Honouring the song 4: what is the cultural and historical context of the song?

Just because we can sing a song, doesn’t mean that we should sing it.

It is important to honour the cultural and historical origins of a song so we know whether it’s appropriate to sing it in a different context or not.

Honouring the song 3: can you teach or perform the song accurately?

When using songs from cultures different to ours, we have the responsibility to teach or perform them as accurately as we can.

 

We honour the song by being as authentic as possible when pronouncing the words, and reproducing the melody and harmonies.

Honouring the song 2: what does the song mean?

When you learn a song — especially if it’s by ear — you take on trust what you’re told about the song’s meaning. This is particularly relevant if the song is in a foreign language.

 

But meaning is a slippery thing. Incorrect meanings get passed on like Chinese whispers. Some inexperienced song teachers even make stuff up if they’re not sure (see Bele mama from last week’s post).

Honouring the song 1: where does the song come from?

When honouring the origins of any song, you need to be as precise as you can about where the song came from.

 

It might be hard to find out, but there is no excuse for being lazy and saying something like “This song is from Africa.” Here are some things to consider when tracing a song’s origins.

How to honour the source of a song (and why it’s important)

Many songs get handed down by ear and labelled ‘traditional’ without any clear understanding of where they come from.

It’s important to honour the source of all songs and the cultures they originate from. Here’s a guide to the things that you need to consider.

Even if all your singers are vaccinated, there are still risks

There has been some talk of insisting that singers are vaccinated before they can attend choir.

photo by U.S. Secretary of Defense

Not only is this problematic, but even if all your singers are vaccinated, there are still risks involved.

Don’t be put off by the word ‘choir’ – there are plenty of different kinds out there

Many people are put off by the word ‘choir’. It can mean that people feel excluded from singing with others because of their preconceptions.

The choir of St. Peter's Bournemouth

‘Choir’ can take many forms though, so maybe you’re looking in the wrong place.

Will my choir still be there when lockdown is over?

Some choirs decided to stop all activities when the pandemic started.

photo by Cory Doctorow

As restrictions begin to ease in many countries, singers are wondering: will my choir still be there?

When will it be safe to sing together again in person?

Many of you won’t have sung with others in a physical space for several months, or even a year or more.

Seattle Metropolitan Singers

As vaccination roll-out increases and restrictions are eased in many countries, when will it be safe to sing together again in person?

How to sing a drone of staggering beauty

A drone is a note continuously sounded throughout most or all of a song.

 

But singers have to breathe, so how can this be achieved?

If you don’t sing (or lead a choir), are you still a ‘singer’ (or ‘choir leader’)?

Many of you won’t have sung with others or led a choir over the last year.

Does that mean you can’t call yourself a ‘singer’ or ‘choir leader’ any more?

The biscuits for my singing workshops have gone stale. Have I gone stale too?

It’s been a year since I last led a singing workshop with real live people together in a room.

Ship's biscuit, SS Great Britain, 1874

When it becomes possible to lead singing sessions again, will I still be able to do it?

Merry Christmas everyone!

I couldn’t let Christmas pass without a final post before this blog goes into ‘pause’ mode (see Time to hit pause on this blog).

 

Also, being a numbers nerd, I needed to publish post number 800 to finish on a round number!

Time to hit pause on this blog

I can hardly believe it, but I’ve been writing this weekly blog for 14 years – that’s 798 articles!

I haven’t missed a single week in all that time. Until now.

Find new songs for the winter and festive season

It’s the time of year when many choirs roll out their familiar winter repertoire. Whether it be Christmas carols or Hanukkah songs, they tend to be the same old favourites.

But what if you want to try something different? Here are some resources for discovering new songs for the winter festivals.

The different types of polyphonic singing 9: synthesis polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples.

This week it’s synthesis polyphony, the last of the nine types of polyphonic singing.

The different types of polyphonic singing 8: chordal polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

Tenores di Bitti, Sardinia

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples.

This week it’s chordal polyphony.

The different types of polyphonic singing 7: overlapping polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

 

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples.

This week it’s overlapping polyphony.

The different types of polyphonic singing 6: heterophonic polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples.

This week it’s heterophonic polyphony.

The different types of polyphonic singing 5: ostinato polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples. 

This week it’s ostinato polyphony.