Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing

Subject: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: keberoxu
Date: 21 Apr 23 - 10:35 AM

Charmion and I have been below the line exchanging observations about singing in a chorus.
It occurred to me that a thread above the line would suffice.

My chorus is an amateur chorus, with the virtues and defects of same.
It's a classical-oriented chorus which runs the gamut, in its performances,
from popular song (Christmas, St. Patrick's Day)
to the classical masterworks (we're digging away at Brahms's Deutsches Requiem).

One of my observations was that the most slackers in the chorus seem to be in the bass section.
It kind of puzzles me.
Mind you, it isn't the whole section that acts this way.
The bass section has some good conscientious musicians in its ranks.
And then there are the others, who make a joyful resonant noise
that always lingers behind the beat,
adding an unwanted syncopation to the most straightforward of rhythms.
And they do it en masse like a herd of cattle mooing away.

If nothing else, this thread may be a place for me to belly-ache about the chorus, or to praise its virtues.

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Apr 23 - 11:34 AM

I could move your interesting discussion of "concert blacks" up to this thread except they were posted days ago and would take over the top position in this new thread. The realization that all of those singers, strategically reduced to moving faces above their black garments, is amusing when I read that some of those clothes include black sneakers and leggings that are actually LL Bean black longjohns. Very practical!

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 22 Apr 23 - 06:28 AM

"There are no bad choirs, just bad choirmasters."

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: leeneia
Date: 22 Apr 23 - 12:01 PM

Singing in a good choral group is one of the most wonderful things in life. I told a friend once to imagine that he was magically floating in a beautiful sunset with colors shifting and changing all around him. Then imagine that the beauty he experienced was being caused by sound, not by light, and that's what it's like to be in a good chorus.

Humans are the only creatures that make sound together. Other animals make sound back and forth, (whales) or individually but as it happens at the same time (birds), but humans sing together.

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: GUEST,Diolch
Date: 22 Apr 23 - 01:23 PM

"those who sing in harmony" "can learn to live in unity", according to Si Kahn anyway.

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: Charmion
Date: 23 Apr 23 - 09:14 AM

The greatest annoyances I have encountered in choral singing begin when the singing stops and end as soon as the singing resumes.

Running a choir is, to put it bluntly, a massive pain the butt.

Grant applications. Budgets. Contracts. Personality conflicts. Meetings — so many effing meetings!

But it’s time to suit up for church. I sing in the choir …

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 23 Apr 23 - 06:37 PM

Do I recall correctly, Charmion, that
the virtue of wearing sneakers is that you can insert
orthotic insoles in order to stand in greater comfort?

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: Charmion
Date: 24 Apr 23 - 08:15 AM

Yes indeed, keb.

Foot pain is the enemy of decent performance.

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 24 Apr 23 - 08:34 AM

Humans are the only creatures that make sound together

I'm sorry leeneia, but that's simply not true.

For example, and there are many others,

Howling Wolves

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 24 Apr 23 - 06:08 PM

Ha-ha Keb, I always thought that was traditionally the joke against altos - of which I have been one< and of course, I would defend our position by saying that we get some of the best harmonies - and even some of the best lines as in Handel's Messiah!
However....if you are singing in a musical theatre production, you may well find yourself surrounded by other people singing other parts - soprano to the right, tenor to the left, bass behind you and still having to hold your own part....! That's when it gets really interesting, and challenging!

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: JennieG
Date: 24 Apr 23 - 06:31 PM

And fun!

Having two or more melodies going at once, and being part of it, is an indescribable experience.

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: leeneia
Date: 25 Apr 23 - 12:36 PM

A professional musician once told me that if I wanted to sing better, I should join a regular choral group. I think he was right.

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Apr 23 - 06:55 PM

There's nothing else for it:
with my concert blacks, I will have to wear black pantyhose.
I just tried them on after getting a pair,
and they fit more comfortably than the black socks, oddly enough.
At least my shoes will be comfortable, they're Ecco.

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: Charmion
Date: 28 Apr 23 - 12:40 PM

Il faut souffrir pour être artiste, keb.

Subject: RE: Joys/Annoyances of Choral Singing
From: leeneia
Date: 29 Apr 23 - 12:50 PM

Hi, keb. Have you learned the right way to stand. Feet the same distance apart as the as the width of your shoulders, and never lock your knees, or you might faint.