Universalis, your very own breviary in pixels...

Saturday 15 May 2010

Disappointing Headline

It's so disappointing to follow a link and discover that the page is not about what the headline encouraged you to believe.
For instance, Worshiping at the ‘Idol’ Church is NOT about the absurdly inappropriate style in which so many young cantors sing, (I am old enough that I used to facetiously blame all that was wrong in putatively "liturgical" cantilation [sp?]on Ed McMahon, and refer to it as "Star Search" Singing"...)
Someone, perhaps at the CMAA boards? mentioned that one difficulty with using the invaluable By Flowing Waters, (or probably most worthy English liturgical music,) is that singers are tempted to bring to it the styles they are used to hearing and producing.

Any voice teacher or choral director or coach knows that it is far easier to acheive results free of unfortuante habits of style, diction or intonation with a piece of music heretofore unknown by your charge than with an old favorite the singer or choir is happily accustomed to singing badly.

Although I had success with other hymns, I was never able to eliminate the hard "r"s from How Great Thou Art with one community chorale.
I could get a lovely, spinning, self-abnegating line fomr my best high school cantor, but not on the Celebration Series "psalms" she already knew, and simply could not sing without the little pop appogiaturas. (Yet another good reason not to use them!)

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