Hello my fine voiced forumite friends...

My status as a lapsed tenor has undergone some changes recently. Since January I've been taking intensive singing lessons (it is, as usual, all the Floot's fault - but then you knew that) and I have decided to take G8 singing with a view to spending next year preparing a diploma (although I'll probably do a trinity dip, I'm doing ABRSM G8) - the plan is to have my teacher teach me how to teach once I'm through the dip - although I might well give it all up and hide in a corner crying once I start the dip preparation.

In any case, I'm deciding on my pieces for G8 and I think I've got it sorted, but I'm struggling with the choice for the B piece and wondered if any of you fine people could advise based on the rest of the programme:

A) Dalla Sua Pace

B) Du bist die Ruh' - OR - Je crois entendre encore (a huge favorite of mine, but perhaps not such a good contrast with the Dalla Sua Pace)

C) Maria from West Side Story (couldn't resist!) Maaaaaaaaaaariiiiiiiiiiah - that's the only bit I really want to do!

Unaccompanied song - Smeorach chlann Domhnaill

Any ideas singing teachers or fellow frightened focalists (you have to pretend you're German for the alliteration to work, there).

Merci!

Allan

(and apologies in advance to the people whose ears I will damage when I start asking for feedback on recordings)

I don't have to pretend I'm German, still the alliteration wouldn't work. Anyway, we'll talk again if you let me hear your German. "Du bist die Ruh'" would be a good start

It is nearly impossible to advise on which song to pick if I don't even know your voice. As for the contrast - "Du bist die Ruh'" might be a bigger one than "Je crois entendre encore", but that's no use if you don't sing it well. Looks quite easy, but is indeed quite tricky ...

So, no real advice here - what does your teacher say?

That's a fair point. Teacher thinks that Du bist die Ruh would be the better choice for contrast (he seems to think I sing it well enough, although I feel more confident with the Bizet.)

(You have email, by the way!)

Sorry - this post isn't helpful at all, but yes, I agree with you rosfrog

Hello,

I've not been singing long enough to offer any relevant advice...but I did want to say I luuurve Du bist die Ruh.

Good luck to you anyway!



**Did anyone else read the title as "LADY- Why Do I Do This To Myself?" ??!

Superb!

Du bist die Ruh is very nice indeed. Wish I could make up my mind!



Solidarity! That's the way forward. Perhaps we need a new club for all those poor ailing victims of the floot devill serial instrument virus? Who has been bitten? Meerkat? Rosemary? Nicki? Jane? Who else?

So where are your recordings then, Allan??

Err....well....there's a flute and a clarinet in my music room that weren't there a while ago.

And the recorder count stands at 17.

But the only actual temptation I've suffered from the party mentioned was on the subject of violas.

And I haven't got a viola.

Yet.

Hmmm. Well, she'll be chipping away in a gentle fashion - I'm sure! Just keep watching your music room for suspect large violins / mini cellos that may appear.

Any advice on the singing front katyjay?

Definitely approve of Du Bist die Ruh as your list B choice.

Just wondering what your list D choice is going to be, or haven't you chosen that yet?

Don't forget to provide an English translation of the folk song, will you?


And above all, have fun.

Hey, I resemble that remark!

edit: misreading posts d'oh, edited out random bit that isn't relevant unfortunately, I was trying to be on topic....

Yes, I read that. But at grade 8 one has four accompanied songs and one unaccompanied. Rosfrog has only listed three. Hence my question.

yup, & I can't read - sorry - hence my edit!

Oh, I've gone all wrong. Maria is my D piece - I haven't really got a clue for the C piece yet. The Elgar perhaps...

Just don't start crying before you sing! You wouldn't wanna be croaking for your exam rosfrog.
Sorry couldn't resist posting

I think the alto flute bug came from da floot!

All the pieces sound fine apart from you are one missing at the moment and I believe it is from list C - Maria from West Side Story is list D! - sorry I have just read your post further up the page so maybe ignore this bit!
Good luck with it...a contrasting programme is nice but the examiner marks each piece as an individual and not necessarily in reference to others!!!

Annetta

Thanks for your comments Annetta - I realised my mistake in wording the first message and think I've more or less settled on the Elgar for the C.

Allan

How did you get on with your grade 8 exam, Allan? Hope it went well!

It went really well, thanks (although I went TG in the end, not ABRSM).

Good! Have you had any more thoughts about going for a diploma yet?

That's not seriously a piece of music, is it? I think you just tripped up and fell onto your computer keyboard.


(Before anyone accuses me of ignorance, I used to sing in the Gaelic choir at school.)

Back when it was still a language in common usage, no doubt, Tiddles...?

It still is, in the Highlands and Islands.

Really? I didn't know that!

[quote name='Holz Gedeckt' date='Nov 20 2008, 03:15 PM' post='761727']
Good! Have you had any more thoughts about going for a diploma yet?
[/quote]
No, not yet. I haven't really got the time to prepare it, I'm so busy with teaching and concerts. Maybe I'll come back to it in a few years.

[quote name='Czerny' date='Nov 20 2008, 03:58 PM' post='761751']
[quote name='rosfrog' post='558314' date='Jul 24 2007, 01:34 PM']
Unaccompanied song - Smeorach chlann Domhnaill
[/quote]
That's not seriously a piece of music, is it? I think you just tripped up and fell onto your computer keyboard.


(Before anyone accuses me of ignorance, I used to sing in the Gaelic choir at school.)
[/quote]
I did NOT fall on to my keyboard - I sneezed, coughed and spat up tea at the same time...


[quote name='Holz Gedeckt' date='Nov 20 2008, 04:28 PM' post='761777']
[quote name='Czerny' post='761751' date='Nov 20 2008, 02:58 PM']
(Before anyone accuses me of ignorance, I used to sing in the Gaelic choir at school.)
[/quote]
Back when it was still a language in common usage, no doubt, Tiddles...?
[/quote]

OUTRAGE !

[quote name='Czerny' date='Nov 20 2008, 06:52 PM' post='761829']
[quote name='Holz Gedeckt' post='761777' date='Nov 20 2008, 03:28 PM']
[quote name='Czerny' post='761751' date='Nov 20 2008, 02:58 PM']
(Before anyone accuses me of ignorance, I used to sing in the Gaelic choir at school.)
[/quote]
Back when it was still a language in common usage, no doubt, Tiddles...?
[/quote]
It still is, in the Highlands and Islands.
[/quote]
And in most living rooms in my family, too! It was used all throughout my youth by the older members of my family and the younger generations tend to use it when they want to talk in the supermarket without being understood - which I feel is a shame as it's such a beautiful language they could use it for something more artistic than 'av you seen them rotten tights on 'er'...

[quote name='Holz Gedeckt' date='Nov 20 2008, 06:57 PM' post='761832']
[quote name='Czerny' post='761829' date='Nov 20 2008, 05:52 PM']
[quote name='Holz Gedeckt' post='761777' date='Nov 20 2008, 03:28 PM']
[quote name='Czerny' post='761751' date='Nov 20 2008, 02:58 PM']
(Before anyone accuses me of ignorance, I used to sing in the Gaelic choir at school.)
[/quote]
Back when it was still a language in common usage, no doubt, Tiddles...?
[/quote]
It still is, in the Highlands and Islands.
[/quote]
Really? I didn't know that!
[/quote]

Ach, well, tha fhios agad a-nis ! (well, you know now!)

Blimey - so you went from nervous souding Grade 8 student to "Professional Singer and Voice Teacher specialising in practical vocal anatomy - belting, high-intensity classical singing, safe vocal distortion etc." in about a year?
Do they have some sort of fast track vocal anatomy course in France?

Vocal Physiology does not take that long to learn. My instrumental knowledge course was one year. That covered, physiology and some aspects of linguistics together with a basic summary of repertoire.

Since then I have read up further and looked into physiology more with the help of my osteopath and pilates instructor.

I'm sure Allan can answer for himself but he taught phonetics at a University so already had a knowledge of vocal anatomy.

Yes -as Kerioboe has said, my doctorate is in phonology and I taught declarative phonology and phonetics at University before seeing the light and becoming a pro musician. I have been more than conversant with vocal anatomy and how to use it for safe voicing for a good few years now! What I've learnt recently (and am still finding stuff out) is how we can use that in singing.

Once I started to work on my voice, I realised the two went hand in hand. I worked initally with a speech level singing teacher - it's a great approach, but left me feeling there were things it didn't touch on. I did some Estill work, ditto - then I started working with voice doctors (ORL we call them here) on how it all worked when we sing in an attempt to demystify it all. I realised that these things made me so much more in controll of my own voice so I now use them as the basis for my own teaching model.

Aha - it all becomes clear
(there was I thinking that was pretty good going to swot up on all that stuff in a year, but actually you knew it already )