Sing with Scott

[Flay]

The Platinum Consort sang delightfully on In Tune this afternoon. Their director Scott Inglis-Kidger impressed me. He has produced some coaching videos on YouTube which many here will find basic, but being a newcomer to choral singing (at 59 ) I think I will gain much from following his exercise techniques.

I watched a snippet of the X-Factor yesterday and was astounded by the terrible breathing techniques of some in the boy band, flexed double trying to force the sound out (never mind the intonation). Awful. Perhaps they could ask Scott for some tips?

[Oldcrofter]

However, Scott I-K has, according to the Platinum Consort website, been "Hailed by Classic FM as a “rising star of the choral world", " - so that's dished him as far as this board is concerned !

[Oldcrofter]

Just had a look at a couple of the coaching videos. The techniques are basic, simple and easy to remember. I never cease to be surprised at the number of choral conductors who think good, extended warming-up is a waste of time - at least, I presume that's what they think, so quickly do they move into "Let's have a quick look at what we were doing last week ..."

[Flay]

However, Scott I-K has, according to the Platinum Consort website, been "Hailed by Classic FM as a “rising star of the choral world", " - so that's dished him as far as this board is concerned !

I would hope not! Anyway he has been now been endorsed by In Tune

One's voice is free. It is a shame that so few are taught how to use it.

I dearly wish I had been given the confidence and the training to use mine from a younger age.

[Oldcrofter]

Of course, I hope not too ! It's just that there are many names - John Rutter, Eric Whitaker, Karl Jenkins et al. who invariably provoke a splenetic dismissal and CFM has long been a code-word for what many on this board regard as dumbed-down people who enjoy dumbed-down music.

If your locality has the same range of singing groups as mine, you are fortunate indeed - within a five-mile radius (a semi-rural area) we have two chamber choirs, two large choral societies, five SATB choirs, a male-voice choir, a light music choir, a ladies' choir, a youth choir, several harmony/world music groups, U3A singers, church choirs etc -

I hope very much you're enjoying your singing and have found a group that suits your interests.

[Flay]

That is impressive, how luck you are! Unfortunately my choral journey has started humbly with the local church choir who recruited me for some functions to swell their ranks from about eight! "We don't often have a tenor..." One has to start somewhere.

It's satisfying when the harmony works.

[ardcarp]

I take on board (no pun intended) that sometimes contributors to The Choir Forum...self included...can appear a bit elitist about their choral tastes. It is easy to diss people like Gareth Malone for his TV persona, BUT maybe because of those programmes there has been a huge increase in singing at the 'community choir' level; I can think of three that have sprung up within spitting distance of where I live, deep in The West Country. What I'm trying to say is that singing is a Good Thing, and one of the strengths of the UK is the number and diversity of its amateur choirs. There are and always have been 'Gareth Malones' out there doing an equally effective and valuable job, and it is good that the BBC have given their work a big boost.

It is quite reasonable, however to discuss on this Forum choirs that are professional, or who put themselves into the public arena, eg cathedral/collegiate choirs or those in competitions.

As far as new music is concerned, those of us who have sung quite a lot for our livings or otherwise quite like to rise to a challenge. I hope I may be forgiven for being sniffy (probably quite unjustifiably) about the offerings of some contemporary composers whose music is undeniably 'accessible' to the listener but just doesn't do it for me. That sounds and probably is elitist. Accessibility is a perfectly reasonable goal for a composer. But can anyone remember Harrison Birtwistle's famours comment on that subject? (I must look it up when I have time.)

[Oldcrofter]

It's more than reasonable to discuss professional, cathedral, collegiate choirs on the choral board - it's the obvious place and your contributions, Ardcarp, are always open-minded, knowledgeable and pertinent - certainly never 'sniffy' !

I'd be interested to see more opinion and discussion about choral groups and chamber-choirs who have recently performed or recorded - we can always look them up for further information, maybe listen on YouTube and look out for them if performing fairly locally. That might help them sell a few more tickets.

I'm strongly of the opinion that anyone who sings should go and listen to and support other groups who sing, especially young singers/youth choirs - and talk to the youngsters afterwards or during the interval, encourage them and their musical director and accompanist. That sort of contact and encouragement, coming from an "outsider" (i.e. not a parent or friend) is gold-dust and the opinions brought back will be sprinkled around the choir and give then a real boost.

[ardcarp]

Thanks Oldcrofter. I'd love this Forum to discuss a wider range of choral music, so do please bring it to our attention.

Just found the Birtwistle quote:

Minimalism now is a reaction to what came before. It's absolutely of its time. Music moved into the set theory thing, and moved out of it.

[Oldcrofter]

OK, Ardcarp - well, one choir I've mentioned before is the Glasgow-based ladies' chamber choir Les Sirènes - all about them here: http://www.sirenes.co.uk/

I heard them first singing the Billy Joel song "And So It Goes" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8MU4CH5GTI

and the choir's repertoire (listed on the website with the very helpful addition of the arrangers' names - so very easy to track down scores) is a superb guide to what any ladies' or girls' choir might add to their programme.

I think that this is what excellent ladies' choral singing should sound like. And this arrangement by Michael Neaum is truly superb, as are all his arrangements (mostly for the female voice but there are also some for SATB)

[Oldcrofter]

And by way of contrast, Voces8 singing 'Fever' - quality performance in my opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxjnzU2TN30

Some boarders will insist, I expect, that they're "not a choir" - so let's agree that they're a vocal group.

[Oldcrofter]

Cantamus Girls' Choir from Mansfield, Notts. are third in the world Youth Choir rankings recently updated - an outstanding achievement ! (And 19th out of 1000 in the ranking of all choirs that includes adult, university, chamber etc.)

http://www.interkultur.com/leftnavi/world-rankings/

[Gabriel Jackson]

Cantamus Girls' Choir from Mansfield, Notts. are third in the world Youth Choir rankings recently updated - an outstanding achievement ! (And 19th out of 1000 in the ranking of all choirs that includes adult, university, chamber etc.)

http://www.interkultur.com/leftnavi/world-rankings/

These rankings are derived from performances in competitions of course, so choirs that don't enter competitions, or haven't recently, don't appear.

[jean]

Thanks Oldcrofter. I'd love this Forum to discuss a wider range of choral music, so do please bring it to our attention.

The Choir as currently constituted attempts to do just that, doesn't it?

But we hate it so much we won't discuss it at all.

[Gabriel Jackson]

The Choir as currently constituted attempts to do just that, doesn't it?

But we hate it so much we won't discuss it at all.

Anything that isn't about Choral Evensong usually ends up with people queuing up to say how much they hate The Choir, or that Eric Whiatcre is a terrible composer, or that they don't like the BBC Singers