Graduale Practice Videos
  • barnabus1898barnabus1898
    Posts: 90
    I wanted to get some input from the forum on an idea that I'm hatching.

    I'm starting to introduce the full Communion Propers, and I'm planning to use practice videos to help my singers outside of rehearsal. I'd like to teach my schola solfege, but our rehearsals are already almost 2 hours since it is two different ensembles back to back (everyone is in both groups). Here's my idea: I'd like to make the first half of the video singing the melody on solfege, and the second half singing it with the Latin. If it takes off, I'm thinking about making a seperate youtube channel to help beginners start somewhere.

    Is there already someone doing something like this? I'd hate to be redundant. If not, do you folks think there would be a desire for something like this? I'd get it started early this summer, so I could get ahead on it before busy seasons start. Content would be weekly in posting. Is this a good idea? I'd appreciate your input!
    Thanked by 1bonniebede
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Matthew Curtis has recordings of all the sunday propers somewhere.

    CCW also has something similar here:
    http://www.ccwatershed.org/completed/
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    Matthew Curtis has recordings of all the sunday propers somewhere.

    All of them?

    I'd like to make the first half of the video singing the melody on solfege,


    Personally, I think this would be awesome.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Matthew Curtis has recordings of all the sunday propers somewhere.

    All of them?


    Yes, I have seen a full collection somewhere before.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    image
    Thanked by 1bkenney27
  • barnabus1898barnabus1898
    Posts: 90
    Ben, does he have them with solfege? I know there are several resources for the Propers themselves, but I haven't found one that teaches them through solfege yet. That's where my work would come in.
  • barnabus1898barnabus1898
    Posts: 90
    Btw Adam, nice meme!
  • Arthur Connick
    Posts: 494
    Solfege is a good idea. I would very much like to see samples of what you have in mind.
  • rogue63
    Posts: 410
    Hmm....isn't the point of solfege to train the ear to recognize the intervals at sight, without the aid of another singer? It seems laborious and tedious to present two side-by-side versions of the same thing; perhaps you could sing only the first phrase in solfege---to calibrate the ear---and then proceed to the text. It would be better to devote 5-10 minutes to ear training at each rehearsal. Solfege is a teaching tool; singing the complete proper in solfege as a study recording would sort of defeat the purpose.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    singing the complete proper in solfege as a study recording would sort of defeat the purpose.


    I disagree. Hearing, and singing along with, a lot of solfege is the only way that solfege becomes a useful tool.
  • rogue63
    Posts: 410
    Right, but not on performance material. Solfege should be sung a lot, with lots of repetition, in the context of teaching. I'm just suggesting that this might become a crutch rather than a learning tool. The goal is independent and accurate sightsingers; does this approach help or hinder?

    It's a huge task, and barnabus deserves great applause for doing this work. I'm sure his singers will do well in any system he adopts, since he so evidently cares for their musical well being. He's obviously committed to helping them, so they're going to succeed no matter what.
  • barnabus1898barnabus1898
    Posts: 90
    Thanks for the input folks. I'll be going ahead with this project sometime early this summer. I do agree rogue, that solfege should be sung with lots of repetition. I'm currently starting small by solfeging the psalm tones that we are doing. I find that for most people learning solfege, the most difficult part is getting "tongue tied" trying to say the proper syllable with tone. I think this may expand to some basic interpretation of neumes, followed by singing the Propers.

    I learned how to sing chant from the musicasacra website because I already had an understanding of solfege. I realized it was possible to teach it to my parish after attending a Winter Chant Intensive directed by Jeff Ostrowski and Arlene Oost-Zinner. I went back to my parish on fire with bringing chant into the community.

    What I discovered is that it is very difficult for people to remember things that they learned from week to week during rehearsals. These videos will give them a chance to reinforce through repetition between rehearsals. I'm also thinking about starting with some basic chant interpretation videos for anyone that is starting from scratch. This way, if they don't know solfege from the beginning, it may give them a place to start.
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    There is a definite merit and benefit to allotting rehearsal time to teaching and reading in solfege, if your schola pretty much confines its repertoire to chant idioms/neumes. But, one thing Ostrowski emphasized at a colloquium back east was that a discipline of knowing the modes via immersion into recognizing the intervallic constructs of the two tetrachords that comprise each mode also works well. If one were to introduce the modes and neumes via the SEP, it is quite practical to skip what, for some standard notation-talented chorister readers would regard as a sort of retrogression, the visual and cognitive discipline of singing solfege. But if you also have to devote time to the preparation of polyphony or other choral media in addition to chant, the didactic challenge of solfege could provoke some frustration for some dedicted choristers who thrive on covering the rich waters of choral music. YMMV.
    Thanked by 2kevinf Adam Wood
  • barnabus1898barnabus1898
    Posts: 90
    I agree melo. Right now, all my schola is doing is chant (SEP) and singing melody on certain hymns. There are only four regulars, with up to eight on a good night. Most have little to no experience singing in a choir, but they are very enthusiastic and willing to learn. In fact, I just got off the phone with one of my members who was asking some solfege questions since he was practicing at work!

    I myself am still working on understanding the modes, so I can teach it to my schola and help them with their singing. I've also had to slow that down since I have to prepare organ music as well, and I'm learning the instrument. I have people who are willing to put in the time outside of rehearsal, but aren't completely comfortable with constructing their own practice regimen (yet). I think this will help them get a leg up on that.
    Thanked by 2melofluent bonniebede
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