HS TTBB Honor Choir notes - Clayton Parr, Albion College -
Notes for 2015-2016 MSVMA High School TTBB Honor Choir
Clayton Parr, Albion College, conductor ()
Gentlemen: Congratulations on your selection to this honor choir! I am humbled to have been chosen to work with you in January, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to work together. If we all do our jobs right, the performance on January 23 will continue the tradition of fine male choral singing in this state.
Below are notes and breath mark information for our pieces, in program order. Be sure to have every breath mark noted in your scores before the first rehearsal. The breath marks are all listed rhythmically, so you know exactly where each cutoff and final consonant should be placed.
Michael Cox: Praise Him!
This piece was written to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bison Glee Club at Oklahoma Baptist University. The consistent rhythmic drive fits the Psalm text well and creates an atmosphere of excitement to begin our program -- but it's important to note that much of this piece is sung at a soft dynamic. The feeling of hushed excitement is the key expressive element of the piece as it sets up the release of that subdued energy in the forte sections.
Breath marks
m. 19, tenors: change whole note to dotted half, add quarter rest (basses whole note full value)
m. 23, all: change whole note to dotted half, add quarter rest
m. 27: tenors carry over into m. 28
m. 31, basses: change whole note to dotted half, add quarter rest
m. 42 add dynamic mp
m. 46 add dynamic mf
m. 49, tenors: drop dot from half note, add quarter rest
m. 51 add dynamic f
m. 51, tenors: drop dot from half note, add quarter rest
m. 53, tenors: drop tied quarter note, add quarter rest
m. 55 dynamic: drop back to mf
m. 67 add dynamic sempre pp
m. 76, all: change whole note to dotted half, add quarter rest
m. 78, all: carry over into m. 79
m. 80, all: change whole note to dotted half, add quarter rest
m. 81: change last quarter note to 8th, add 8th rest
m. 82: change last quarter note to 8th, add 8th rest
m. 83: carry over into m. 84
m. 85: change whole note to dotted half, add quarter rest
m. 90: marked breath mark will be a quarter rest in length
arr. Parker-Shaw: Gentle Annie
This 1856 Stephen Foster tune was arranged by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw for the Robert Shaw Chorale in 1950. The Chorale's touring programs were unusual for their time in that they included both classical repertoire and folk song or spiritual arrangements -- some critics felt having multiple styles in one concert was in very bad taste. In choral programs today, we accept stylistic diversity as the norm. We'll be performing the piece with guitar to create more of a "front-porch singing" feel - yet, the emotional content of the piece is quite serious indeed.
Breath marks:
m. 9 "alas" - change 3rd quarter note to 8th, add 8th rest
m. 10 "many" - carry over into "That"
m. 12 "heart" drop dot from half note, add quarter rest
m. 14 tenors "thee" change quarter note to 8th, add 8th rest
m. 15 basses beat 1, change quarter note to 8th, add 8th rest
m. 23 bar/bass "sad:" change half note to dotted quarter, add 8th rest
m. 25 tenor 2 "laid:" drop dot from half note, add quarter rest
m. 29 marked breath mark will be an 8th rest in length
m. 31 T2, B2, "thee:" change quarter note to 8th, add 8th rest
m . 32 B1 beat 1, change quarter note to 8th, add 8th rest
m. 35 all - carry over after fermatas
Vaughan Williams: Epitaph on John Jayberd of Diss(from Five Tudor Portraits)
This 16th century text satirizes the clergy -- but it's interesting to note the poet, John Skelton, was himself a clergyman, from the town of Diss, so it's perhaps more accurate to say he is satirizing himself. The translation of the Latin parts of the text appear in the score.
The piece is a special order import. It is in public domain in some parts of the world (though probably not in the United States) and as such is available on IMSLP -- here's the link if you feel you need it.
Notes on pronunciation:
We'll use normal Italianate church Latin pronunciation (vowels ɑ, ɛ, i, ɔ, u)
s always [s], even between 2 vowels. h is silent.
c pronounced [k] except in "sincere", "sociantur" "socios", "cives" and "ecce"- "ch" [ʧ]
Pronounce final c in "Clerc," "hic" [k]
g pronounced [g] except "insignis" - [nj] like "onion", and "jurgia" like "fudge"
[j] like "y" - "Joannes, jam"
[t] as in English except "malitia" [mɑlitsiɑ]
The word "Jayberd" is pronounced as in English "jaybird"
"Diss" should have a vowel like "miss". [I]
"trental" rhymes with "shall" (a trental is a series of requiems said for a departed soul)
the first syllable of "knavate" should be like "way" [nevɑtɛ]
A "rood" is a cross.
Breath marks
p. 7, 2nd system, 2nd bar, "weeds": change half note to quarter, add quarter rest on beat 2
p. 7, bottom, 3rd bar, "deeds": cut off on downbeat
p. 8, top, 2nd bar, "cannis": change quarter note on beat 4 to 8th, add 8th rest
p. 8, middle, 2nd bar, "vere" drop dot from 2nd dotted quarter, add 8th rest
p 8, middle, 3rd bar, "Jayberd": subito f on downbeat; p dynamic again on beat 6 "no-"
p. 10, middle, last bar "socios"; change last note to 8th, add 8th rest
p. 12, middle, 2nd bar, "head": cut off on downbeat
p. 13, middle, 3rd bar, "all:" carry over into next bar
p. 13, middle, last bar, "shall:" drop dot from 8th, add 16th rest
p. 13, bottom, 2nd bar, tenors, "fall:" carry over into next bar
p. 14, middle, 1st bar, "soul" -change half note to quarter, add quarter rest
p. 16, middle, 2nd bar, "saecula" - change half noteto quarter, add quarter rest
Georgian folk: Chela
Translation and pronunciation are in the score.
Chela is an ox-cart driver's song from Samegrelo, in the western part of Georgia near the Black Sea. Chela and Buska are names of oxen. While the song is sung to the oxen, the sorrow of exhaustion and hard work should be understood to include human emotion as well. We will perform the piece with the chonguri, the Georgian lute.
All basses and baritones should sing the bass part.
The solo lines can be sung exactly as is, or used as a basis for variation. For examples of Georgians singing these lines, follow the Dropbox link at the end of this document. Soloists will be chosen by audition based on expressiveness, for the most part. Any variants or should follow the general pattern in the recordings - improvisation should not be very florid.
Thomas: Heaven
This spiritual is an example of what has often been called the "sorrow song." Like most sorrow songs, it balances the expression of lament with the hope of better things to come. Anthony Brown puts it like this: "Like so many spirituals, the message here is received, and communicated, on multiple levels. Heaven is the internal spirit, here and now. Heaven is the land of freedom, in the North. Heaven is a home in Mother Africa, for repatriated slaves. Heaven is also a life in Heaven after death. The connection, or anticipation, of any or all of these dimensions of Heaven helps the singer to persevere, to struggle, to resist and to maintain a solid sense of self as a child of God."
Do NOT swing the 8th notes!
Breath marks:
m. 14 drop dot from half note, add quarter rest
m. 26 T1/T2/B1 drop dot from half note, add quarter rest
m. 30, beat 3: B1 change quarter to 8th, add 8th rest on 3+
m. 30, beat 3: B2 add 8th rest on 3+, shorten previous note accordingly
m. 38, B1/B2 change whole note to dotted half, add quarter rest on beat 4 (tenors full value on their whole notes)
m. 42, beat 1: T1/T2 drop tied quarter note, add quarter rest
m. 45 beat 2 "city:" change quarter note to 8th, add 8th rest
m. 49 tenors add 8th rest at end of bar, shorten last half to a dotted quarter
m. 50 all drop dot from half note, add quarter rest
m. 63 all drop dot from half note, add quarter rest
m. 70, beat 3 "Lord" change quarter note to 8th, add 8th rest
Jarman: Pemulwuy
Australian composer Paul Jarman based this piece on the story of battles between Aboriginal peoples and English settlers for control of the area around Sydney in the late 18th century. Pemulwuy was a leader of the Bidjigal clan of the Eora nation, born about 1756. Starting around 1790, Pemulwuy led a resistance against European occupation in the Sydney area that was initially successful in disrupting settlement with guerrilla tactics, including the setting of bush fires. He escaped capture by British forces, and recovered after being shot in the head with musket fire. He was killed in an ambush in 1802. His head was severed, placed in a jar, and sent to London.
Pemulwuy's totem was the crow. Jarman uses the Eora words "Woyyan camya" (Is the crow here?) as a kind of ritornello or unifying factor in the work.
See notes accompanying text in score for pronunciation. "Pemulwuy" is pronounced Pem-uhl-way".
Sing "Woyan camya" with very bright vowel placement, especially at louder dynamics.
m. 102: "mi-li-ta-ry" - change the last quarter to 2 8th notes
m. 115: "wrong" - drop tied 8th note, add 8th rest
The composer's website is here if you'd like to look.
Dropbox link for folder with recordings: