Wednesday, December 18, 2013

WLA Christmas Concert 2013 - Live Stream

This concert will be live streamed Thursday, Dec. 19 at 7 PM and Friday, Dec. 20 at 1 PM (UTC/GMT -6 hours).  Click here for the program.

WLA Christmas Concert - Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013, 7 PM
Video streaming by Ustream WLA Christmas Concert - Friday, Dec. 20, 2013, 1 PM
Video streaming by Ustream

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Learning Händel's Messiah - Chorus No. 12: "For Unto Us a Child is Born"

CLICK HERE to download part predominant recordings of your voice part for Handel's "For Unto Us a Child is Born", Chorus No. 12 from Messiah (HWV 56, July 1741). There are three predominant recordings for each voice part: the full track, a study spot, and a slower version of the study spot.  Work on the slow study spot first (Soprano mm. 13-18, Alto mm. 56-61, Tenor mm. 38-41, Bass mm. 19-24) before working on the entire piece.

Performance by the London Symphony Orchestra and London Symphony Chorus, Sir Colin Davis, conductor:



"For Unto Us a Child is Born" is affectionately known as a "love duet chorus" because Handel adapted much of it from a secular Italian cantata of his entitled Nò, di voi non vo'fidarmi (HWV 189, July 1741).  The performance below is by Les Sirénes at the Oct. 10, 2012 Early Music America Baroque Performance Competition in New York, NY.

 

Leonard Van Camp, in his book A Practical Guide for Performing, Teaching and Singing Messiah (©1993 Roger Dean), lists in Appendix III the following "Places Often Missed in Learning and Performing Messiah Choruses" for Chorus No. 12: For Unto Us a Child is Born:

  • mm. 31-32 (Tenor) First note (get it from sopranos) and skip down a minor 7th to A
  • m. 48 (Tenor) D-D-F (compare with bar 84)
  • m. 56 (Bass) F natural
  • m. 56-61 (Alto) F natural and then F sharp
  • m. 66 (Bass) First six notes
  • m. 71 (Tenor & Bass) Skips down of a 5th (tenor) and a 7th (bass)
  • m. 76 (Bass) 6th down on beat four
  • m. 77 (Alto) Third beat of 77 – E natural. These two beats need work, as does the complettion of the passage in m. 78.
  • m. 79 (All parts) Finding the first pitch is tricky. Compare with bar 88 to see how to think this spot.
  • m. 80 (Soprano) Beat three and four. E down to A is a perfect 5th.
  • m. 84 (Tenor) G natural on the "and of 2". Compare with bar 48.
  • m. 87 (Bass) Last note is octave skip down to B natural.
  • m. 88 (Alto) B natural
  • m. 90 (Tenor & Bass) B natural is a unison
Van Camp offers the following suggestion for learning the roulades and melismas of Chorus No. 12: 
"To become secure on the passages of sixteenth notes practice singing only the first note of each group. Then have part of the chorus sing it as written while the rest sing only the first note.  This will help the choristers see the 'skeleton' of these passages, called 'roulades' or 'melismas,' which are like ornamentations of a simple melody. These must be sung in a light manner with good breath management and a light clear tone." (p. 40)
Read Van Camp's complete guide to learning and teaching Chorus No. 12 by clicking here.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Fall Concert 2013 - Color

Whoops. I never embedded the live stream before the concert yesterday.  My sincerest apologies! Here's the program and the recording of the live stream.  It was a great Fall Concert. I was very happy with how my students sang and performed in their first concert of the year.


Live streaming video by Ustream

Friday, October 4, 2013

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

A New School Year, A New Theme Song

"Be still and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10a)


What's the first thought that comes to mind when you read this passage?  For me it's a dual thought: the hymn "Be Still My Soul", sung slowly to the tune FINLANDIA, played at a Christian funeral.  I can't shake that thought.  I've played that hymn many a Christian funeral.  I've even arranged that hymn for the WLA graduating class of 2000.  So I have a picture, a feeling, a mood of somberness, tinged with sadness, struggling to be joyful.

That's not the mood I want to feel all year long when this passage is read at WLA. I want the theme passage of the WLA Association to be uplifting, encouraging, and comforting.  I don't want to be reminded of funerals I have gone to or feelings of sadness that I have struggled through.  I want to leave chapel each day happy, bolstered up by the good news of the Gospel.

That's the unique challenge I gave myself when writing this year's theme song.  How do you take a Bible passage that most people associate with sadness or troubling times in their lives and see in it God's encouragement?  At first my wanted to expound on the second half of the passage: "know that I am God" and recall all the great and marvelous works of our God through the ages, from Creation to Eternity, but that list would be too long.  Where would you stop recounting all the ways in which God has shown himself and worked in the lives of his children?

The verses are written from the point of view of God talking to us.  "Stop your fighting" came from the Holmen Christian Standard Bible translation of Ps. 46:10.  As soon as I read that translation, I thought of high school kids, and the rest of the verse started to spill out of my pencil onto paper.  Sometimes it's tough to understand how to "be still" (the NIV translation).  The first half of the verse is God talking to us, telling us what not to do.  The second half is God explaining who he is and why we can let him fight for us.

I wanted to add a bridge to this song for two reasons: I get bored with just verse and refrain style when there isn't bridge, and I wanted to emulate the style of modern Christian hymn writers Keith and Kristen Getty's By Faith.  The lyrics for the bridge come from Psalm 46:2-3, 7. The steep angle of the melody of the bridge makes me think of the steep slopes of a mountain as it crashes down into the waters below (like the Mt. St. Helens eruption!).

All the sheet music, bulletin inserts, and MIDI files are in my DropBox.  Feel free to use them.  Just let me know if your church or school sang it and how it went!

Sunday, May 26, 2013

WLA Graduation 2013

Join us in thanking God for the 2013 graduating class of Winnebago Lutheran Academy at 2:30 PM, Sunday, May 26, 2013.
Streaming by Ustream

Monday, May 20, 2013

Academy Kids Auditions 2013-2014

Click to download a PDF file of "I'm a Believer" with choreography notes

To see the choreography, start at beginning, stop at 0:48, skip to 1:27, continue to end:

Friday, April 19, 2013

WLA Traveling Choir Auditions 2013-2014

It's that time of year again–audition time! WLA students who have been in WLA choir for one year are eligible to audition for the 2013-2014 Traveling Choir.  TC performs in 1/3 of the 41 WLA association congregations every school year, five major home concerts, and numerous other exciting singing opportunities!  The ideal number I shoot for every school year is 48 (12 in a section).

WLA students who will be in their sophomore, junior, or senior years in the 2013-2014 school year and have been in one year of WLA choir are eligible to audition.  I'm looking for independent singers who can learn their parts on their own, students who work hard, have good grades, and are excellent examples of young Christian men and women.  If you feel you have what it take, please fill out the audition form below and download the audition documents.  All the information you need to know is on those documents.

Sign up for an audition time on the WLA Choir Room door ASAP!  Audition will begin the week of April 22, 2013 and will be done by Friday, May 3, 2013.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

WLA Hosts Flyway Large Group Choir Festival


Would you like to hear some good school choirs sing? Come to the WLA chapel tomorrow, Wednesday, April 17, 2013 to hear the following middle and high school choirs perform.  For more information about Wisconsin School Music Association festivals, click here.

Performance
School
10:45 
Laconia HS - Class B
11:10
Lomira HS - Class A
11:40
Rosendale Intermediate & Brandon MS - Class M
12:05
Lomira Junior HS - Class M
12:30
BREAK
1:00
WLA Traveling Choir - Class A
1:30
Horace Mann HS - Class B
1:55
WLA Concert Choir - Class B
2:20
St. Mary’s Spring Academy MS - Class M

UW-Oshkosh State Solo Ensemble Schedule 2013

WLA has the following 22 music events going to State Solo Ensemble Festival at UW-Oshkosh on Saturday, April 27, 2013. I am very proud of each of these students for using their God-given gifts to make such beautiful music!  If you'd like to hear a sneak peek of these state finalists, you can come to the WLA choir room on Wednesday night, April 24, 2013 at 6 PM to hear all of WLA's state finalists play and sing in recital.

Click here to go to the WSMA website for more information about the Oshkosh State Solo Ensemble Festival.

Click the blue place marker below for directions to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.


View WSMA State Solo Ensemble in a larger map

UW-Oshkosh Campus Map (pdf)
General Information (pdf)
Printable Program (pdf)

SW = Swart Hall
HAL = Halsey Science Center
AC = Arts & Communications Building

100's = first floor, 200's = 2nd floor, etc.

Time
Student
Event
Site
8:00 AM
Westphal, Bethany
1311 Music Theater-Female Role
21 - SW 127
8:16 AM
Franklin, Andi
1311 Music Theater-Female Role
20 - SW 126
8:40 AM
Jacobs, Erin
1111 Soprano Solo
24 - SW 240
8:48 AM
Franklin, Andi
1121 Alto Solo
18 - SW 101
9:12 AM
Clark, Hannah
1311 Music Theater-Female Role
19 - SW 102
9:36 AM
Adelmeyer, Libby
1311 Music Theater-Female Role
22 - SW 217
10:06 AM
Adelmeyer, Libby et al
1882 ST, SB, AT, AB Duet
28 - HAL 270
10:24 AM
Westphal, Bethany
1111 Soprano Solo
26 - SW 303
10:50 AM
Haag, Naomi
7111 Piano Solo
5 - AC N243
10:56 AM
Giebel, Mason
1211 Tenor Solo
26 - SW 303
11:12 AM
Clark, Rebekah
1311 Music Theater-Female Role
20 - SW 126
11:20 AM
Witte, Jonathan
7111 Piano Solo
5 - AC N243
11:36 AM
Jacobs, Erin
1311 Music Theater-Female Role
19 - SW 102
11:40 AM
Clark, Rebekah
7111 Piano Solo
5 - AC N243
1:16 PM
Witte, Jonathan
4911 Misc. Brass Solo
7 - AC N213
1:16 PM
Shafer, Morgan
1121 Alto Solo
17 - SW 4
1:24 PM
Clark, Rebekah et al
1182 SS, SA, AA Duet
17 - SW 4
1:50 PM
Wilsmann, Laura
2111 Violin Solo
6 - AC N209
2:04 PM
Adelmeyer, Libby
1111 Soprano Solo
24 - SW 240
2:44 PM
Shafer, Morgan et al
1184 SSAA Quartet
17 - SW 4
3:20 PM
Clark, Hannah
7111 Piano Solo
5 - AC N243
3:30 PM
Kim, Hannah
2111 Violin Solo
6 - AC N209

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Carnegie Trip 2013 Itinerary

Parents and students,

Thank you so much for coming tonight to the meeting.  Click here for the meeting agenda and itinerary.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Eric Whitacre Conducts...

Alleluia (compare with the original concert band version of Eric Whitacre's October)
Sleep - Virtual Choir 2 Recording Instructions & Conductor Track (conducting starts at 1:20)
little man in a hurry
little tree (not the best video quality)
Cloudburst

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Solo Ensemble Results - March 2, 2013 @ Mayville HS

WLA Solo Ensemble Results from today...outstanding job WLA students!

*1 Naomi Haag, Class A Piano Solo - Nocturnes, Chopin 7111A16
1 Brittany Fink, Class C Alto Solo - Danny Boy 1121C3
1 Megan Herkstroeter, Class C Piano Solo - Best of Martha Mier 7111C18
1 Jeremiah Rosenthal, Class C Trumpet Solo - A DAy in Venice 4111C10
2 Elena Tawalili, Alex Callaway, Becky Pruss, Class C SSA Trio - Rock Me to Sleep 1183C9
1 Zach Henke, Euphonium Solo, Class C Spirit Dance 4411C7
*1 Libby Adelmeyer, Class A Soprano Solo - Ridente la Calma 1111A1
*1 Erin Jacobs, Class A Soprano Solo – Pur dicesti 111AS01
*1 Erin Jacobs, Class A Music Theater - Female – Nothing 1311A7
1 Megan Herkstroeter, Alto Solo – Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen 1121C7
1 Ellie Wuenne, Alto Solo – Bist di bei mir 1121A2
2 Ellie Wuenne, Music Theater - Female, Show Me 1311A1
1 Academy Kids & AK Band, Mixed Show Choir Can You Feel the Love Tonight & You Can't Stop the Beat 6138A3
1 Emily & Abby Schulz, SS, SA, AA Duet Peace Like a River/Kum Ba Ya 1182C1
*1 Andi Franklin, Alto Solo The Cherry Tree 1121A1
*1 Andi Franklin, Music Theater - Female, Maybe This Time 1311A7
*1 Libby Adelmeyer, Music Theater - Female, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again 1311A3
*1 Mason Giebel, Tenor Solo Vergin, tutto amor 1211AS01
1 Quinn Giebel Class B Tenor solo - British Grenediers
*1 Libby Adelmeyer and August Schultz, SB duet Pie Jesu

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Living Water, Oshkosh Time Change

Just in case you want to come listen to Traveling Choir this Sunday...

The service times for Living Water, Oshkosh for Sunday, Feb. 3 are 9 and 11 am.  The second service was added by Pastor Dorn a couple of weeks ago.  Come worship with us!