Technology and Me

For several years I’ve been an enthusiastic iPod user.  I listen to music, books, and podcasts, and currently have 47.64 GB stored (out of 160 GB available).  That 47.64 GB translates into 32.7 days of possible listening, or 885 hours if you’d like to think of it that way.  As if that weren’t keeping me busy enough, I’ve now added an iPhone to my technical arsenal, and I’m afraid I’m hooked.  The apps are much too enticing and I’ve already added more of them than I need, although I’ve had this little addictive iPhone less than a month!

Still, I suppose there are two apps that have taken most of my time and only one of them happens to be musical.  The non-musical one is Scrabble, my favorite game of all time.  My win rate is currently 80% against the computer and I expect that to remain the same until I allow the computer to increase its skill level!  The musical app is Pandora radio and I’ve had a ball listening to that.  The listening possibilities on my iPod have evidently not been enough, for I’m now selecting from an array of Pandora stations (all created by me I might add).  I often select a “quick mix” that might create a lineup of artists such as:  Frank Sinatra, Vaughan Williams, Neil Sedaka, J.S. Bach, Ella Fitzgerald, Danny & the Juniors, etc.   With this cornucopia of listening pleasures provided by my iPod and iPhone, I’m afraid my extensive CD and LP collections have been sadly neglected of late. 

As a musician, I’m thrilled to have this listening potential available at the push of a button, especially when I compare it to what was possible at the beginning of my “listening career” so many years ago (six LPs and an FM radio station that broadcast two hours of classical music daily).  And yet, I must say that even with all the entertaining and instructive hours of music available to me today, nothing satisfies me like a choral rehearsal filled with persons committed to making the most beautiful music possible.  I am fortunate to have several possibilities such as that each week, and for that I am eternally grateful.  For me, and I hope for others, “recorded” music will never take the place of “live” music.

Singing “Messiah” for Fun

MOS will soon hold its 4th Annual Messiah Sing-Along and the approaching event has caused me to think a bit about this whole experience of a Sing-Along Messiah.  I conducted several of these Sing-Alongs back in the 1980s, but hadn’t done another one until The Michael O’Neal Singers began its version several years ago.  From what I’ve been able to discover, the concept of a Messiah Sing-Along caught on in the USA in the late 1960s and early 1970s .  Certainly there have been really BIG performances of Messiah dating back to the early and mid nineteenth century, but these took place primarily in England.  Those Brits loved big choral societies and they really adored singing Messiah with big choirs and big orchestras!  I think there were even some performances with a thousand singers or more.  There were also unrehearsed performances where the audience served as the chorus, and in Great Britain these were called “scratch Messiahs,” as in cooking from scratch.

The Messiah Sing-Along has now become a very popular event in many American communities, and especially during the Christmas Season there will be hundreds of these celebrations.  What makes them so popular?   I have several thoughts as to why that might be.  One is that Handel’s “Messiah” is a work that most choral singers have performed.  Another is that during the Holiday Season a Sing-Along provides a wonderful shared experience, whether one particpates as an individual or as part of a group.  And finally, I suggest that people enjoy participating in Messiah Sing-Alongs just because they are fun! 

So, what do you think?  

Christmas Favorites

The Michael O’Neal Singers (MOS) just perfomed its Christmas Concert for an audience of 1000.   Joining us in our performance was the Georgia Regional Girls Choir (GRGC), a wonderful ensemble consisting of elementary through high school students.   In addition to an audience sing along and several individual pieces, the program consisted primarily of two extended works:  Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, performed by GRGC and Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria, performed by MOS.  These are two of my favorite ”Christmas” pieces and each ensemble sang its respective selection splendidly.   In a world filled with so much noise that passes as music during this holiday season, it is refreshing to know there are still people who want to sing (and hear) music by composers such as Britten and Vivaldi.  Some of my other favorite holiday “big” works are Hodie by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Christmas Oratorio and Magnificat by J.S. Bach, and Laud to the Nativity by Ottavio Respighi.

I’m always interested in hearing what other people enjoy singing and hearing.  It  helps me as I plan future concerts!  So why not share some of your favorite extended (15 minutes or longer) Christmas choral selections?  Who knows?  You might find your favorite included in a future MOS concert!

Thanksgiving in Six Words

You may have heard of the “six word story” idea that has been floating around the internet and college writing classes for some time.  The goal is to come up with a phrase that describes in exactly six words a person’s thoughts on a particular subject.  The concept is believed to have started with the famous author, Ernest Hemingway, who accepted a challenge to write a short story in six words.  His response was this – For sale: baby shoes, never worn.  Of course, few persons would be able to come up with such a thought provoking six word story as the one produced by Hemingway.  Still, it is a fascinating exercise and a good way to refine and distill our ideas on a specific theme. 

The Thanksgiving Holiday seems to me to be a good subject for a “six word story.”   I encourage the readers of this blog to come up with some examples that express what Thanksgiving means to them.  I’ll get you started with two of my own.  I love eating at any time (big surprise), but especially at Thanksgiving, so I came up with Favorite meal – turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie.  Another one hints at the busy rehearsal and performance schedule that awaits musicians after the Thanksgiving holiday.  Last rest before rush of December. 

This should get you started.  I look forward to hearing your “six word stories.”

Fanfare for a New Day – Afterthoughts

Our recent Fanfare for a New Day concert was a very enjoyable time for me.  It was a great and rare pleasure to study and prepare all new music (at this point in my career I often find I’m conducting things for a second, third or fourth time!).  I thought that MOS performed extremely well, especially considering the relatively few rehearsals we had to learn the music.  The comments I heard from both singers and audience members seem to suggest it was a meaningful experience for them as well.  This leads me to a question addressed to anyone in attendance at the concert – performer or listener.  What are your reactions to the concert?  What worked for you and what did not?  Which pieces were favorites and which weren’t?   With several weeks now having passed since the performance, is there any of the music that is still “resonating” with you?  Even as we are now in the midst of preparation for our December performances, it can be useful to take a few minutes to reflect on this recent concert.  I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Fanfare for a New Day

Fanfare for a New Day marks the beginning of a third decade of music making for The Michael O’Neal Singers, and in a concert on October 25th we will indeed perform new music for a new day.  All of the selections to be performed will be by active, living composers, with most of the pieces written in the past ten years.  Beautiful melodies, lush harmonies, intriguing rhythms, and meaningful texts are joined together to create a program that should provide many memorable musical moments.

From an e.e. cummings poem set exquisitely in twelve-part  a cappella form by composer Eric Whitacre to an inventive mass setting that would sound perfect in a jazz club, by former King’s Singer, Bob Chilcot, this is a concert that will have something for everyone.   Other composers to be performed are David Conte, David Dickau, Guy Forbes, Dan Forrest, William Hawley, Morten Lauridsen, John Rutter and Mack Wilberg.   The music created by these composers should assure us all that choral music has a bright future, as long as we keep producing the choirs to sing the music.

Are there “new” pieces of music that have been meaningful to you?   Many of you have shared in past blogs some of your favorites.  Share them again or offer some new titles.   To choral enthusiasts, it is a fascinating subject!

The Elements of Music – Rhythm

I had the good fortune of singing under the direction of Robert Shaw for a number of years.  One thing he was constantly drilling into the heads of his singers was the importance of rhythm and the inevitable influence it would have on our performance.  While recognized as one of the three main elements of music (the other two being melody and harmony), he seemed to think that rhythm was given far too little attention by many conductors and singers.  Anyone who ever had the privilege to participate in a Shaw rehearsal undoubtedly had the opportunity to experience his “count singing,”  a technique that quickly identifies anyone with rhythmic “issues.” 

In its most recent rehearsal, MOS was reading through Bob Chilcott’s captivating work, A Little Jazz Mass, scheduled for performance at the end of October.   The piece is fun and enjoyable to sing and I think the chorus was doing a very good job (overall).  I was, however, struck by the challenges the rhythm seemed to present to some of our singers.   Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised, for I have noticed in recent years that MOS auditions seem to include an increasing number of rhythmic mistakes in both sight reading and tonal memory exercises.   I think this “rhythmic insecurity” may be more common than I first suspected, and I look forward to concentrating more this year on the joys of rhythm, both in A Little Jazz Mass, and in other pieces as well.

I’d like to know what you readers think about rhythm.  Does it come easily to you or is it indeed a challenge, especially as compared with melody and harmony?   How do you go about working on rhythmic problems?   I know that I personally always try to “internalize” the division of the beat.  That’s especially helpful in “feeling” syncopation, a very important component of jazz.  Anyway, I’m already looking forward to the next couple of rehearsals, where “rhythm” will be treated with the respect it deserves!

Kudos to Church Choirs

Church choirs are in many ways the foundation of choral singing in America.  Certainly, there are few choruses that can claim a minimum of 52 performances a year, yet this is exactly what church choirs do.  I am fortunate to be the director of an excellent church ensemble, the Roswell United Methodist Sanctuary Choir, and this morning especially the Choir was at the top of its form.  As a large choir (125 members) we often sing big pieces for a big Sanctuary (seating of 2,000).   Our anthem today was Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, arranged by Mack Wilberg, Director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  It is a beautiful setting of a fine early American  folk hymn, and the Sanctuary Choir presented an impassioned performance, contributing immeasurably to the worship experience of the morning.

Just as I feel privileged to direct this committed and talented group of people, I am sure there are many of you out there, choir members and directors alike, who have similar feelings about your own church choir.  I’d love for you to share some of your most meaningful church choir experiences.   These might involve a particular piece of music, a service, a concert or a rehearsal.  Our sharing will be a great way to honor the choirs that are making a difference in people’s lives on a weekly basis.

The Five L’s

I have a goal.  As a new choral season begins (I’ve recently resumed rehearsals with the Roswell UMC Sanctuary Choir and will soon start rehearsals with MOS), I am reminded of something I try to achieve at every rehearsal.  I call it the Five L’s, which stand for Listen, Labor, Learn, Laugh and Love.   At the conclusion of a rehearsal, it is my goal that all participants (including myself) will have experienced each of those five actions to some degree.  We listen – to the music and to each other.  We labor – working together for a shared purpose brings enormous satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.  We learn – listening and working together will almost always lead to learning something new.  We laugh – I believe a rehearsal without laughter is an opportunity lost.  And finally, we love – of course, we should certainly make every effort to love the music we are rehearsing, but I think it is also important to love and care for each other. 

I think if we keep the Five L’s at the forefront of our minds when we enter the rehearsal, and recognize that each of these words are action verbs, we will depart the rehearsal with a recognition that the time we’ve spent together has been worthwhile and important.  Anyway, that’s my goal.

Great Music for Great Spaces

The fifth annual incarnation of The Michael O’Neal Summer Singers is just days away from its performance of Great Music for Great Spaces.  The repertoire is built around music for chorus, brass and organ, both individually and in various combinations.  Including selections by Parry, Vaughan Williams, Beethoven, Pachelbel, Holst, and many others, the program promises to be a celebration of celebratory music!   It takes place at Roswell UMC in Roswell, GA, at 3 PM on Sunday, August 16. 

The 150+ singers who will be sharing their music that afternoon have been a joy to work with this summer.  The Summer Chorus of MOS is open to all interested singers.  No one is asked to audition and we always end up with a wide range of backgrounds and skill levels represented in the chorus.   The one unifying force in our group is the love of singing.  The enthusiasm has been evident from the first notes sung at each rehearsal and I will miss seeing these folks on a regular basis.  The good news is that most of them will continue their singing in other organizations this season.  There are, of course, a number of the Summer Singers who will return to the regular MOS chorus or to my church choir at Roswell UMC and I will have the pleasure of seeing and hearing them on a weekly basis.  However, a majority of the Summer Singers participate in other fine community and church choirs during the year and they will be returning to their respective organizations following our Sunday concert.   The sadness at bidding them farewell is tempered with the knowledge that they will be continuing to make great music in great spaces around the metro Atlanta area.

As I complete my summer season and anticipate the beginning of my regular season I am reminded how fortunate I am to have so many opportunies to share music making with such a large and diverse group of people.  Thanks to all of you!