The reason why I chose this recording is because it directly relates to a lot of the issues we have discussed in class regarding high school choirs.
Some of the things that I like about this sound is that singers have a very confident and full sound. The blending is actually quite nice. There are a couple of individual voices here and there but in general it isn't bad. The choir also is very attentive at watching the conductor and following the direction. Their pitch doesn't suffer a whole lot and the choir generally maintains tonality throughout the piece.
What I don't like is the posture from some of the singers. Particularly the girls in the first row with their hands clasped in front of them. There is also a lot of issues with vowels, particularly the singing on diphongs. If you watch the articulators, the choir does not match their vowels in a lot of spaces if you pay careful attention. This relates directly to the issues of vowels not matching. I also feel as though the choir is attacking every entrance very heavily and that all of the phrases don't really have any line of direction. There is also issues that come from the director's mistakes and not mistakes of the choir. There is no contrast in dynamics and a lot of very awkward pauses that don't give the piece the legato and smooth connected feel it is meant to have.
Jake, I agree completely. There were a couple of the power chords that were tonally locked in. ("sign of compassion"). I also feel like the group was singing the song because the director told them to. There was very little emotion invested in the piece, which also contributed to the lack of contrasting dynamics and legato. One thing that surprised me, was that I understood every single word (maybe that's because I know the piece well). It was clear that the director is big on diction, but at times, it seemed like overkill.
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Jake,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this piece! I'm not the biggest Whitacre fan, however this is one of my few favorites. I think this is a very difficult piece for a 9-12 choir. I know the notation is somewhat challenging to read (I believe there are limited to none bar lines), and Whitacre's music is a challenge for any choir member, let alone a high school freshman. However, I think they do a decent job within their performance. I do think that there is a terrible balance between treble and bass voices, quite common for high schools today. Because of that, we are missing the warmth that grows from the harmonic structure of the lower voices. I agree that there phrasing is somewhat choppy and rushed in areas, and the smooth, free flowing phrases are missed. But, I give them credit for having the courage to perform this piece at their level; it's something that I can't say I would do!
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Particularly with the bass and soprano parts, there was some intonation problems with the choir that seemed to be affecting the great unity of the choir. Indeed, this choir is well organized and their momentum is effective. The enunciation is very clear and piercing.
ReplyDeleteIt is impressive that they are attempting such repertoire, but the first question that comes to mind is why? It is sung in a very robotic way, both in approach to the notes and text, signaling that maturity-wise they just aren't there yet (or weren't led to be). One shouldn't feel rushed to sing the most difficult pieces they can find with their ensemble...
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