Prefab Christmas choral programs?

Subject: Prefab Christmas choral programs?
From: Marion
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 09:01 PM

Hello all. I went to my mother's church tonight for the Christmas concert, and was surprised at the format it took.

There were no instruments played, just a small choir and a narrator. They were accompanied by a recording of continuous instrumental music about 45 minutes long. It consisted of songs for the choir to sing - with lots of modulations, segues, and going back and forth between songs - as well as spaces of "mood music" that were perfectly timed to play behind the narrator's lines. The program called it "a celebration by [name]", presumably the person who produced the recording and published a script.

My mother said that the children's pageant had had the same prefab format.

Is this the new trend for choirs without a lot of instrumental/creative resources, and a new way for songwriters/arrangers to sell a product? Or have I just been going to the right churches up till now?

Marion

Subject: RE: Prefab Christmas choral programs?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 09:14 PM

Oh, yeah, there are thousands of those programs for sale, Marion. They also have packages for school Christmas pageants.
I hate 'em. So far, I haven't had to sing in one - I think I'd refuse.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Prefab Christmas choral programs?
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 09:28 PM

I had the same experience this morning...and the same thoughts and feelings. I felt I was in the minority this morning so kept my mouth shut. We had a sound system with drums and trumpets playing along with a "live" pianist who is wonderful. But the ~25 member choir tried to sound like the Morman Tabernacle Choir! I cringed a bit.

Several years ago the Kentucky Opera presented Hansel and Gretel with recorded accompaniment instead of the live orchestra. It was so poorly received that they never tried that again!

Subject: RE: Prefab Christmas choral programs?
From: TNDARLN
Date: 22 Dec 02 - 09:30 PM

Joe's right- the deal is, the director makes everyone in the choir a rehearsal tape- rights are granted- with the goal of "sounding just like the voices [not just voice parts]on the tape. There are pros and cons- I guess, but you can also just purchase a prerecorded cd of the production and listen in your jammies.

Subject: RE: Prefab Christmas choral programs?
From: Marion
Date: 24 Dec 02 - 12:00 AM

Just to clarify - it's not really the karaoke approach that bothered me. Of course I'd prefer live music, but if they can't afford a capable band or pianist, I'm not going to fault them for that.

What bothered me was how much this prefab approach handed over all creative control to the kit maker. Because the recording is a continous piece of music, the choir and choir director had essentially no freedom to decide what songs to sing, in what order, in what key, how many verses etc...   Why would musical and creative people (which I assume they must be, since they chose to volunteer to participate in the choir) accept this?

Marion