Study of an English hymn by Samuel Wesley

Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876) was an English organist and composer.

Born in London, was descended from the family of the founders of the Methodist movement, the Awakening of the Anglican Church.

His hymn called Aurelia, present in the collection Selection of Psalms and Hymns, edited by C. Kemble, published in 1864, is still sung in English-speaking countries, in particular with the words Another year is dawning.

This is the text, by Frances R. Havergal (1836-1879):

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee.

Another famous text, which also inspired the Italian translation, is The Church's one foundation, by Samuel J. Stone (1866):
 

The church's one foundation

is Jesus Christ her Lord;

she is his new creation

by water and the Word.

From heaven he came and sought her

to be his holy bride;

with his own blood he bought her,

and for her life he died.

Elect from every nation,

yet one o'er all the earth;

her charter of salvation,

one Lord, one faith, one birth;

one holy name she blesses,

partakes one holy food,

and to one hope she presses,

with every grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder

we see her sore oppressed,

by schisms rent asunder,

by heresies distressed,

yet saints their watch are keeping;

their cry goes up, "How long?"

And soon the night of weeping

shall be the morn of song.

The music is typically nineteenth century, leaning on sweetly dissonant harmonies, which accentuate the expressive character.

Here's the music (with Italian text):

And here is the audio files, recorded live at the piano: sopranos, altos, tenors, bass. 

If desired, you can exercise the execution with a polyphonic listening made in MIDI format.

Preliminary piano lesson

Here is a video that presents the lesson in a few minutes preliminary to start playing the piano: a beneficial activity for the body and for the whole person.

In the video are explained in a simple way the fundamentals of proper approach to the instrument.

It clarifies that a state of muscle relaxation is functional with the proper performance. The rhythmic pulse is the basis of our coordinated movements and everything corresponds precisely to the physiology of our natural breathing, in the two phases inhaling and exhaling.

From the very nature of our body comes the music!

Study of Tallis motet "If ye love me"

Thomas Tallis (1505 ca. - 1585) (ca. 1505 - 1585) was a famous English musician of the sixteenth century, organist and composer in the chapel of the Royal Court. His work also has a great ecumenical value

because, while remaining faithful to the Catholic faith, he worked for the liturgical service of the new Anglican Church.

The motet If ye love me is based on the text of the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verses 15 to 17:

If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may bide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth.

The execution of the motet is not particularly difficult for an amateur choir: prevail consecutive notes (ie the conjunct motion in the musical scale); polyphony is simple and the effect extraordinarily effective, fervent in the expression of God's Word.

Here the music, in F (a fourth above compared to the original key), which is used routinely in amateur choirs:

I propose audio files, where I exercise, in every section, every single phrase: first by rhythmic reading of the text, then with the repeated listening of each phrase. After this, propose to exercise two or three contiguous phrases and finally the entire part of each section.

Listen section of sopranos: Tallis, If ye love me, soprani

Listen section of altos: Tallis, If ye love me, contralti

Listen to the section of the tenors: Tallis, If ye love me, tenori

Listen to the bass section: Tallis, If ye love me, bassi

The learning of a Bach Chorale, phrase by phrase

We can learn to sing a Bach Chorale with a simple teaching aid prepared for the purpose. It is not just for beginners, both for the high quality of the author, and for the need to use the German text (translations are not advisable). However, we choose the famous Choral "Jesus bleibet meine Freude" BWV 147, which is certainly not among the most difficult.

An audio file can be prepared by live performances at the keyboard: an electronic organ or piano. The choice of the piano is preferable because the piano produces more effectively the musical phrasing, by means of changes of dynamic and accentuations; however presents the disadvantage of not reproduce the human voice and the words of the text. 

To overcome this problem, many choirs use other methods of study: the most used is the realization of the parts in MIDI format. This technique undoubtedly presents some advantages: first, allows singers to listen to the single part, but also the part inserted inside the polyphony; furthermore, using a new technologically advanced system, you can hear even the words of the text, always made with the procedure of electronic processing.

Our perplexity, regarding the use of the MIDI, consists of the mechanicalness unmusical effect, which excludes not only the dynamic and accentuations, but even the breaths and the natural mobility of tempo. Even the execution of the text may have problems of accentuation and pronunciation. The ongoing technical development are trying to adapt the mechanical means even in the face of these problems, however, we are still far from a result that can be considered similar to that of a human performance.

I therefore propose the audio files teaching performed live. I introduce first of all the reading of the text:

Jesus bleibet meine Freude,
Meines Herzens Trost und Saft,
Jesus wehret allem Leide,
Er ist meines Lebens Kraft,
Meiner Augen Lust und Sonne,
Meiner Seele Schatz und Wonne;
Darum lass ich Jesum nicht
Aus dem Herzen und Gesicht.

 (translation)

Jesus remains my joy,
the comfort and life's blood of my heart,
Jesus defends me against all sorrows,
he is my life's strength,
the delight and sun of my eyes
my soul's treasure and joy;
Of my soul the joy and treasure;
therefore I shall not let Jesus go
from my heart and sight.

The musical part:

Here is the rhythmic reading of the text. Listen: Bach, Jesus bleibet meine Freude, lettura ritmica

In audio files dedicated to individual sections, I propose the rhythmic reading of each phrase, followed by listening to music, every phrase proposes the immediate repetition of the musical line. Listen: Bach, Jesus bleibet meine Freude, soprani

For the altos, to accustom the ear is also expected to listen to their part together with that of the sopranos, who in the live performance often deceives the singer less experienced. Listen:  Bach, Jesus bleibet meine Freude, contralti
  
Listen now part of the tenors: Bach, Jesus bleibet meine Freude, tenori

And finally the bass part; also this provides the end listening along with the part of the tenors. Listen to the bass part: Bach, Jesus bleibet meine Freude, bassi

The correct posture of the choir-singer

I translate a short excerpt from the most famous German method for chorus: Basiswissen Kirchenmusik 2 (Chor- und Ensembleleitung), that is Fundamentals of church music, volume 2 Conducting of choir and ensemble), which among other things is defined text ecumenical, because it is intended to churches of various denominations. 

On p.78 we find interesting principles of the corrrect posture of the singer, and of course these recommendations apply to children because the physiological fundamentals are the same for children and adults.

The text reads thus:

"The posture. Singer intends conscious his whole body as a instrument. A good attitude stems from a balance of active muscles and relaxed. A key element of our body is the spine. Given that the vocal muscles and especially the respiratory muscles (diaphragm) are closely related to the spine, physical exercises in choir should always be aimed at straightening the spine. The result will then automatically correct the position of the head and a free and open chest. Good posture not only improves breathing and vocal duties, but also the attention and concentration of the singers. Experience has shown that a posture in tension upright and natural, standing or sitting, it makes the singer attentive and motivated, and every director want an attentive cantor." 

Are also given some practical advice:

"Only non-rigid body, but also not without support, is the basis for a good song. Physical exercises are mainly for straightening the spine. Exercises for posture and breathing should never be considered in isolation from context of the emission of sound." 

It is provided with this picture, the caption which describes "the position of the diaphragm":

  

Studying a piano piece in an effective way

I responded to a question in a forum that was set like this: "what is the ideal method to study well a piece on the piano with the minimum of expenditure of time and energy?"

The question is complex. First, the "ideal method" is a subjective choice, because it depends on the psychological characteristics of the individual.

To begin the discussion, I suggest some preliminary tasks:

1) Read the music in theory: try to sing the parts, such as the main melody, but also the bass and possibly the inner parts; try to follow the music at the right time, also helping with the hand movements (similar to those of the conductor); is therefore a mental reading and at the same time voice and gesture. This is to keep all the parameters of the sound, those written and those that can be deduced from an analysis or a subjective choice; then try to imagine them in your mind; Finally, try to translate them into movements of the body functional and effective.

2) try to finger the piece; if the fingerings are already marked on the score, try to hide them and look for your fingering; in this way you can immediately enter into the hearts of executive problems. The fingering prescribed in the score (which is rarely the work of the author, more often than a reviewer) can be studied later, as compared with your choices; but the starting point must be a careful personal observation of the figuration of music, so that it can be done with a proper fingering. The fingering has two purposes: to find the most comfortable position; find an effective application of the choices of phrasing.

3) identify the physical movements appropriate to the individual rhythmic movement (meaning always up to beat the next movement): in this way, when you go to the piano you already have a full awareness of what needs to be done to make the most of every single passage.

Singing involves body and soul

I translate a short excerpt (p.75) from the most famous German method for chorus: Basiswissen Kirchenmusik 2 (Chor- und Ensembleleitung), ie Fundamentals of church music, volume 2 Conducting of choir and ensemble), which moreover defines ecumenical text, because it is intended to churches of various denominations.

Vocal choral training
Initial reflection  

The song is a gift to humanity. Only man can lead immediately to the expression his emotions and his feelings and express themselves artistically singing.  

Singing is a holistic event for both the singer and the listener.  

A singer who presents an happy song convincingly see happy faces in the audience and even if the text has not been understood.

Conversely, it has effects on listeners when a choir sings only forced and loud. In a relatively short time, the public will react with discomfort, lose interest, you will cough and clear your throat.

Voice and mood are directly related to each other. 

In speaking and singing the individual becomes a person (from the Latin personare, resound through something).  
Even in language use reflects the fact that the use of the voice is always about the whole person: be willing, to get better or worse, determine, agree, to assent - all examples of holistic and communicative part of the voice.

The work on the voice so is always work on the whole person, body and soul.  

So far my translation. Particularly interesting, in the original German, the pun between Stimme (voice) and Stimmung (mood), with various derivations verbal wohlstimmen (which I translated as: being willing), bestimmen (to determine), abstimmen (to agreed), zustimmen (to assent).