Youth Choir - What to do with older boys' voices
  • magistraelizabeth
    Posts: 6
    Hello! I'm new to the forum and first time posting. I direct what we we decided to call "Chant Club" for my children's homeschool hybrid. I am the middle grades Latin teacher and this basically sprang out of my regularly teaching them seasonal chants and antiphons from the Parish Book of Chant for enrichment. I have extensive vocal training/wide ranging choral singing experience and I'm good at motivating students and teaching them proper singing technique, but unlike most of you I don't have a music degree and I play no instrument. This is the first year the Chant Club is a formal thing and I have been fighting some imposter syndrome :/ Our Christmas concert is in a few weeks and the kids are sounding good I think! They range in age from second to sixth grade. I get to have two of my three daughters in the group which is a dream because I always wanted this experience for them, but our parish has no youth choir. Our concert is only five selections long, but it's followed by a student art showcase so it's a good thing that we keep it on the short side. It felt like the right size goal when I began planning over the summer. In case you're curious, here's our lineup: Creator Alme Siderum (unaccompanied), Jubilate Deo (Praetorius) in three part canon, Kantor's Ave Maria/Hail Mary (piano and students on strings), Dormi Dormi (piano accompaniment), and Angels from the Realms of Glory. Now, to my question regarding planning for next year already lol I have 31 kids in the group within that grade 2-6 age group. We are singing in unison except for some older girls in grades 5 and 6 who have a counter melody or a descant here or there. There are a few boys in grades 7 and up who are interested in singing, but I didn't open it to that age range because I didn't know what to do with mature boys' voices that have already begun to drop. It was a huge leap for me to even take this on so I just did what I knew I could do, but for next year - how do I include them if they are still enthusiastic? Do I choose SAB music? I could do men/women two part pieces but the balance would be way off as the entire rest of the choir are in the women's range. Does this mean really I ought to have two separate choirs: a children's choir and a middle/high school choir for the older girls and boys like a smaller schola? I'm not sure I could swing that. I only get them for 35 mins once a week as-is. We're taking a break after Christmas and will gear back up for May Crowning. If I could find a way to include the three young men who like to sing, I want to. They did have someone with musical background come in and offer to do a schola for the entire range of our school (1st through 12th) so they haven't been totally left out, but our group is much bigger and more convenient for them to join if I can find a way to bring them into the fold for next year. Any ideas welcome!
    Thanked by 1Bri
  • RoborgelmeisterRoborgelmeister
    Posts: 307
    Keep those middle school boys singing. Put them on alto parts. They will be much more likely to be tenors when they are adults. Boys who don't sing when they are getting their growth spurts will drop down to the basement. I went from soprano to alto to boy tenor to tenor. Only now, as a senior citizen, am I losing my high notes, but I only gained a note or two at the bottom end. SSA music, with the boys on the alto line!
    Thanked by 7davido CHGiffen Abbysmum mjacksonosborn probe Alli canadash
  • magistraelizabeth
    Posts: 6
    I never would have thought of this - thank you!!
  • probe
    Posts: 62
    Yes, that's the advice I heard from Brian Murphy who runs the Cambiata Choir in Dublin.

    There's quite some educational research on this:

    https://nafme.org/blog/an-abridged-choral-directors-guide-to-the-male-voice-change/

    https://www.michaelmays.com/seminary/mumin4343/changingvoice.html

    Chapter 13 of https://www.vocaltechnique.info/vocal-technique-contents.html

    The Choral Journal , OCTOBER 2016, Vol. 57, No. 3, SPECIAL EDITION: JUNIOR
    HIGH AND MIDDLE SCHOOL FOCUS ISSUE (OCTOBER 2016), pp. 28-38

    If you have institutional access to JSTOR there is more, but I expect any youth choir director near you would be happy to share their experiences.

    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,537
    I have four boys of my own (now men and almost men). Yes, keep them singing. The problem is, of course that sometimes they will be able to sing 5 notes, and other times an octave or maybe more, but if they are interested, keep them singing.

    I would look into the all of the links above (thanks for those - I'm going to read them as well), but from my own experience, a good warm up is essential. My son (16), who is a cantor, has mentioned that a substantial warm up will vastly extend his range. The other thing I find is that they have to learn to sing from their gut, and not "in their throats". This isn't just for changing boys voices, but I find the "airy" singing a problem. Breathing properly helps solve this. Also, give them music in their range. Make the music work for them, not the other way around.

    Eventually things will even out, and if they know the chants and parts you have been working on, it will be much easier to keep them involved and excited about singing. Don't worry about mistakes because a lot of time they honestly can't seem to control their voices. It's never about the perfection of the now. Do your very best and God will be pleased and so will all involved.

    And don't forget to praise, praise, praise! They need this so much!

    Good luck!
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen probe
  • magistraelizabeth
    Posts: 6
    Thank you!!
    Thanked by 1canadash
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