Singing in a choir involves singing together in a large group of 10 to 100 people. Choristers are united by joint learning and performing a repertoire that is common to all. Modern examples of choral singing are the “Chamber Choir of the Moscow Conservatory” under the direction of B. Tevlin, the choir of the State Academic Symphony Chapel of Russia under the direction of V. Polyansky, etc.
There are different choir groups: men's choir, women's choir, mixed choir, children's choir, etc. The repertoire performed by the choir is varied: classical works, pop-jazz music, folk songs.
Let's look at examples of choirs with video clips
Children's choir:
Your humble servant had experience working with a children's choir. If you ask me what is the most difficult thing about working with a children's choir, then I will tell you one thing - discipline! And everyone who has spent at least one lesson with a children's choir will agree with me. The most difficult thing is to gather the attention of children from the beginning to the end of the lesson. Imagine a school class: buzzing, shouting, laughing, and in the choir all the children are also singing. And so, this is an ordinary group of children. The vocal and choral level of performance most often depends on the authority of the director of the children's choir and on how collected and attentive the children sing!
We see an example of a retro recording of a choir. It is noteworthy that here the children's choir sings with a soloist. The main part is the melody of the female soloist, and the choir in this case performs the chorus part. Evgeny Krylatov’s wonderful composition “Winged Swing” sounds. Surely, the audience over 30 years old knows this wonderful song.
And this is a case when the choirmaster deserves applause. After all, he is looking for new forms in choral art. It is very important to always select interesting modern repertoire. Here the children's choir simply brilliantly sings Queen's masterpiece. We see how different and interesting children's choral singing can be, listening to which is not only not boring, but even very pleasant. And of course, the main person in it is the person of the choir conductor.
Let's move on to the women's choir:
The number of parties here can vary from 2 to 4. Of course, I should note how different choirs are: professional, amateur, amateur. And of course, each has its own complexity of work! But perhaps the most beautiful thing about women’s singing is the smoothness when the voices merge.
Here we will listen to the famous female choir from Tchaikovsky’s brilliant opera “Eugene Onegin”. As we understand, choral compositions can be either an independent form or part of an opera. “Fly away on the wings of the wind” - I’m sure many people are familiar with this phrase. But few people know that this phrase is from the chorus of slaves, which sounds in Borodin’s opera “Prince Igor”.
Don't pay attention to the men standing nearby, the choir is female. The women's choir has its own quality that resonates in the hearts of people.
Male choir:
What can I say about the men's choir? Strength, volume, confidence - these are probably the main qualities of the sound of male voices. Let's listen to the example of a military choir, which is quite common among male choirs. Again, there is both a soloist and a symphony orchestra. A wonderful song of the war years “Tula Defense”.
Well, the Turetsky Choir, known to many, is a modern version of the choir, which does not stand on the choir’s “stands,” but moves around the stage and behaves more artistically. As they say, time does not stand still. And choral forms change!
Our list is completed by the Mixed Choir:
Let me remind you that this is a choir where both men and women sing; it is possible that children’s voices will be included in mixed choirs. Cossack singing deserves special attention. In this case, it is appropriate to recall the legendary Kuban Cossack Choir, which I personally adore and recommend that you listen to the same legendary Ukrainian song “Unharness the Lads of the Horses”
There is also a soloist. An incredible, cool mood is created after listening to this choir and this song. Of course, we should remember Schubert’s immortal work “Ave Maria” in a soulful performance by a mixed choir and soloist.
LiveInternetLiveInternet
In the musical community, there are a variety of opinions regarding singing in a choir. Some believe that this is enough to learn singing skills, while others, on the contrary, consider the choir to be an ineffective method that spoils the voice. Here are the main ones.
It is believed that the choir is contraindicated for those singing in modern styles, supposedly due to the different positions of the sound. And, in addition, there is an additional misconception about the formation of sound in modern styles, attributing to it “connectivity” (probably the author of this myth is a fan of opera singing and is thus trying to popularize the opera theater. But why hammer nails with a microscope?).
There are also people who compare singing in a choir with singing in karaoke. “It’s easier to sing in a crowd.” Choir is not karaoke singing. There are many voices in the choir, each voice has its own individual anatomical structure. Because of this, the singer will have to think a lot about how to sing a note in unison with another singer with a different structure, while still hitting the same note in the mode characteristic of his singing apparatus. And the modes will be different: Alto and soprano “G” of the first octave sing in different modes: the note “G” taken by the alto in its natural mode sounds denser and “fatter” than the same note from the soprano. But this is a separate topic about registers in voices. The “karaoke” effect in the voice will only occur if the person has not been explained what support is and the breathing has not been “tightened up”, and the transition areas in the voice between the same registers have not been identified.
I can also say about the supposedly “shrinking” voice. The choir has a choirmaster and an accompanist. One of them, at least the choirmaster, in the nature of voice conducting, especially the choir, should understand the “yat”.
Personally, I highlight the following pros and cons:
- Minuses:
- Depersonalization of timbre. For a singer in a choir to sound ideally with the others, he has to adapt to other people’s voices, adapting his vocal apparatus to their sound, because the sound should be “general”, because this is singing for several types of groups of voices. The main disadvantage of this, and this factor cannot be excluded, is that such “adjustment” to someone else’s sound can harm the vocal apparatus. Each singer has an individual structure of the vocal apparatus, even if considered within the same type of voice: two altos may have a different structure of the larynx, different sizes of ligaments, because one of them will be a mezzo-soprano, and the other will be a high contralto. Regarding the manifestation of harm: I know one failed solo singer who sang in a choir for 20 years, her sound is still painful. She doesn't hear herself at all;
- Skill form. In the choir, they mainly give one position from one basic and general mode of singing. As a rule, choral singers do not know how to mix at all, which makes it very difficult to switch to the upper register. The result is a truncated working range that does not allow solo work;
- Not every choir teaches proper breathing skills.
- Pros:
- Remember when I wrote that a singer must have a harmonic ear? So this useful skill can be acquired in the choir. In about six months to a year of thoughtful studies (provided that before that you take solo singing lessons for at least 3 years). It is better to combine with solo lessons to master and consolidate other singing standards;
- Once you get used to singing among people, you can get rid of the fear of the audience;
- If for some technical reason you are afraid of classical singing. There are not only academic choirs, but also pop and jazz choirs. In Moscow there is a gospel choir at the Alisher Gatler School of Music;
- The choir has a leading voice in each section that you can tune in to. If it is configured well, then there will be no problems with the voice apparatus;
- There are choirs that do not rely on impersonality and focus on full disclosure of the voice. As I was recently informed, these choirs can be considered good;
- You can master more forms of sound. Earlier I wrote that there is no technical difference between classical and modern singing. In our age of experimentation, mixing different styles, the diversified development of a singer is only a plus.
In conclusion, I will say that such stars as Beyonce Knowles, Katy Perry, Madonna and even rapper Snoop Dogg. Moreover, the latter sings with exclusively choral training:
German:
Metallica cover:
Let's summarize:
What I would like to say about the choir: despite any criticism, I advise every child who begins to study vocals to go to the choir. The choir develops the ability to listen to oneself and hear others. The choir develops inner hearing and the ability to hold its own part. In the choir you can perfectly learn a sense of community and musical camaraderie, which you can never buy anywhere! A good choir is a family, a collective driven by a common goal - to create music!
But before you start taking choir classes, I advise you to understand and feel your vocal capabilities, understand your voice type and timbre, so that later in the choir you can clearly understand why you were given this particular part and this role to sing. To do this, you can sign up for our trial vocal lesson and get answers to all your questions.
How do choral singing lessons work?
Our choral groups perform a variety of musical works: from classical and ancient to modern compositions and new unusual arrangements of familiar music. A choir singing lesson consists of two main parts:
- breathing exercises, warming up the vocal apparatus, vocal exercises
- work on the repertoire.
A choral singing lesson lasts from 60 minutes (for children) to 120 minutes (for large choirs). Our choirs perform at concerts and other musical events.
School of choral singing - V. Popov, L. Tikheeva
FROM THE AUTHORS
The second edition of the School of Choral Singing is intended for choir groups of secondary schools, Houses of Pioneers, choral studios consisting of children of adolescence and youth (12-18 years old). “School” is designed for children’s homogeneous choir. Girls and those boys who have not suffered a mutation usually sing in such a choir. This type of children's choir is the most widespread, since it is at this age—12–18 years—that students can engage in vocal work more actively and fruitfully than with elementary school children. By the age of 12, the formation of the vocal muscle is basically completed, the respiratory system is strengthened, and the voice acquires greater strength and stability. This allows you to intensify your vocal training. At the same time, a gradual transition of the child's voice into an adult begins. The process of voice change occurs most intensively during mutation, which affects the voices of both boys and girls. The forms of manifestation of the mutation are very different, but it is especially acute in boys. So, on the one hand, there is every reason to strengthen vocal and choral work with teenagers, on the other hand, this period requires a certain caution in relation to the voice and maximum attention to its protection.
Practice has established that the best protection for the voice is serious, regular vocal training, which not only helps to acquire the necessary singing skills, but also creates normal conditions for the smooth transition of a child’s voice into an adult voice, and contributes to its further improvement. This “School” consists of two sections. Chapter 3, the first, concisely sets out the most necessary information about the development of the voice, breathing, sound production, diction, based on the latest scientific data (works by L. Dmitriev, V. Morozov, N. Orlova, T. Ovchinnikova and others). Here the choir director will find advice on organizing a group, working on a song, musical literacy, and polyphony. The issues of managing the choir, developing ensemble skills and structure are also briefly covered. A number of special vocal and choral exercises are given. The chapter on musical literacy contains songs and canons that will help children learn some musical concepts (intervals, chords, types of scales, etc.). These songs were written for the “School” by composer E. Tilicheeva and poet Y. Serpin.
The second section presents the pedagogical choral repertoire, which was the result of a synthesis of the positive experience of many of the best children's choirs in our country. This repertoire can assist group leaders in the musical, aesthetic and moral education of children, as well as promote the normal, full development of the child’s voice, as it is selected taking into account the psychophysiological characteristics of adolescence and youth. The repertoire is divided into two parts: the first presents two- and three-voice choirs, the second - four-voice choirs. The works (with and without piano accompaniment) vary greatly in degree of difficulty and nature of presentation. Since the principle of dividing musical material according to the number of voices is to a certain extent formal and it alone cannot be used as the basis for determining the complexity of a choir, the authors of the “School” recommend that directors of choral groups, based on specific conditions, use in their work works from both and from another part at the same time. In each part, the song material is arranged in the following order: first, works by Soviet composers are given, then works by Russian and Western European classics, modern foreign authors and folk songs. The second issue of “School” is addressed to those choirs whose members have, to a certain extent, mastered the skill of two-voice singing. We advise newly created teams to turn to the first issue. Despite the fact that the first issue is intended for elementary school students, it contains a large number of works that older children will learn with interest and benefit.
We will especially mention the dynamic instructions in the proposed essays. The authors of “School” preserved the shades given by the composers. Therefore, in choirs there will be fortissimo (//), forte fortissimo (Ш), pianissimo (pp), piano pianissimo (pp). It is clear that it is very difficult to convey such a wide range of dynamic shades to a children's choir. The choirmaster needs to outline his own scale of dynamic changes, which, following the author’s instructions, would not lead to force and shouting during loud singing, and to soundlessness during the quietest singing. Methodological instructions are given for the works, which are by no means exhaustive, but only emphasize certain difficulties and offer some methods for overcoming them. When using the material from the School of Choral Singing, the leader must approach it creatively. This publication aims to promote the development of a deep love for music in children through choral singing.
SECTION I ADVICE TO THE CHORUS DIRECTOR V. Popov. Some issues of voice development and education in adolescence and adolescence. Singing attitude, breathing, sound attack. Articulation, diction and sound engineering Ensemble and structure Polyphony and unaccompanied singing. Vl. Sokolov. Vocal and choral exercises Exercises by V. Popov. Musical literacy Songs-exercises. Music by E. Tilicheeva, lyrics by Y. Serpin Prima Minor second and major second. Minor third Major third Fourth Fifth Augmented fourth Diminished fifth Minor sixth Major sixth Minor seventh Major seventh Octave Major scale Harmonic major Minor natural scale Harmonic minor Major and minor triads Seventh chord Intervals. Music by O. Mandichevsky, Russian text by K. Alemasova Canon. Music by L. Beethoven Vl. Sokolov. Choir management Work with the choir on a song. L. Abelyan. Organization of a choir
SECTION II. SONGS AND CHOIRS PART ONE The country is singing about Lenin. Music by O. Khromushin, lyrics by P. Sinyavsky First detachments. Music by A. Flyarkovsky, lyrics by M. Sadovsky Melody of Friendship. Music by Y. Chichkov, lyrics by M. Plyatskovsky First-grader. Music by V. Shainsky, lyrics by Y. Entin. Arranged for children's choir by V. Popov Song about a stork. Music by I. Luchenko, lyrics by A. Vyartsinsky, Arranged for children's choir by V. Popov Autumn. Music by R. Boyko, words by M. Lermontov Morning Canon. Music by T. Korganov, lyrics by A. Blanca Morning. Music by D. Bortnyansky, lyrics by K. Alemasova A passing song. Music by M. Glinka, lyrics by N. Kukolnik. Arranged for children's choir by Vl. Sokolova It’s already evening” (from the opera The Queen of Spades>). Music by P. Tchaikovsky New Day. Music by J. Palestrina, Russian text by J. Serpin Heart, be silent. Music by J. S. Bach, Russian text by A. Mashistov. Arranged for children's choir by V. Popov You are Russia, you are Russia. Russian folk song. Arranged by V. Popov By sea. Russian folk song. Arranged by V. Popov I walked around the market. Russian folk song. Arranged by V. Popov Gritsyu, Gritsyu, to the robot! Ukrainian folk song. Arranged by N. Leontovich Vesnyanka. Belarusian folk song. Processing Vl. Sokolova Our collective farm fields. Modern Armenian folk song. Arranged by V. Popov, Russian text by K. Ibryaev Ay-ya, juzhu. Latvian folk song. Arranged by V. Vlasov, Russian text by V. Vnnnnkova. How unlucky I am. Estonian folk song. Arranged by V. Tormis, Russian text by L. Dymova Brigadier. Uzbek folk song. Arranged by A. Lensky, Russian text by M. Sadovsky Oberek. Polish folk song. Processing Vl. Sokolov, Russian text by Yu. Obedova I planted wormwood. Bulgarian folk song. Arranged by G. Dimitrov, Russian text by K. Alemasova
PART TWO Oath. Music by A. Krasotov, lyrics by L. Revy To you, the fallen. Music by R. Shchedrin, lyrics by A. Tvardovsky. Arranged for children's choir by V. Popov The choir is good. Music by A. Pakhmutova, lyrics by N. Dobronravov For mushrooms. Music by O. Khromushin, lyrics by V. Semerkin Bunny. Music by G. Sviridov, lyrics by A. Blok Call. Music by Vl. Sokolov, words by M. Sadovsky Silence. Music by T. Korganov, lyrics by E. Rusakov Grandma had a goat” Music by V. Rubin, folk lyrics Concerto for choir L 3. Fragment. Music by D. Bortnyansky, lyrics. Sun Rozhdestvensky. Arranged for children's choir by V. Popov Morning. Music by P. Tchaikovsky, words by A. Mashistov. Arranged for children's choir by V. Popov. Choir of farmers. Music by I. Haydn, Russian text by Y. Rodionov. Arranged for children's choir by V. Popov Brave Rider. Music by R. Schumann, words by M. Sadovsky. Arranged for children's choir by E. Leonov March Night. Music by J. Brahms, words by L. Uland, translation by S. Bolotin A Little Musical ABC. Words and music by A. Balazs, translation from Hungarian by M. Pavlova Cheryomushka. Russian folk song Willow on the Mountain. Lithuanian folk song. Arranged by M. Ciurlionis Our sunny land. Turkmen folk song. Arranged by K. Korchmarev, Russian text by A. Cherkashina. Arranged for children's choir by V. Popov.
Download sheet music
