[Choir] Text, lyrics and melody

Wed May 11 07:44:12 CDT 2022

What a great conversation this has been!     Thanks to Lani for initiating
it.  I wonder what other topics might be fruitful?!?
Here are more of my 2 cents on this topic:
I don't think there is a one size fits all right way regarding the primacy
of text or music.  Different composers have different approaches on
different pieces.  Sometimes it is a text that directly and personally
inspires a composition, and in that case, yes, it is the totality of words
with music that is important.  But there are equally times when that is not
the case, in terms of a composer's intention.  Gabriel Faure, for example,
was famously irreligious, but wrote one of the most beautiful Requiem
masses.  The requiem mass, like a "regular" mass, is a musical form, using
a specific latin religious text,  that has for centuries allowed composers
to express themselves musically regarding mortality as they see fit, even
when they don't  literally agree with the actual words.  For pre-modern
composers, composing using religious texts was their bread and butter--it
was their vehicle to express their musical ideas.  I personally think one
can fully appreciate the music without regarding the words, or
re-interpreting the words, or with expressing your own emotional experience
of the tenderness, longing, triumph found in the music.  And sometimes
texts might loosely express ideas but the particular words used are there
more because of how they sound.  Like with poetry, sometimes it is as much
about the sound and texture and rhythm of the words as it is the literal
meaning.   Just as everyone can find their own meaning in a piece of visual
art, the same goes with music.  But I do agree that it can be enriching and
respectful to try to understand a composer's intent and honor it.  And one
can sing something when one doesn't agree with the words as a way of
understanding and honoring and acknowledging a different viewpoint or
culture, But that doesn't mean that one can't also then make it one's own
as well.
And I agree that we should put out lyrics in one way or another whenever
possible.  And also work to make ourselves better understood.��

This has also been very timely because I was planning this week to talk a
little more about singing gospel music (Grace and Mercy) and the poem that
inspired Gift to Sing.  Verdis is going to offer some thoughts as well--we
thought we would do that at Saturday's rehearsal rather than Thursday as
there will be a little more time.

And absolutely yes to having some conversation about what people liked and
what they would like to see for next year!!!   Let's do that at the June
4th gathering.  If there are other topics for conversation, let me know!

Donia

On Tue, May 10, 2022 at 9:37 PM Maryann Ludlow <ludl512 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> I agree with you, Lani!  For me, the lyrics are as important as the music.
> I also seem to learn words much better when they are set to music (I have
> pretty good recall of the lyrics to many songs that I have crossed paths
> with, which is certainly not the case when things are not set to music ��)
>
> I think that projecting the words as we sing them is a great idea!  (how
> about a bouncing ball? Just kidding!)
>
> Maryann
>
>
>
> On May 10, 2022, at 11:01 AM, Lani Seifert via Choir <
> choir at unitarianchurchofmontpelier.org> wrote:
>
> 
> One other thought on the lyrics issue.  Perhaps they could be projected as
> other things are throughout the service?  This would save paper.
> I’m happy to work on this.
>
> Lani
>
> On Tue, May 10, 2022 at 10:54 AM Lani Seifert <lani.seifert at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>> I’d like to start a conversation about “lyrics”.
>>
>> I think an important part of choral singing is the lyrics.  The music is
>> important too, of course.  What is the point of singing anything other than
>> “la la tra la” if the lyrics cannot be understood by the listener?
>> I just listened to Gift to Sing and could not understand a word.  No
>> closed captioning offered either (that I noticed).  And the singers were
>> NOT masked, as we are.
>>
>> I’d like to offer the suggestion that we print out the lyrics to whatever
>> we are singing and offer it to the congregation.  The order of service
>> seems to have a little extra room, or it could be a separate sheet.
>>
>> This also relates to my complaint about singing Muusica in Estonian, or
>> what ever it is.  Who understands it?  Probably nobody in the congregation
>> or the choir!  Why not sing it on bah,bah bah or la, la, la?
>>
>> Thanks for reading my rant.  Please respond with any thoughts on this
>> subject.  Otherwise, lets give up real words, and go with nonsense
>> syllables.  No one will notice the difference!
>>
>> BTW, I am happy to take on the chore of writing out the lyrics, and of
>> course would welcome any help on that.
>>
>> Lani
>>
>>
>> On Tue, May 10, 2022 at 9:28 AM Donia Prince via Choir <
>> choir at unitarianchurchofmontpelier.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello all!
>>>
>>> Thanks everyone for your beautiful singing and presence last Sunday!
>>>
>>> A couple of reminders:
>>> We will be having a rehearsal this Saturday.  We have moved it to 9-11am
>>> in order to accommodate those who plan to attend the big action at the
>>> statehouse regarding reproductive rights which begins at 11.
>>>
>>> At rehearsal Thursday I will be collecting any contributions any of you
>>> wish to make to offer our volunteer tech crew a gift from the choir.  Cash,
>>> or checks made out to me.  We are thinking probably some sort of dining
>>> gift certificates, but if anyone has other ideas let Lani know.
>>>
>>> As usual we could use some of you to sign up to support hymn singing at
>>> church this Sunday.  Not sure yet what the hymns will be.  here is the
>>> sign-up link:  https://rsvp.church/r/H7RtmXNs
>>> <https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Frsvp.church%2Fr%2FH7RtmXNs&data=05%7C01%7C%7C9b3dcc422a93413045d008da3295e4b2%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637877916624959427%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=YoWb1LWIA7t2LdFBB99yObCUGSzVahE77wev04O8mQA%3D&reserved=0>
>>>
>>> If anyone wants to try out singing Gift to Sing with the whole
>>> recording, here it is:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBPHXJEtU7A&t=1s
>>> <https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DNBPHXJEtU7A%26t%3D1s&data=05%7C01%7C%7C9b3dcc422a93413045d008da3295e4b2%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637877916624959427%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=pTYCBX8o1EVkjX27KOu01FS606T2DR%2FEIZZiGiyxPL8%3D&reserved=0>
>>>
>>> Finally, as written on the schedule handed out earlier, we will be
>>> having a rehearsal on Saturday, June 4th from 10-11, in lieu of the
>>> Thursday rehearsal.  (We might have an optional Thursday one as well if
>>> people are interested. ). Following that rehearsal we'll have a potluck
>>> end-of-year gathering outside at the benches.
>>>
>>> See you Thursday!  We will work on Grace and Mercy, Gift to Sing, and a
>>> little on Place in the Choir.
>>>
>>> Donia
>>> Unitarian Church of Montpelier
>>> Choir email list
>>> unsubscribe at www.unitarianchurchofmontpelier.org
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>>>
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