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September 27, 2005
Dear Marie
My question to you
is based on this concept. There are persons involved in our church choir who think that auditions for a church choir ministry are
inappropriate and unnecessary. Do you think auditions have their place in the church? I conclude by saying that God is
deserving of our best gifts and service and I personally feel that the audition process assists in achieving this. What is
your view?
Want the Best for God
Dear Want the Best,
I agree that God is deserving of our best gifts and service and
the audition process can assist in achieving this. If the choir is to be a group of
paid professional singers, an elite touring group, part of a television ministry, or provide music for a very large or
sophisticated congregation, of course you would expect to have auditions.
This is rarely the case in the traditional church choir, and
often you wouldn't have many singers if you required auditions. Even gifted amateurs can be extremely shy in a solo situation,
so tread carefully if you feel you really need to quantify singers' abilities. Often people with wonderful
talents haven't been encouraged and wouldn't even try if an audition were required. The other extreme is also common;
there are people who erroneously believe that they're wonderful singers, yet their voices are loud and unpleasant, they
have no sense of rhythm, or they have terrible pitch problems. These people will show up at every audition and you'll
end up with a PR problem if you bar them from the choir. (Usually the answer to the latter type of problem singers is
to include them, but teach them enough singing and musical skills that they become better singers/musicians.)
Also, before deciding to have an audition, you need
to identify what you plan to accomplish with the audition; more important, you need to communicate your goals to
your potential choir members. Would you deny choir membership to singers who have strident voices, can't carry a
tune, or can't sing a part by themselves? How many potential choir members do you have, and can you afford to pick
and choose only the best? Are you just trying to find out the singers ranges and abilities so you know what music to
choose and what parts to assign them?
There isn't just one easy answer, and there are caveats
to any plan you choose. -- Keep working with it; pray about all your choices. Singers are a lot more likely to
work hard and sing well if they LIKE you, so be sure to be kind and keep the human element in whatever
you choose to do.
I'll pray for you.
Marie
September 24, 2005
Dear Marie
What are the duties of a choir president?
Need to Know
Arkansas
Dear Need to Know,
"Choir President" is one of those titles that can mean a whole lot of work
or it can just be an honorary position. If your choir chooses a president, the choir director, the choir and the rest
of the choir officers should work together to decide the actual "job description" of the choir president.
Here are some suggestions: 1. Work with the director to choose next
season's music. 2. Make organizational announcements to the choir (i.e., "We need to have better rehearsal attendance.
Please turn in your music to the choir secretary. There's going to be a schedule change.") 3. Be morale officer for the
choir director, the choir, the accompanist -- remember birthdays, pass on congregation members' compliments, etc. 4. Help
decide what "big" programs the choir is going to present -- Christmas or Easter Cantata, joint concerts with the children's
choir or another church or group, touring.
5. Help organize these programs. 6. Organize physical requirements for the
choir. -- find people to set up the chairs for rehearsal, transport and set up risers, music stands, choir robes, etc.
7.Anything else you think of that needs done.
There are
plenty of things that need done and the more the choir president and other officers do, the more time the choir director can
devote to the actual music. I hope you get exactly the right combination.
I'll
pray for you.
Marie
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September 20, 2005
Dear Marie,
This is my first time at directing. I
was wondering if you have any information regarding the positioning of parts within a choir. I.E. Where should
the sopranos, altos, etc. be seated? Any information you share would be greatly appreciated. I am starting this week
and would love the information ASAP.
Thanks!
Ready to Direct
Minnesota
Dear Ready,
This is a matter of director's preference
and you won't know the answer until you have experimented with different seating arrangements with YOUR group, but here are
a few questions that need to be answered.
1. Which parts need the most help? The part that has the singers who
need the most help should be seated closest to the piano.
2. What parts do YOUR people lean on the most? If your singers get their
musical cues from the Sopranos, then the Sopranos should be in the middle. If they are better musicians and get their cues
from the Basses (Western music is built on the bass.), then the Basses should be in the middle--unless the Basses are struggling
and then they should be closest to the piano. (This is assuming that your piano is on one side of the church or
the other, rather than in front of or behind the choir.) Usually Sopranos can still function placed farthest from the piano.
3. Can they hear each other in your current seating arrangement? Singers
need to hear each other; one of the easiest ways to do this is to seat them in a semi-circle so that they sing towards
each other. (YOU stand in the middle.)
4. Can the congregation hear all parts? Have the choir sing a standard
chord and "hold" it while you walk to the back of the church; then make sure you can hear every part. Adjust your
arrangement as necessary.
5. Who are your strongest singers within each part? Often it's best to
line up your people within their parts front to back, so that the singers who CAN stay on the part are in the back,
the best voices are in the front and the ones who need to hear a strong singer are between them.
Often you will end up with one arrangement for rehearsal and another for
performance. Keep experimenting and listening to the results until it works for YOUR choir.
I'll pray for you.
Marie
Go to:
& Evelyn Pursley-Kopitzke
Ask Marie, Page Six, through Dec. 18, '05.
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