Music

Music

Welcome

Welcome to the BTW Magnet Choral Department Blog. Feel free to look around and see what we have been discussing.

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Choral Music

This week, we are looking specifically at choral music. In this blog post, you will need to find a recording of your favorite choral song. It needs to be a choral performance and not a solo performance of a choral piece. It can be an ensemble performing as well. Please list the title of the piece, who the composer or arranger is, and what the meaning of the piece is. Include reasons why you like or enjoy the piece. Your post should be at minimum a paragraph in length and be free of spelling and grammatical errors. Write in complete sentences. All posts are due no later than Friday, October 13, 2017 at 11:59 PM. Please check to make sure that your post has posted if you want to receive credit.

Sample video:

41 comments:

  1. The song Bonse Aba is my favorite choral song. This song was created by the Continental League Honor Choir and it was released 2011. I enjoyed this song because it was different. It was an African song so you wouldn't normally hear it being sung by many. Learning the song was actually fun. Which lead me to making this my favorite choral.

    *Mia Carr

    https://youtu.be/US_oTqmiEVM

    ReplyDelete
  2. The song I chose was a Jewish piece called Bashana Haba'ah. This song was written in 1971 by Ehud Manor and Nurit Hirsh. in the video it is sung by BYU Men's Chorus Choir. I liked this song because of the mood it set. The song is a meaning of hope. Though the pronunciation was a bit hard it was overall a great song to sing
    ~Zhoii Cook
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-N4-buR17I

    ReplyDelete
  3. The song I chose is "Patapan Fantasia" arranged by Audrey Snyder. I like this song because it is a beautiful Christmas piece and it is an easy listen. Being that it's a Christmas sing it is fun and energetic, as well as rhythmic tone. This is what adore about the sung. It is a complex piece, but it makes you want to listen to it over and over.

    Zeniah Lee

    https://youtu.be/B3TDI9zAZAg

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The song I chose was " We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder" it is an African American slave spiritual. The song is in the form of call and response, and although lyrics vary from place to place and over time, they generally emphasize spiritual growth, increasing one's knowledge about God, and a call to discipleship. The striving nature of this "climb" toward god is depicted as a series of tests.The traditional lyrics hold out hope that the slave can rise up and escape slavery. I find this piece extremely powerful and moving; the lyrics reflect the spiritual reverence for God and the hope for salvation, freedom, and happiness that imbues the song with an energy that permeates through the entire piece.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40U0URLnXIQ

    ReplyDelete
  7. The song I chose was " Do you hear what I hear," by the SATB and arranged by Emily Crocker. I chose this song because it's almost the holidays. The arrangement is so pretty. I especially love the different parts the sections have and how they go back and forth at different times. The harmonies at the end of the measures between the parts are so gentle but then it's build and be heavy and full. This is a good piece.


    https://youtu.be/gXBG261IuPY

    - Katerra Blanding

    ReplyDelete
  8. The song I chose is A La Nanita Nana Arranged by Greg Gilpin for SSA. This is a Spanish Christmas Carol. This arrangement is very special because it is completely in Spanish and not translated to meet western needs. This is a lullaby sung for baby Jesus during the Christmas season. A modern version of this lullaby changes the lyric my Jesus to my girl. I personally like this song because it is very calming and sweet. The song expresses the love the singers of the song have for baby Jesus.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhcH6HWZDNA

    -Andrea Barnett

    ReplyDelete
  9. The song I'll be writing about is "Even When He Is Silent," by Kim Andre Arnesen. I have loved this song every since I first started learning it for All-State last year, and it was one of the songs I didn't mind singing over and over again. The message of the song is one of faith, essentially. The lyrics are from a poem found etched into the wall of a Nazi Concentration Camp, and it was about how a Jew still believed in God even when he appeared to be silent during their time of bondage. The lyrics really stuck with me because there many people who often fell as if God doesn't hear their calls, me included, how ever soon they may realize, as I have, that even when he seems absent he is still very much there.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sp3eBGWg84

    ReplyDelete
  10. I will be writing about the song "Hold Steady With the Gate," arranged by Greg Gilpin & John Parker. We started learning this song our freshman year but never finished learning it, which is a real bummer to be honest. This song was a favorite among many of the choir members and we always wanted to finish learning this so we could perform it but it never happened. I liked this song because it was different from the other songs we'd sung that year and it was upbeat. I hope we at least finish learning this song before I graduate.

    -Zykira Bell

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kum8wQGwlOo

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm writing about "Jai Ho," arranged by Mark Brymer. We song this song our freshman year for POPS and Showcase. That year was one of my favorites mainly because everything was so new to me. But this song was a favorite of mine because everything about it was lit, from the actual music to the choreography. I still remember my whole part from this song and part of the choreography. We even got Mr. Williams to do the whip that year, lol!

    -Emiaya Kirk
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7U94Xxlf1Y

    ReplyDelete
  12. I personally don't have a favorite song... I just don't like rap. This is all I really need to say about this post. I don't normally pick favorites, but I sometimes pick least favorites... not implying that I would single out any one song, but implying that I single out genres. Besides, I know many songs that I can't narrow it down because I don't know which ones to bring up. When you hear me start singing a seemingly random song, it is because something from that *scene* triggered a song that is sometimes very loosely connected to the *scene*. Even if it's something like "would you like to watch The Land Before Time?" "Are You Ready, Kids? Aye, aye,captain! I CAN'T HEAR YOU! AYE, AYE, CAPTAIN! OOOOOOOHHHHHH, who lives in a pineapple, under the sea?..."

    *a time in which something happens, like a scene in a movie or play*

    -Scott Williams-

    ReplyDelete
  13. Damien Kehoe's "Flow Water" is an amazing choral arrangement. It was written in 2012 and conveys great emotion. It possesses a beautiful sound that makes one really concentrate on the meaning behind the lyrics. The melody is very mellow and calm yet dramatic in a sense.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bXmZhcSMqIY

    -Kerrityn Knight

    ReplyDelete
  14. My favorite choral arrangement would have to be "Bonse Aba", arranged by Victor B. Johnson. Last year we did this choral arrangement and it was personally my first time not singing an american song in choir. It was an African folk song that translates " Those that sing have the right to be called the children of God."

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US_oTqmiEVM

    -Erykah Hyatt

    ReplyDelete
  15. One of my favorite choral pieces is "Music Speaks". We song this song last year on multiple occasions and became one of my favorite choral pieces that we have performed. The lyrics are simply describing how music will never die; when you can't think of the perfect words you can always sing or play a song. The song is arranged by Andy Beck. The song is moderately slow but with light-hearted words and notes, is can be somewhat described as joyous.
    https://youtu.be/XkGdtOtcSnI

    ReplyDelete
  16. The song I chose was “Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika” by the Princeton University Glee Club. Meaning “Lord Bless Africa”, I personally like this song because it has a message behind it and I also like the style of the song. Not every song you listen to has a message behind it. With things going on in Africa, people sing this song to basically remind themselves that the Lord is still in the process of blessing Africa. I like when the Princeton University Glee Club sing this because they take their time singing it and you can really feel the mood of the song. So without further ado, I present the Princeton University Glee Club singing: Nikosi Sikelel iAfrika.


    Ferrin Lewis 

    https://youtu.be/QMfbR17pqiU

    ReplyDelete
  17. The music piece I chose is "Silent Night", composer is Franz Xavier and lyrics by Joseph Mohr. This song is a very soothing slow tune song. The song's meaning is of a cultural heritage Christmas carol. The Hartville singers-ladies ensemble are performing this song in the video below. I like the fact that they had extremely uplifted voices, in which all were the same pitch throughout the whole performance.

    https://youtu.be/BczgDby2vQU

    ReplyDelete
  18. The song I have picked is called "Bridge Over Troubled Water". This piece was performed by Stone Bridge High School Choirs. The choir blended their voices together very nicely to create a beautiful harmony. Hearing this selection brings me happiness. The choirs sound was full and rich. This is the song I have selected :) enjoy

    https://youtu.be/PHS6ZlW10PA

    ReplyDelete
  19. The choral song that I chose is ' It pays to serve Jesus" in the style of the Oakwood University Aeolians. The specific way the Aeolians sung this song was so beautiful. The harmonies and parts were so beautiful. It is sung with so much passion and emotion. I even think it would be a great song for the BTW Choir to sing.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnTvwvyi2Tc

    -Amilia Edwards

    ReplyDelete
  20. The choral piece that I have chosen is "Mary Did You Know" the Pentatonix Version. We sang this song last year for our Christmas concert. The song is very relaxing and steady flowing. It sounded really good when we did it. I will admit it was very complex, and when we first started learning it I did not think we would pull it off, but it turned out amazing.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcN7e5RpcLw

    Aerial Hutchinson

    ReplyDelete
  21. I chose the choral piece of "Prayer of St.Francis" sung by the "Philippine Madrigal Singers." We performed this song last year as a freshman, and will be singing it again this year, as a sophomore. I love this song, and it sounds so beautiful when it is sung. I loved how this choir moved their hands and expressed the emotions of the song while singing.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Aboc4uATPE
    -Jazmine Thomas

    ReplyDelete
  22. The song I choose is "O Sifuni Mungu," arranged by Roger Emerson. We song this our freshmen year for POPS and we sung it at Baldwin as well. The song is very upbeat and energetic and the choreography was super fun. I honestly want to sing it again one day. That song just did something to me, had me extra happy and excited.

    -Lindsey Smiley

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8aDcyL_2sA

    ReplyDelete
  23. The song I choose is “ Keep Your Lamps” arranged by Victor C. Johnson. We have sung this song before in choir. I don’t remember when we actually sung it, but we did a amazing job. What I do like about this song is how we start off slow then began to speed up so it has a lot of energy. I just love the song in general that was a good choice Mr.Williams.

    https://youtu.be/zOqLz8tENp4

    ~Jahmai’ Williams

    ReplyDelete
  24. The song I chose was “Man in the Mirror”. This is a SATB arrangement. It was arranged by Ed Lojeski. I chose this song because i really love it. I have always liked the arrangement and when I heard it in the movie Joyful Noise it increased my appreciation for the piece. The lyrics just really speak to me. I also like when we sing it together as a choir.

    ReplyDelete
  25. One of my favorite choral songs is “Cantate Hodie” composed by Mary Lynn Lightfoot. The song means sing today, which is what the Latin words “cantate hodie” mean. I performed this song (SATB arrangement) in the 8th grade and I really enjoyed it. I like that it has both Latin and English because they flow very well together. The song is kind of simple, but does a good job at showcasing the different sections. I like this piece because it is very bright and uplifting.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxcf7gXACUc

    ~LaTayvia Walker

    ReplyDelete
  26. The song i chose this week is "I know ive been changed" by LaShun Pace. In the song she is singing about how God has redeemed her. I enjoy this song so much because I can tell by the way she is singing that she is singing her testimony. She sings with so much power and passion but the sound quality of her voice is not lost. I also like how energetic the choir is, they are not overshadowed by the solo at all. All the performers sing with such vigor to let you know they've been changed and that you can be changed too.

    https://youtu.be/k9gbJM0x7qA

    ReplyDelete
  27. The song I chose this week is "Lift Thine Eyes" composed by Felix Mendelssohn. This song refers to Elijah, in the bible, and his journey to the mountains. I performed this song (SSA arrangement) last year. I really enjoyed learning and singing the song.

    -Jamelle Hall
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3SHJxxbo08

    ReplyDelete
  28. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  29. The song I have selected for my blog post is "Clap Your Hands and Sing". The composer is Mary Lynn Lightfoot. This song could but song in 2-part or 3-part mixed. The song meaning is to raise a joyful noise and give praises. This song reminds me of a song that we sung last year called "A Choral Flourish". I really like this song and hope that we could try this song this school year. I like how the song is not so fast but still have rhythm. I think if we were to sing this song it would sound very good.

    https://youtu.be/r9PP1-uWpQQ

    ReplyDelete
  30. The song that I like the most is "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" by Roy Ringwald SATB/a cappella. This is a song that we were meant to sing last year however due to some circumstances we never went through with it. In this song I really feel the soul and spirit and you get a sense of hope. You know that everything will be okay and no troubles will last because you know the Lord has your back through whatever. The choir in the video I chose sung this so well. Their dynamics and cut offs are clean and clear and everything is well balanced. They really just gave a great sound all throughout, and as they sing you really be quiet and just listen to their voices. Hopefully, we get to sing this again this year because I believe we can really pull it off.
    https://youtu.be/ja_L_dSw3as
    - DeAndrea Jones

    ReplyDelete
  31. The song that I enjoy the most is “I’ve been buked”. I remember singing this my freshman year and it sounded beautiful. Its an amazing song and you can feel the emotion behind each word. I’ve been buked tells a story through each note. While singing this song you have to show face expression that you are actually feeling what you are singing. Overall this song is beautiful and makes you feel every pain that the artist felt while writing it.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=erCXxa3G1-8

    ReplyDelete
  32. The song I chose is "Can I Ride". The selection is the one we did. I am assuming that we did it in SATB. I chose this song because it is personally my favorite from my 9th Grade year. We worked so hard on this piece, and it turned out so good. We sound amazing on the recording, but I mean when do we not sound good. The meaning of the piece is someone working hard, trying to get a ticket to heaven. They're asking God if the work they have done is good enough to get the ticket to heaven. Sorta like us working hard to get first place at the fair.


    -Breuna Lewis

    https://youtu.be/eiS-E3I5jU0

    ReplyDelete
  33. One of my favorite choral pieces is Victimae Paschali Laudes by Michael Engelhardt feat. Vocal Edge. I learned this piece last year during Allstate men’s choir and it is one of my favorite pieces to date. The fact that they took an older song and used a newer, fresher way of producing the song. The vocals and the diction are amazing and complement each other very well. I believe that the men’s chorus could have an amazing time with this at Showcase.
    https://youtu.be/eVoPAXrBfjk

    ReplyDelete
  34. The song I chose is one I sang for all state my 8th grade year entitled "Gloria" by Shari Riley. The song is meant for an SSA choir. I not only enjoy listening to the song, but performing it was nice because of the multiple "round" style portions. During these areas in the piece the pianist does not play and it sounds very nice and well put together. I feel as if our women's ensemble would do nicely with this piece.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WAlAJfYJKQ
    (I apologize for the poor video, but it was the only one I could find)

    ~ Eliana Hataway

    ReplyDelete
  35. The song I chose is "Ascribe to the lord" sung by the Bayonne Hs Choir. We also sung this song last year and it was a very interesting piece. I like this song because it is very fast paced, and it has lots of dynamics. It gave off like a serious tone. When singing this song it's like you're trying to get an important message across. In my opinion it was a hard song to learn dynamic and timing wise, but it was worth it. This particular choir did not do as well as I expected but it was ok.

    https://youtu.be/4x0M8Vyo_74

    Tykesha Strickland

    ReplyDelete
  36. The song that I chose this week was "True Colors". I really only picked this song because I looked up choral arrangements on youtube and this is was one of the results. I like how the choir sang the song and I like the arrangement. The arrangement is very pretty.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNvWDLOHnQo

    -Monique Thomas

    ReplyDelete
  37. The song I chose this week is “Total Praise”. Arranged by Richard Smallwood, the song is simply about giving God all of the praise. I like this particular song because the harmonies are angelic. The specific performance is my favorite because the singers voices are all so powerful.

    -Aleari Felton

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9EJymAlK1yg

    ReplyDelete
  38. The song that I chose was "Reach a Mah Home". I sang this piece in middle school. I enjoyed it because of the different parts in the song. All throughout the song, there is harmony, different tempos, as well as different dynamics. Although the song isn't very upbeat, it is very catchy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX9eo42kzgA

    Jon Coley

    ReplyDelete
  39. LaTrell Huitt
    My favorite choral song is “Rockin Jerusalem”, arranged by Andre Thomas. I enjoy this song for multiple reasons, it sounds different from a normal, or regular, choral song, and it allows each voice part to shine throughout the entire song. Instead of only one section being the whole show. I remember singing this song my Freshman year at Lanier, and I really enjoyed performing this song.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU0zTBfhRdo

    ReplyDelete
  40. Composed by Lynn Lightfoot , the song I chose for this week’s blog post was “Cantate Hodie.” This is a somewhat challenging piece but never too difficult. I like how it shows your rage and takes you out of the “comfort zone” with your “typical singing voice.” Learning this song with my 8th grade choral classmates at Baldwin was fun and I like it because we had to change our normal way of singing. Overall, the song is really exciting and different which is why I like it the most !
    https://youtu.be/1UJFp0fmm3g
    Cantate Hodie
    Lynn Lightfoot
    -Faith Gatson

    ReplyDelete
  41. The choral piece I've chosen is "Please Stay" by Jake Runestad. The song "Please Stay" is spreading suicide awareness, and is influencing the weak to stay strong even in the hardest of times. This song touches my soul and makes me think deeply about what life can really mean. The song has a very melancholy feel to it, as members of the choir step forward and share their own experiences of loss of a loved one. "Please Stay" sounds gorgeous, especially with all the great singers displayed in the video. The choir had perfect tone, the sound was wonderfully executed, and they were all obviously very passionate about what they were singing.

    https://youtu.be/17Ywn3ImcYE

    ~Veronica Conely

    ReplyDelete