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Bel canto singing style is a foundational cornerstone for vocal technique in choral ensemble classes. Yet there are reasons to question whether bel canto pedagogy alone can help students navigate the many different genres they sing as part of a diverse and balanced curriculum. This article examines the specific performance demands associated with arranged spirituals, global musics, and popular styles and some ways students might benefit from further study of Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) voice pedagogy when singing such genres in choir. Strategies for enabling students to healthily engage with CCM genres are also recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Choral singing was embraced by many missionaries as a means of attracting potential converts to Christianity. A principal choral singing method in 19th century Britain, Tonic Sol-fa, was introduced by missionaries and others to the Indian subcontinent where it was used as both a pedagogical method and a music notation system. Building on the inherent musicality of the Mizo people in Assam, a fine choral singing tradition developed. Hymnbooks were published with Mizo words and Tonic Sol-fa notation. Although aspects of Tonic Sol-fa are utilized in some contemporary school music teaching methods, there is now little or no use made of the original Tonic Sol-fa method for community choral singing in Britain. Nevertheless, it is still used in some former British colonies, particularly for congregational hymn singing in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Asia-Pacific. Tonic Sol-fa has been, and remains, the mainstay of choral music making in Mizoram and neighboring areas. As such, it is a worthy inheritance from the missionary presence in India during the 19th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined how movement impacted listeners' perceptions of choral performances. Participants (N = 115; n = 60 nonmusic majors, n = 55 music majors) viewed excerpts of Moses Hogan's "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel" under four conditions: good tone/expressive movement (GT/EM), good tone/static movement (GT/SM), poor tone/expressive movement (PT/EM), and poor tone/static movement (PT/SM). They rated tone quality and overall expressivity for each excerpt. We found a significant multivariate main effect for the examples. For both tone quality and expressivity, participants rated the examples in the following order from highest to lowest: GT/EM, GT/SM, PT/SM, and PT/EM. There was a significant interaction between the examples and participants' major. Music majors rated the GT/EM example higher than the nonmusic majors but rated the other three examples lower than the nonmajors. Expressive movement seemed to enhance ratings of expressivity when performed with good tone but detracted when the tone was poor. In written responses, majors distinguished between expressive movement and tone consistently, while nonmajors could not consistently separate what they were seeing from what they were hearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North Korean (NK) defectors fled their homeland and traveled thousands of miles in search of a better life. This qualitative study explored the experiences of older NK defectors who were part of a serious leisure choral group. In-depth interviews were conducted with eight NK defector members of a South Korean choir group, from which four central themes emerged: (a) conquering adversity and promoting health; (b) making good friends and having great adventures; (c) providing an arena to develop a new identity; and (d) developing proficiency through vigorous efforts. Involvement in choral singing as a serious leisure activity assisted the members in overcoming the various adversities they were facing, promoted their physical and mental health, and helped them develop comradery and new social identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine speech characteristics in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) before and after participation in an 11-week choral singing intervention. Speech characteristics were analyzed using an acoustic measure of vowel space area (VSA) and a standardized speech intelligibility metric. Participants included five males and five females with PD. VSA was derived for the corner vowels (/i/, /u/, /æ/ /α/) produced during a sentence-level task. VSA was expressed as an irregular quadrilateral formed by the first and second formants of these corner vowels. A validated speech intelligibility instrument was administered pre- and posttreatment. VSA significantly increased posttreatment, which suggests greater tongue excursion during vowel articulation. Speech intelligibility scores significantly increased posttreatment, thus reflecting improved speech communication. Results suggest that choral singing may be a viable speech treatment for some individuals with PD. A large-scale randomized controlled trial is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Friddle draws out areas of particular interest from each publication, summarizing the overall approach and identifying key musical examples, diagrams, and quotations. Choral Treatises and Singing Societies in the Romantic Age, by Friddle, David. Drawing on authors and texts from throughout the nineteenth century and beyond, it includes vast quantities of facts, quotations, references, images, and musical examples. [Extracted from the article]

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how undergraduate- and graduate-level choristers perceived the influence of adolescent female voice change on their singing experiences since the age of 11 years old. Data included individual and focus group interviews with 17 female collegiate choral singers enrolled in one of two women’s choirs at a large midwestern university. Three overarching themes emerged: perceptions of vocal development, teacher influence, and emotion. Findings revealed that participants’ perceptions of singing experiences since age 11 largely revolved around vocal challenges, fear, and insecurity and have remained mostly negative even after the passing of time. Experiences in choir were not necessarily positive, and participants perceived their individual vocal needs as secondary to the needs of the larger choral ensemble. Out of fear of hurting the larger choir, participants remained passive and did not self-advocate, resulting in additional challenges with self-confidence and struggles pertaining to singer identity development during adolescence and into adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This mixed-methods exploratory study investigates the perceived health benefits of singing in a choir from an international sample of choristers.Method: An online questionnaire including demographic information, 28 quantitative statements and two qualitative questions relating to the perceived health benefits of singing in a choir was distributed via email and social media over a period of 4 months to a sample of 1,779 choristers. Basic descriptives and comparisons between subgroups of the sample are presented along with thematic analysis of qualitative comments.Results: Basic descriptives suggest an overwhelmingly positive response. Females scored significantly higher than males on physical benefits, social benefits and emotional benefits. Professional singers reported significantly more physical, social and spiritual benefits than amateur singers. Bias may be present in these findings as the results were entirely self-reported by people who already sing in choirs. Qualitative thematic analysis identified six key themes which may counter this bias by providing deeper understanding of the perceived benefits for choir singers. These include social connection, physical and physiological benefits (specifically respiratory health), cognitive stimulation, mental health, enjoyment and transcendence.Conclusion: Choral singing elicits a positive response in the chorister across a plethora of domains. This research confirms previous findings on the health benefits of singing but offers evidence from the largest sample of singers to date. However, results are based on self-perceptions of choristers, and findings are, therefore, limited. Results may be used as a base on which to develop further research in this area. It also provides confirmatory evidence to support choral singing as a means of improving wellbeing in many populations, including but not limited to workplaces, schools, nursing homes, communities and churches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to discover the process of social identity development for adolescent high school women’s choir participants. Purposive maximum variation sampling was used to identify three public high school women’s choirs where 54 interviews were conducted with 40 different public school singers. Three waves of data collection and analysis revealed a seven-step process beginning with coming in singing and ending with envisioning myself. The central phenomenon was identified as opening up my voice and me and emphasized singers’ increased self-confidence. Intervening conditions included competition, the absence of choral opportunities, and lack of understanding from those outside of the choral program. Amount of time in the choral program, number of groups, and community recognition were identified as contextual conditions. Dimensionalized properties, a temporal matrix, and propositional statements are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the experience of female voice change from the perspective of female middle and high school choral students. The study was guided by two questions: How do adolescent female choir students experience voice change? What is the essence of the experience of voice change for middle school and high school females in choir? “Co-researchers” included two students in Grades 6 through 12 (14 students total) at the Durham School of the Arts in Durham, North Carolina; the female singers demonstrated a variety of voice change characteristics, from vocal breathiness to limited vocal range. Data collected in November, January, and April included written responses to an open set of questions that were discussed thoroughly during a corresponding interview. Analysis revealed three core themes: (a) Phonation Experiences, (b) Emotional Experiences, and (c) Contexts of Singing. The essence of the experience of female voice change was that vulnerability and fear of embarrassment determined all use of the females’ singing voices, resulting in risk assessment for each singing situation and setting. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to describe the process of adolescent choral singers’ social identity development within three midsized, midwestern high school mixed choirs. Forty-nine interviews were conducted with 36 different participants. Secondary data sources included memoing, observations, and interviews with the choir teachers. The data analysis revealed an eight-stage process beginning with the student’s choice to audition and remain involved to the final stage, a desire to give back to the community. The central phenomenon of social identity was identified as team. Contextual conditions, including time, intensity, and size of group, strengthened participant experiences substantively. Social cliques and egos emerged as intervening conditions that impeded social identity development. Several individuals influenced participant social identity including peers, parents, school and community members, as well as the choir teacher. A temporal matrix is presented as well as propositions illustrating the development of social identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article focuses on the use of single-sex class curricula in music education. A review of U.S. federal legislation allowing gender specific classes is given, highlighting the standards applied to prevent discrimination. The particular benefits of single-sex instruction in choral programs are discussed in detail. Issues in which single-sex instruction lends itself to correcting are addressed, such as the tendency for boys to be less musically trained, gender stereotype anxieties present in singing attitudes, and gender specific technique challenges. Suggestions are also offered for teachers to properly implement and logistically manage single-sex choruses in schools.

The article discusses why boys at the onset of their puberty pull their hands from singing in choral groups. In the "Choral Journal," a series of articles explored issues facing choral music education in the United States. The articles authored by Leonard Van Camp also included a list of reasons for the continued decline in the number of boys who elected to sing in high school choral ensembles. He recommended to have separate choirs for boys and girls, encouraging more males to become music teachers, and enlisting the support of adult male singers in the community. It is important to meet the needs of male adolescent singers.

The article presents information on the role of guest clinicians in improving the quality of choirs for concerts, festivals, and contests. It has been found that the major reason behind inviting a clinician at music rehearsals is to gather their advices on topics related to the musical performance of the choir. A guest clinician is said to bring in new ideas to improve the singing abilities of the choir. It is reported that the ideal time for the clinician to be most effective is when the singers have come to a stage of familiarity. A guest clinician functions to work with the choir on sectors, including interpretation, balance, tuning, and stage presence.

This article focuses on a performance pyramid devised by the author for teaching choral music. The pyramid combines seven building blocks that can assist one in teaching the basic elements of choral music as one proceeds toward a successful performance. The author says that over the years, his athletic upbringing and artistic schooling have enabled him to develop an effective method for working with choirs. He says that if one wants proficient singers who will contribute to the advancement of choral music, one has to take complete responsibility for all activities in the choir room. He says that singers, like athletes, need to be guided through a systematic training process if they are to have any chance for success. The performance pyramid outlines the principles needed to prepare, inspire, and encourage singers in an orderly, step-by-step manner. The pyramid has recommended percentages for each step of the process. The author says that the most important building block of the performance pyramid process involves preparation.

The purpose of this research was to examine the way three high school students perceived and experienced a choral composition they were learning to perform. This case study, conducted over a period of five months, chronicled the experiences and perceptions of three students from a large midwestern high school mixed choir as they learned to perform the extended choral composition Rejoice in the Lamb by Benjamin Britten. Three categories of experience (found to correlate with three philosophical forms of knowledge) emerged through data analysis: (1) impression (propositional knowledge), (2) construction (procedural knowledge), and (3) understanding (acquaintance knowledge). Participants generally experienced these knowledge forms progressively, but also shifted between them idiosyncratically. Singers tended to focus on the technical skills needed to perform the music with accuracy. Deeper levels of understanding were contingent on each participant's personal history, openness, and effort in relation to the composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suggests ways on starting an adult community chorus. Positions to consider in forming a coaching staff; Factors to consider in choosing the rehearsal site and the music; Formation of an inviting rehearsal atmosphere; Use of a warm-up sheet and a theory packet.

Discusses techniques and exercises involving imagery and metaphors in developing opulent and free choral sound. Proper posture and breathing; Phonation; Steps in making the throat open and relaxed; Methods of enhancing voice resonance and vitality.

Deals with organizing a choral group with third- and fourth-graders as members. Personalities of third- and fourth-graders; Tips on selecting appropriate music; Information on balancing music curriculum.

Provides a structure for designing warm-up activities for choirs. Warm-up in preparation to sing; Warm-up in preparation to listen; Examples of warm-up exercises.

Two exploratory studies are reported on the perceived benefits associated with active participation in choral singing. In the first study, 84 members of a uni versity college choral society completed a brief questionnaire that asked whether they had benefited personally from their involvement in the choir and whether there were ways in which participation could benefit their health. A large majority of respondents agreed they had benefited socially (87%) and emotionally (75%), with 58% agreeing they had benefited in some physical way, and 49% spiritually. A content analysis of written comments served to elaborate the ways in which choir members felt they had benefited. Common themes expressed were: meeting new people, feeling more positive, increased control over breathing, feeling more alert and feeling spiritually uplifted. With respect to health benefits, 84% of participants gave answers, the main themes of which related to improved lung function and breathing, improved mood and stress reduction. In the second study, 91 members of the choir complet ed a structured questionnaire consisting of 32 statements about singing reflecting the ideas expressed in the first study. Over 40% of respondents strongly agreed that 'singing helps to make my mood more positive', 'singing is a moving experience for me sometimes', 'singing makes me feel a lot hap pier' and 'singing is good for my soul'. A principal components analysis fol lowed by Oblimin rotation identified six dimensions of benefit associated with singing These were labelled as: benefits for well-being and relaxation, benefits for breathing and posture, social benefits, spiritual benefits, emotion al benefits, and benefits for heart and immune system. Cronbach alpha coef ficients were satisfactory for all components except the third, social benefits, due primarily to the small number of items loading on this component. Women were significantly more likely to experience benefits for well-being and relaxation, younger people were more likely to report social benefits, and those professing religious beliefs were more likely to experience spiritual ben efits. The present studies have a number of limitations, but they provide a useful foundation for future larger scale surveys, more sophisticated qualita tive studies, and experimental investigations of the impact of singing on psy cho-physiological functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Focuses on the use of multimedia technology to enchance choral rehearsals in secondary schools. Type of technology music teachers can use; Example of a teacher who used this technology; How technology helped his music students; Benefits of using multimedia technology. INSET: Selected software for use in multimedia presentations.

States that many choral rehearsal programs are faced with the problem of depending on the piano for music learning and intonation. Impact of this problem on music students; How music conductors can help students achieve musical independence from the piano; Essential component of learning to sing without an accompaniment. INSET: Selected sight-singing materials.

Offers conductors some guidelines for improving choral rehearsals. Allowing ample rehearsal time; Maintaining a positive approach while making rehearsals interesting and varied; Altering seating or standing arrangement of the group; Guidelines for helping singers develop an awareness of beat subdivisions; Revitalizing vowel colors.

The American Choral Directors Association is pleased to announce the second Symposium on Research in Choral Singing, a new forum for the dissemination of research. Like the IJRCS, the Symposium program committee welcomes proposals that reflect well-executed research employing quantitative, qualitative, historical, or philosophical methodologies. [Extracted from the article]

The article offers information on Symposium on Research in Choral Singing of American Choral Directors Association to be held on May 1-2, 2020 at Georgia State University in Atlanta.

Choral singing in prisons can help incarcerated individuals identify as returning citizens instead of felons. Shadd Maruna argues that while many legal and penal rituals exist to convince individuals to identify as "offenders," few such rituals are in place to reconnect formerly incarcerated people to identify as community members outside of prisons. Maruna describes successful reintegration rituals as symbolic and emotive, repetitive, community-based, and infused with a dynamic of challenge and achievement; they give form to political and social processes that enable successful reentry. I maintain that choral singing models positive reintegration rituals that promote prosocial connections between returning citizens and the societies to which they are restored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article invites research articles for submission to be published in the journal on the topics of choral singing, choir sound and choral pedagogy.

The article reports on the Iowa Rural Choir movement in Iowa that resulted from a survey of 18 counties which indicated that only 62 percent of rural students could sing any tune at all. The choir plan which was introduced at Muscatine County by County Superintendent E. D. Bradley was launched on a state-wide basis in 1930.

The article presents abstracts of articles related to music education published in journals of the U.S. National Association for Music (MENC) including a survey of sight-singing practices in middle-school choral programs, the understanding of music elements, and music for students with special needs.

The article presents information on the National Anthem Project Road Show of the National Association for Music Education (MENC). The program ended during the weekend of October 20-22, 2006, in New York City with a series of events. People joined the function despite rainy weather. Performing groups sang at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, and Trump International Hotel Plaza, in New York City. Several music teachers including Barbara Murray, director of music for the New York City Department of Education, sang at the Empire State Building observatory, in Manhattan, in New York City. Enthusiastic choir students from across the U.S. were recruited by the American Musical Salute, to commemorate the culmination of the road show.

Highlights several published articles on music education in the United States. Perception and description of music mentors among student teachers; Identification of questions asked in job interviews of music teachers; Effect of singing mode and seating arrangement on choral blend and overall choral sound.

The article highlights the performance of a class headed by C. R. Bill, teacher of music in Beverly and Peabody, Massachusetts in a meeting held by the National Music Teachers' Association in Boston from June 30 to July, 1886. The audience applauded the chorus singing of the class which is consisted of one hundred and forty boys and girls. Their performance in reading music at sight is regarded as the most remarkable.

Presents the "Class Song," sung at graduation exercises of California Kindergarten Training School on May 21, 1883.

The article reports on the chorus of Indianapolis teachers who came at their own expense and sang like professionals in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ernest G. Hesser, music director in the public schools, established the Teachers' Chorus of Indianapolis in 1922. Its aim is to give the classroom teachers instruction in choral singing and conduction that may help them in their daily work with children.

The article states that the singing of 500 boys from the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades led by J. Powell Jones, supervisor of music in Cleveland, Ohio, was one of the most remarkable musical features in the history of the National Education Association.