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COMING UP - ROB'S REQUIRED EVENTS
May 13, 2000 Saturday Rehearsal 9:00 am Church Of St. Augustine, 176 Westcliffe , Pointe Claireß NOTE
May 19, 2000 Rehearsal 7:30 pm Church Of St. Augustine, 176 Westcliffe , Pointe Claireß NOTE
May 20, 2000 Beginning to See The Light featuring PLATINUM, Salle Claude Champagne Tickets $18
Thursday, June 1, 2000 Olympic Pool O Canada at the Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials - 6:00 pm
Sunday, June 11, 2000 Sing-out, École Gérald Godin 2:30 pm - 5:00 pmß CHANGE
Summer (Between July 15 and August 30, 2000) Festival des Chorales - Villages Québécois d'Antan, Drummondville DETAILS TO COME
September 22-24, 2000 Fall Forward - A retreat for the whole chorus
October 27-29, 2000 Northeast District Contest, Montréal - That's US! |
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COMING UP - OPTIONAL, BUT FUN and EDUCATIONAL EVENTS
June 3, 2000 Burlington Chapter Show with Michigan Jake. (Hershel Pesner has tickets - $15.00 CDN)
July 2 - 9, 2000 International Convention Kansas City, Missouri
August 11-13, 2000 Harmony Pilgrimage - Westfield State College, Westfield, MA
September 1-3, 2000 Bolton Landing Barbershop Quartet Festival, Bolton Landing, NY |
The Village is classed as historic and plunges you into the period from 1810 to 1910, featuring 20 residences and 14 workshops. This looks like a fun event for the whole family.
In barbershop singing, everything that you do should support the message of the song. For starters, this includes the:
- volume
- bright/breathy
- tempo
- moves
- resonance
- stressed words
- body position
- register
- focal point of eyes
- costume
- The limited scope of this article dictates that only the first two of these features will be addressed (volume and bright/breathy).
I have heard it said that the two defining characteristics of barbershop music (especially at alcohol-fuelled afterglows) are:
- it is loud, and 2. if a chord rings, we hold it as long as our breath and director will permit.
Neither is generally suitable to the music. All features of our performance should be dictated by the artistic interpretation of the song. They should all send the same message. All members of the chorus, reflecting the changing mood and message of the song should sell this message.
Volume
I have also heard coaches say that we should never sing louder than beautiful. Volume is such an easily controlled feature of singing, it should be the first thing over which a chorus gains control.
Bright/breathy
The chorus should use a variety of volumes to sell the song, being quiet or loud, breathy, or bright as indicated by the mood of the song. For instance, Heart of my Heart can be performed as a quiet, breathy song or as a brighter, more intense number, depending on the interpretation and the intended message.
A group's ability to "sell" a particular interpretation will be enhanced by its ability, as a unit, to increase or decrease volume/breathiness and other vocal characteristics.
When the vocal folds are held tightly together, they produce a crisp, bright sound. The further apart the folds are, the breathier and quieter the sound produced. Escaping air, rushing past the partially open vocal folds produces some of the breathy sound quality. You must be aware that this inefficient use (leakage) of air will also result in a need to breathe more frequently.
You and your body come to barbershop singing with years of emotional experience. Many of the "techniques" employed in barbershop come naturally when you understand the interpretation and "feel" what the composer and lyricist intended.
As an experiment, sing Heart of my Heart with the following messages and associated techniques.
- Teenagers emphatically proclaiming his feelings to a new love (a la Romeo & Juliet).
Bright, volume (6-7), face (excited, anticipation, proud), posture (upright, alert, big resets)
- After 60 years of marriage, restating feelings to a sleeping spouse, on her deathbed.
Breathy, volume (1-3), face (nostalgic, reflective, sad), posture (shoulders forward, slightly slumped)
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Breathy: This is a controllable vocal characteristic, which enhances the message. It is a good skill to develop.
WANTED Coordinator/Producer for Christmas CD in the works for 2001 The Chapter Board authorised the production of a Christmas CD with the other Barbershop Choruses and quartets in the Montreal Area. This will include South Shore Saints, Sweet Adeline's West Island Chorus, and Greater Montreal Chorus and Montreal Chapter of Harmony, Inc. and their quartets. We need someone to pilot this project to fruition. This is a great opportunity for you to really make a difference. See Alan Kenley for further details.