Harmeister
12-16-2003, 10:15 PM
I think my ears are going to have to be chopped off. They just hurt right now.
<stands up to soap box to vent>
Here's my problem. I'm a fairly religious person (for those who didn't know) and I sing in my church's choir. Both my wife and I do, actually. I'm a rather good tenor, she's a very good alto. The choir is made up of volunteers, and some (most?) of them definately can't sing. The choir director is also a tad too ambitious as well. It's hard to find the right note when the tenors on either side of you and the alto in front (not my wife, she is singing soprano to help them out) can't sing. Lets suppose that the sustained note you are supposed to be singing is a middle C. To my left is a B and to my right is a D. etc, etc. It's like these people can't hear anything.
And to top this all off, the choir director has no notion of dynamics. Everything to her is Loud and LOUDER. One of the songs we are supposed to be singing is "Still, Still, Still" which is a lulaby. And she wants it to be belted out across the chapel (congregational hall). When I mentioned that there was a piano (p) notation on the score, she said "oh that, that's just for the piano", never mind all of the crecendo and decrecendo marks all over the place.
Then today she send's all of the choir members midi files of their parts (SATB) for two of the more difficult songs. (These songs are intended for an experienced choir that can *read* music and blend). It's hard to just listen to the part when it's played at about 2/3 speed without having the words and/or music to look at as well. It's Christmas, I like to sing Christmas Carols, and I want to be supportive (the choir director is the wife of a good friend of mine), but sometimes you've got to wonder.
So why tell you guys all of this? Well, in general you are musical people so I thought you'd understand the pain my ears are going through with this unwanted cacophony around me.
</stands down off of soap box>
<stands up to soap box to vent>
Here's my problem. I'm a fairly religious person (for those who didn't know) and I sing in my church's choir. Both my wife and I do, actually. I'm a rather good tenor, she's a very good alto. The choir is made up of volunteers, and some (most?) of them definately can't sing. The choir director is also a tad too ambitious as well. It's hard to find the right note when the tenors on either side of you and the alto in front (not my wife, she is singing soprano to help them out) can't sing. Lets suppose that the sustained note you are supposed to be singing is a middle C. To my left is a B and to my right is a D. etc, etc. It's like these people can't hear anything.
And to top this all off, the choir director has no notion of dynamics. Everything to her is Loud and LOUDER. One of the songs we are supposed to be singing is "Still, Still, Still" which is a lulaby. And she wants it to be belted out across the chapel (congregational hall). When I mentioned that there was a piano (p) notation on the score, she said "oh that, that's just for the piano", never mind all of the crecendo and decrecendo marks all over the place.
Then today she send's all of the choir members midi files of their parts (SATB) for two of the more difficult songs. (These songs are intended for an experienced choir that can *read* music and blend). It's hard to just listen to the part when it's played at about 2/3 speed without having the words and/or music to look at as well. It's Christmas, I like to sing Christmas Carols, and I want to be supportive (the choir director is the wife of a good friend of mine), but sometimes you've got to wonder.
So why tell you guys all of this? Well, in general you are musical people so I thought you'd understand the pain my ears are going through with this unwanted cacophony around me.
</stands down off of soap box>