partial list of Summer program stats and curiosities, in no particular order
  • AOZ
    Posts: 369
    Record number of individuals from "down under" registered for both programs

    Only eight single rooms left at the lower price of $420 for the Colloquium (as of today, 4-20-09)

    Ten individuals have been granted scholarship assistance. There is a waiting list pending further donations.

    More religious registered than in previous years (both Colloquium and chant intensive)

    more teens registered this year (Colloquium)

    more registrations from California than ever before

    First ever registration from Utah - a nut I thought we'd never crack (I'm originally from Utah, but I don't count)

    First ever polyphonic Requiem at the Colloquium, conducted by Maestro Wilko Brouwers

    First ever Hadyn Mass with orchestra at Colloquium

    great parking price of $7 per day - is this really Chicago?

    of those who have opted to indicate vocal range, there are 26 altos, 30 baritone or bass, 40 soprano I, 13 soprano 2, 26 tenors.

    No one with the surname "Smith" registered for either of the events. what are the odds?
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    More Californians than ever before, eh?
    As our friends at Creative Minority might surmise-
    Another sign of the impending apocalypse.
    I've already seen enough Chagall for a lifetime, shopped the Mile plenty, heard J. Michael Thompson when he was at St. P's in the Loop....so what's the deal? Californians love to sing. We the singer, He the song.
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    OK two months to go.....everybody get ready.
  • Pes
    Posts: 623
    Anyone know what Dr. Mahrt is going to speak about on Wednesday evening?

    8% more women than men, singing. Not bad. Usually the ratio in parish choirs is skewed a lot more.
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    in case anyone has not seen this:


    COLLOQUIUM 2008
  • AOZ
    Posts: 369
    Pes

    the breakdown of parts reflects only the vocal ranges of those who chose to report on vocal range. Many did not. So it may or may not be representative of the final breakdown. BTW, we have a few men who have designated themselves as altos and/or second sopranos.
  • Pes
    Posts: 623
    AOZ

    Those male second sopranos -- any of them named Radu Marian?
  • marymezzomarymezzo
    Posts: 236
    good heavens--where are all the altos?
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,508
    This is going to be SO fun.
  • AOZ
    Posts: 369
    Not Radu Marian, Pes.
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,190
    I had planned to come, but my continuing ed budget was frozen.
    Enjoy all.
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    I just read that the rules for Cisertercians demand no singing in falsetto! Can you imagine?
  • Guadalupe
    Posts: 50
    Apologies if this is the wrong place, but..... can we talk about carpooling? I'm in southern Ohio.

    Mary
  • AOZ
    Posts: 369
    Mary

    Why don't you start a "carpooling to the Colloquium" thread. Then it will be easier to find.
  • Pes
    Posts: 623
    I just read that the rules for Cisertercians demand no singing in falsetto! Can you imagine?

    Falsetto must be one of those "fancy French techniques."
  • MaryAnn Carr WilsonMaryAnn Carr Wilson
    Posts: 1,738
    Good scoop, Arlene.
    Go California! What are the numbers from SoCal? Had to ask.
    I say if there's more SoCal than other parts of the state combined, Charles should bring me extra cab as a representative of the area. hee hee.
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    AOZ: "scholarship assistance. There is a waiting list pending further donations."

    Donations are easily made:
    http://www.musicasacra.com/2009/05/06/theres-still-time-to-donate/
  • AOZ
    Posts: 369
    We now have two Utahns registered. Now if that isn't civilized and intelligent, I don't know what is. Having grown in up in SLC, a city remote from the world in many ways and forever trying to prove itself, I find myself happy beyond belief. This is big.
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    Arlene,
    If those two from Utah are named Craig Jessop and Mack Wilburg (How did I originally type "Wilbery? Channeling George Harrison?) THAT would be IMPRESSSIVE!
    MaryAnn, I did find a nice Cab from Santa Barbara, believe it or not!
    C
  • AOZ
    Posts: 369
    Charles -

    My high school baccalaureate Mass was in the Cathedral of the Madelaine WAY WAY WAY before there was any such thing as a choir school there. I am easy to impress.
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    I must say, of all the Snowbirds, Msgr. Mannion (did he not found the choir school?) carried the most intellectual water, and then backed it up in practice.
  • IanWIanW
    Posts: 762
    26 tenors? Is that one of the benefits of flouridisation?
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    wow, this is a real curiosity. The colloq vid never looked like this before.
  • Donnaswan
    Posts: 585
    I indicated soprano,but should have indicated Sop II.
    Donna Swan
  • AOZ
    Posts: 369
    Well, Donna, that just won't do. Now you can't come :)
  • Donnaswan
    Posts: 585
    LOL Didn't want to mess up the stats! :) I figured bigger voices are better on the lower parts anyway, since we are singing lots of chant and polyphony. We were stationed in England for awhile, and I sang with local choral society. Had an awful time blending with those sopranos who are trained to sound like boys. Very hard on the voice.
    Donna
  • MaryAnn Carr WilsonMaryAnn Carr Wilson
    Posts: 1,738
    Charles, you are too good! Can't wait to enjoy Santa Barbara treasure- and with Wendy this year.

    Donna, I can relate to your post above. Problem is, as a light lyric coloratura I'm sadly lacking in the mid and lower range. Not that I don't have to strengthen it and use it all the time, esp for chant. But even after three children I'm no lyric. :(

    It is incredibly hard to sound like a boy in choral situations, or any other time for that matter. How often have I used the advice of teachers- smile and nod, sing so as to support against any hint of wobble, but don't compromise healthy singing for someone's (usually a non-singer's) tonal preference. Sounds tricksy, but I've noticed if I pretend to change the sound, the director usually 'perceives' a satisfactory difference. hee hee
  • Donnaswan
    Posts: 585
    MA, there is no use wishing for something God didn't bless you with. I have learned to keep the tone really focussed forward ,very high soft palate . I get a much better head tone that way. I tell my sopranos to make rabbit teeth. That seems to work for some. Getting the right sound is so subjective, isn't it?
    Anyway, I prefer an American choral sound with a nice vibrato in the sops rather than the boychoir sound over the long haul. I'm not saying one is better than the other, everyone, so no sniping! LOL Just my personal preference. Of course, depends on the repertoire also. I am so looking forward to the Colloquium and a chance to work on chant technique!
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 994
    Smiling, nodding, teeth like a rabbit, and a raised soft palate - gosh, it's a wonder we women can produce a sound at all! I like something midway between the American and English sound. Why would I want to sound like a little boy? And much of this is a matter of national taste and the repertoire in question. I have singers "rich up" their sound a bit for polyphony. With me, it's all about blending - chant or otherwise.
  • Donnaswan
    Posts: 585
    Well, you're right, MJ. When I am trying to get a good blend of vowels from the choir, I find myself resorting to 'wordpictures' or physical tricks which may work for some, not for others, so I'm always looking for something that communicates and makes the lightbulb go off in their heads! If we could just see inside everyone's throat/larnyx, we wouldn't have to resort to such things! LOL
    Didn't mean to imply the English' sound is not good. It's all in what you grow accustomed to, and hear as you are growing up,isn't it? (For those of us who grew up the era when school music was a given)
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