Why persue MUSIC-SINGING

Just something to think about. There are many problems I am sure.... but at least this opens a new door.

WATCH the video here

18. Towards Midwinter - The King's College Choir

The Choir owes its existence to King Henry VI, who envisaged the daily singing of services in his magnificent chapel. This remains the Choir's raison d'être, and is an important part of the lives of its 16 choristers, who are educated on generous scholarships at King's College School, and the 14 choral scholars and two organ scholars, who study a variety of subjects in the College.

Please watch the singer's mouths and see how they move them to project the tones that are lovely and expressive. This is mostly to listen to and watch... just click on the picture above.

This is more like what we would do. You may watch it here. It includes the music for those of you who read so you can follow just how the piece is done.

The song is Coventry Carol and the url is here

17. NEW IDEAS - NPR Jazz

"Maybe it was the economy or maybe it was a curatorial decision, but the 11th annual High Zero Festival in Baltimore, Md. didn't have the "star power" of previous years. There was no Tony Conrad or Joe McPhee, but in a city with a solid bed of new music practitioners -- organized by the keen ears of the High Zero organization -- you really couldn't ask for a more creative line-up.
As always, High Zero puts local Baltimore musicians, artists and dancers on the same stage as international veterans to completely improvise "new music," a rather loose term for sound with little connection to established forms. As a recent set of a CDs documenting the festival's 11 years reveals, High Zero Festival is the premier showcase for spontaneous sound.
The documentation here begins on Saturday (I missed both Thursday and Friday night's concerts) and is slightly out of order. Why? Because the fine folks at High Zero generously provided A Blog Supreme with a free download of my favorite set, which is right below." --Lars Gotrich

Download the concert here.

16. OPEN YOUR MOUTH - Sarah Vaughan

Sarah Lois Vaughn (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century". She had a contralro vocal range.

--"Nicknamed "Sassy" and "The Divine One" Sarah Vaughan was a Grammy Award winner. The National Endowment for the Arts bestowed upon her its highest honor in jazz, the NEA Jazz Masters Award in 1989."--

15. WADE IN THE WATER

Harriet Tubman sang this spiritual as a warning to runaway slaves. The song told them to abandon the path and move into the water. By travelling along the water's ege or across a body of water, the slaves would throw chasing dogs and their keepers off the scent.

The seemingly innocent spirituals, as the slave songs came to be known, were more than simple hymns of endurance and a belief in a better afterlife. As sung by slaves and their descendants, the spirituals allowed the slaves to communicate secret messages and information to each other about the Underground Railroad.

~from Owen Sound's Black History Website

14. Jewish HIGH HOLY DAYS begin September 18th

One of the most famous Jewish partisans in WWII was 23-year-old Hannah Szenesh. Hannah had been born in Budapest, Hungary but as a Zionist had emigrated to Palestine before the war. She was one of many Palestinian Jews who returned to Europe to fight the Nazis and organise rescue operations for the Jews still stranded there.


In March 1944 Hannah was parachuted into Yugoslavia along with 30 men and one other young woman. For two months she fought with a band of Yugoslavian partisans, until she reached the Hungarian border on June 7. By then 289 000 Hungarian Jews had already been deported to Auschwitz, but her mission was to help organise rescue for those remaining.

Captured, then imprisoned and tortured to reveal her mission, she never broke, nor requested any mercy or a pardon. Tried and convicted of treason to Hungary, Hannah Szenesh was executed on November 7 1944. Here is her song.... Eli, Eli sung by Regina Spector in Hebrew. We will be singing an English translation.

13. Wintley Phipps - Some Thoughts On Spirituals

One of the great things about not being like everyone else-- watch the video.

I will be talking about some of his examples in the choir - and will add my comments to this afterwards.