Your concerns and Andrew's observations are quite pertinent. It seems ungracious to say it, but these cantors have an entire week to prepare their part in the mass, so it would seem that being prepared for this is, literally, the last thing on their agenda. Perhaps having a regular weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc. meeting with them in which you teach and rehearse basic vocal and rhetorical techniques, delivery of text, and how to prepare at home, etc., (complete with coffee and cookies) would be helpful. I should think that those who take their ministry seriously and truly appreciate the sacredness of their role in the mass would welcome this.

Warm-ups in the car shortly before having to sing is not the same issue as preparation and rehearsal(s) during the week.

It occurs to me that I may have mis-judged and been unfair: perhaps these cantors Are preparing at home through the week, but use the time on the way to mass to 'warm up'. This is better than nothing, but would be better done before leaving the house. Trying to do vocalises in the comfort of a car seat while driving doesn't seem optimal and cannot produce good results. At any rate, my above suggestions for regular cantors' meetings may remain valid.

While I do not advocate the "warming up in the car" method, I would be grateful if my singers warmed up at all. At this point they do not know the importance of a vocal warmup, despite many analogies to athletes. Our rehearsals are always much better than our masses, due, in part, I think, because of lack of warmup on the part of singers. I cannot warm them up prior to mass because our masses follow back to back with the rosary inbetween. Yesterday I introduced a new choir to the parish. They were wonderful on Wednesday's rehearsal. They were all blended and the sopranos easily hit their upper ranges. Yesterday, it was very poor at mass, despite my direction that they needed to make sure their voices were warm and ready to sing.

Musicteacher, could you secure another space in which to warm up during the rosary? The parish school, social hall, chapel, basement of the church?

I am at a loss to see how a choir could sing - especially in colder climes in the coldest/driest 4 months of the year - a morning Mass and sound passable from the start without warming up *as a choir* before Mass. The mind reels at the thought. At a minimum, they should be gathered a half-hour before Mass starts in some location where they could warm up together. No keyboard is required for this; just a pitch pipe if you lack a good innate sense of pitch.

Yes, possibly. I suppose there is always a way around difficulties. The parking is a huge issue though - probably the most difficult to overcome. Perhaps, if I give a few weeks notice, I could begin for the Triduum. It's hard to break people's habits.

Sometimes warming-up in the car is necessary. I don't have the opportunity to warm-up at home in the morning before Mass without waking the rest of the family or the neighbors! The car makes for a nice (mostly) private practice space to do some simple vocal exercises such as humming and sirens. You may get funny looks from other drivers when you are stopped at light. Of course, if you are focusing too much on the voice, distracted driving could also be an issue.

Is there a room in/near the church that the cantors can go to do more thorough warming up without distracting those praying in the church?

This makes me laugh! Thanks!

While it is -25 degrees (celcius) the "outside under a tree" and the "minivan" may not be taken so well!

We have no stairwells (new church).

"My office"? Hah! I WISH I had one!

"Coat closet"? Come to think of it... that's my office!

"Conference rooms"? I'm not sure who designed our building, but they needed more ideas on how to build lots of great rooms for "gathering" outside of the "worship space" from the protestants (they seem very good at this).

And with regard to the parking problem, it's exacerbated by the piles of snow which had to be plowed onto a good portion of spaces. Oh, the troubles!

I am not a DoM here, so I am wondering about the driving part. If the singer is the driver, could this not be a dangerous issue due to distractions? I remember having a small conversation with my siblings on the way from the parking zone to the apartment gate, and while swinging my minivan around barely coming within a centimeter from the side mirror to the entry card scanner. And surely warmups (serious ones, anyway) require more concentration than a slight conversation?

Thank you for your advice. Unfortunately, at this time we are in the process of building a new church and are currently holding masses at an off-campus location in the cafeteria of a public school. So, no, there is no place for warmups. I have one day a week in the contract with the school to have a rehearsal, and then Sundays (and Saturday vigil) for masses.

Well, Adam, it might have something to do with the terms of the contract. For example: if the contract only says they may use the cafeteria, the hallways are off limits, simply because it doesn't say they can use them in the contract. However, since I don't know what the terms of the contract are, I can't really say why the hallways wouldn't be able to be used.

It sounds like a tough situation indeed.
I would wager a guess that Adam is not intending to be sarcastic, but moreover its his signature way of problem-solving through humor. I wouldn't take it personally- not one bit.

Speaking for myself, as a pro singer I do not possess enough vocal talent and driving prowess to drive safely whilst warming up my instrument. I might begin my warmups with basic tongue/articulator exercises, maybe some sirens, etc., and I might even think through music. But I would not consider myself in good shape to go from the car to singing well. Its not a good idea overall.

Oh, for goodness sakes....okay, since I have to thoroughly make myself clear......the cafeteria is at the end of a long hallway, which we are NOT ALLOWED to use per the terms of the contract with the school. We enter through outside doors into the cafeteria and exit through the same doors. No, the rosary is NOT being said in the hallway, since we cannot use it, remember? And, since the hallway is immediately off the cafeteria, if we WERE able to use it, since most hallways echo, it would disturb the rosary being said in the cafeteria......even with the door shut (unless of course the hallway was likened to that in The Wizard of Oz, making it extremely long and wide). Bottom line.....it's a rough situation and one that is not permanent, so we do the best we can. The thread was about warming up the choir for the best possible sound and whether or not individual warming up in cars was feasible. To reiterate my original thought I do not think a car warmup is a good idea, UNLESS there is no where else to warm up, therefore allowing at least some chance at being vocally ready for mass. Okay, I'm off my soap box. God bless everybody.

CharlesW,

No cell phone use for me! My siblings were right in the minivan with me.

In my city, it is far too dangerous to fool with a phone while behind the wheel.

In my case, it is far too dangerous to phone with a fool behind the wheel.