Happy New Year to all! It seems there is always something new on the music radar, thus another newsletter. Please share this with others in your circle of music leaders.
www.musicunited.ca is up and running!
Thanks to Bruce and Eric Harding for the current configurations!
Check it out and log in!
AND
The ‘More Voices’ CD’s are a great resource for learning and teaching the music in the hymn supplement. They are available at UCRD @ $110 for the 2 discs that cover all the selections in the book. That is really only $.50 per song
– very reasonable, don’t you think!
Sharing Music Resources
From Philippe Faure—Ontario Choral Music Listing, a program endorsed by National UCCAM Annual Meeting, 2007.
“I have set up a database searchable via Internet. This database contains information pertaining to the sheet music that each particular choir has available and is willing to share. Once a member, you will be able to add and/or remove titles. Basically, this database is a list of “who owns what” in the way of sheet music.
The site contains the names of Sheet Music along with Composer, Voicing, Quantity Available, Description, and other information. You can access the site when you are looking for a different piece of music.
Please allow time for transactions. Access to only the owner’s email address or phone number is available
Each choir has the ability to add or remove any title they own from the list. If there are multiple selections in a book, a scanned image of the Table of Contents can be included. There is also the option of including audio clips.
To review what is currently on the database, please use the “guest” login available. This will give you access to the first 10 records. To gain access to the complete listing and other functions (searching, updating, modifying)the database, a nominal fee of $20 per year is required.
This helps to maintain the network connection, server, and any further upgrades to the system. This fee will also limit who has access to the information. Enquiring choirs will only be able to get the name of the contact for a specific piece of music—and e-mail address or phone number.
I (Philippe) am just sharing the list of which choir owns what—the actual transfer/borrowing of music will be arranged between the 2 choirs, independent of this listing.
To sign up, fill out the attached form on the website. The username and password can be changed by you at your convenience and as many times as you wish once you are a member.”
The website where you can view the database is found at:
SURFING Voices United and More Voices
Since this newsletter will be too late for Advent/Christmas, selections will include Epiphany, Lent and Easter. The index pages in both VU and MV give many suggestions but these are a few favorites.
Epiphany –
MV #115 Behold, Behold, I make All Things New
MV #190 Laughter Lit the Stars of Morning AND try #106, #213
VU #85 Midnight Stars Make Bright the Sky, a distinctive oriental flavor. If the melody doesn’t work for you, it is beautiful poetry – give it a read!
VU #89 From a Distant Home—a personal favorite. Check out #93, #95, #886.
Lent –
MV#73 Oh God, why Are You Silent? Know this tune?
MV#76 If I Have Been the Source of Pain Oh God—This music is enhanced with guitar chords in the rests at the start of each phrase. Others worth a look are: #95, #28 and #97.
VU #121 Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery- the verses for Lent on the facing page match the scripture readings perfectly.
VU #115 Jesus, Tempted in the Desert, the Beach Spring tune. There are 3 other hymns to that tune in VU so it’s worth learning. And check out the emotions in VU #117, Jesus Christ is Waiting—opportunity for great variety in tempo and style of singing. Try, if you’re still searching #111, #112 and #120.
Palm Sunday –
MV #8 And On This Path—it’s found a place in other seasons as well, Yeh!
Check out VU#128 Sanna, Sannanina—it’s great for Junior Choir, too. Drums?!?!?!
Easter –
MV#122 This is the Day –a great hymn with familiar words and a new melody and rhythm. Study the rhythm to give it the snap it deserves.
MV#121 Hey Now! Singing Hallelujah! Having different groups sing the verses with everyone on the “Hey now, the tomb is empty” and the chorus, gives it refreshing variety. Junior Choir singers like this one!
MV#180 Sing, Sing Out deserves a look. And once you know the piece, try the first half in Round with the second half.
VU#181 Midnight Sharpness, Starfields Fading-vivid imagery.
VU#189 Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise-this is unfamiliar but might be worth a look.
The selections given in this Surfing Session are not designed to forget the favorites and well-known hymns in each season. We all have hymns close to our hearts and the season would not be complete without singing them—as church musicians we respect that! At the same time, it’s good to add some new selections to the repertoire in our ever changing church.
DRUMS & Drumming!
Drums are finding a place in more and more Worship music these days. Find a few people with a sense of rhythm and time and commitment to learn, and you too can enjoy drumming in your church. It might be something that would draw the interest of youth in your congregation. Many of the hymns in ‘More Voices’ need the drum to make the music come to life.
COMING SOON – Trinity United Church, Portage la Prairie –
Bruce Harding will conduct a djembe drum workshop,
Wednesday, April 23, 7-9 pm.
Bruce will relate rhythms to music in Voices United and More Voices. A poster will follow.
Registration – $10 plus a djembe rental of $5 if needed.
Deadline for registration – April 14
Contact – Carol – 857-8412- czacharias@shaw.ca