Written by W.N. Vincent
Do you avoid teaching or singing some songs because you feel your choir will mess up the vocal harmony?
So you just decide to do the simple and relatively easy songs to avoid issues.
I know how frustrating this can be for any Choir co-ordinator, Music Director, etc. When it seems like all your great ideas are hitting brick walls due to the musical incompetence of your choir which, to be fair, isn’t always or totally a reflection of you and your efforts.
Sometimes you just allow everyone sing-on like that, since no one is really getting the harmony, and at the end of the day the performance is messed up, leaving a sour taste in the mouth of the congregation and your pastor.
I have been there! So I thought of a way to overcome this challenge, which is what I will share with you.
One thing you should definitely do is, begin to teach your Choir the basic Principles of Vocal harmonization. This is work done in extra time of course, but for the sake of rehearsal proper and performances, here’s what you can do;
LET THE MORE MUSICAL SECTION SING THE HARMONY.
Sometimes you can re-arrange the vocal parts of some songs by telling the more musical section to sing the complex harmony, but please DO NOT tell any section, ‘You’re the less musical part so sing the melody‘.
As a Music Director, you SHOULD be very OBSERVANT!
Which section of the Choir is more musical? Tenors? Altos? Sopranos?
Then let that section sing the Harmony.
Don’t try to force a section to sing the Harmony when they are the ‘not so musical part‘.
NB: this is a temporary solution.
It will save you a lot of time and energy, while you continue with the Music theory and vocal trainings at another time.
This may mean changing the key that the song is written in as inverting the melody may be too high or low for a particular section to sing. You can try different keys and choose what works for your choir.
Also, know your Music and develop pedagogy (teaching) skills! That’s the only way you can help them. You may know something, but you may not know HOW to transfer that knowledge to them. Start little by little until you can teach properly.
Most times, if not always, we learn on the job. We discover what works per choir, BECAUSE EVERY CHOIR IS DIFFERENT.
Finally, make song selections with the strength of your Choir in view (even when you want to challenge them). DO NOT pick a Kim Burrell or McReynolds song and then get frustrated that your soloist isn’t doing the same riffs and runs. Baby steps!
PS: My approach to Harmonizing Vocal Parts really changed the day I listened to Psalm 23 by A.L Jinwright Mass Choir.
You should listen to it too! Simple song. lol.
Have you experienced similar challenges in your choir? How did you overcome them? I’ll love to hear from you.
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Regards.
