can bring a yoga mat.
2. Vocal Colors: Exploring Timbre and Texture in Singing, with composer & performer Sonya Knussen
This workshop explores the world of vocal color, inviting participants to discover the orchestral potential of their voices. Focusing on the textures and timbres found in a combination of orchestral and vocal pieces by composers such as Ligeti, Caroline Shaw, Britten, and Monteverdi, singers will expand their vocal palette, imitating the sounds that they hear and finding the vocabulary to describe those sounds. The workshop clarifies the distinctions between timbre and texture —timbre being the unique characteristics of sound, and texture the way different voices interact with one another. Emphasizing vocal health, participants will engage in a series of listening and vocal activities designed to encourage a creative and sustainable approach to singing.
Attendees will leave with a refined understanding of vocal color, equipped with practical techniques for its application, inspired by the rich tapestry of orchestral soundscapes, and informed by best practices in vocal health.
3. Diversifying our repertoire: An introduction to Boulanger Initiative’s database, with BI’s Director of Learning & Engagement Kathryn Radakovich
Designed for everyone – musicians, performers, conductors, students, researchers, educators, artistic administrators, and anyone with a curious mind – Boulanger Initiative’s database provides access to thousands of works by women and gender-marginalized composers. By sharing knowledge and resources, BID increases access to works by underrepresented composers, empowering all who wish to diversify classical music programming.
Together with Boulanger Initiative’s Director of Learning & Engagement, soprano Kathryn Radakovich, spend some time diving into this this incredible resource and be introduced to a sampling of works that you might introduce to your own choir, expanding its repertoire in the coming years!
WORKSHOPS In Session #2 (11:30AM-12:30PM)
1. Vocal Health and Maintenance, with UMBC faculty tenor Andrew Hann
Learn how your voice works and what you can do to take care of your instrument! This workshop will include an overview of voice anatomy and function, debunking vocal health myths and rumors, vocal disorders and pathology issues, how to care for your voice, and suggested warmups/cooldowns.
2. The Mature Voice: Tips & Tricks to stay nimble, with soprano Deborah Saunders
“With age comes wisdom,” the old saying goes. But, as many of us know, age also brings changes to our bodies — and to our voices! In this workshop, learn some simple tips and tricks to maximize vocal agility and hone technique in one’s full maturity. Soprano Deborah Saunders, who still performs after more than five decades of professional singing, guides us on this journey of rediscovery.
3. Sightsinging and Musicianship for Rehearsal and Practice, with conductor and tenor Will Myers
This workshop centers on giving singers practical tools for improving individual rhythmic consistency and textual expression in rehearsal and practice, as well as allowing singers to be more confident sight singers. Incorporated will be group exercises that can also be utilized in individual practice (count singing, variation on removing or simplifying certain musical elements at a time, etc.), recommended marking/annotations, and physical/embodied approaches to music making (such as rhythmic and arthymic breathing, basic conducting techniques, etc.).