True Sopranos

[LaylaMonroe]

Probably.

I hope not. It would be a tragic, blasphemous, BLATANT sin to reduce any James Hall piece to two part harmony. LOL (well, not really "LOLing"). 

I understand what you are saying.  Some people have the same difficulty in our choir.  Yes, when you have your ear telling you what the part should be, it is very difficult to sing the part that is given.  Like Sjonathan stated, you can't get locked into how the song is sang on the CD.  This is why when I teach the song, I don't play the CD because I know the parts have or will have changed.  Even when the members go home and listen to it, it will throw them off because the parts have or will be switched.  I'll tell the members to bring tape recorders for the purpose of listening to their parts from rehearsal.

     

Whew. I was really thinking nobody was gonna get what I was saying and God knows I don't have the musical vocabulary to explain it. LOL 

[sjonathan02]

I hope not. It would be a tragic, blasphemous, BLATANT sin to reduce any James Hall piece to two part harmony. LOL (well, not really "LOLing"). 

Uh, it ain't that serious; it's only James Hall. 

Whew. I was really thinking nobody was gonna get what I was saying and God knows I don't have the musical vocabulary to explain it. LOL 

I said the same thing Docb said. 

[betnich]

You're not talking about James Hall's "Never Shall Forget" are you?

No - it's OH, WHAT HE'S DONE FOR ME - by Reed's Temple choir

[LaylaMonroe]

Uh, it ain't that serious; it's only James Hall. 

I said the same thing Docb said. 

1. There is no such thing as "only James Hall." That sentence alone is blasphemous, so I'm gonna take two steps back in case lightning strikes.

2. Is that were you were saying?? Okay, this threw me off:

If you're singing the alto part, whichever section has been given that part, you'd be singing with them, no? Simply line yourself up next to that particular section for that particular song. So, in Docb's example, you'd be a soprano.

but I think I get it now. I was thinking you didn't understand why I would have that problem; didn't realize your statement didn't address the "why" but rather the "how to fix it" until I just re-read it. 

No - it's OH, WHAT HE'S DONE FOR ME - by Reed's Temple choir

Whew. 

[sjonathan02]

1. There is no such thing as "only James Hall." That sentence alone is blasphemous, so I'm gonna take two steps back in case lightning strikes.

[JoanHall]

{yes, I know I just switched from close to open voicing...}

I think we could add a lot more interest and flavor to gospel choir music if we used other voicings besides that straight parallel motion all the time.  Switching from open to close voicings at certain points in a song could add a lot of drama.  The downside to that, of course, is that it wouldn't be as easy for the choir members to remember their parts.

If you look at the arrangement of "Total Praise" that is in the African-American Heritage Hymnal, you'll see that they changed the voicings on portions of the song so that the altos and tenors wouldn't have to sing such high notes.

[betnich]

Think that's true of several other songs in that hymnal, like "Lord, Help Me to Hold Out"... the Altos have the Tenor part, and the Tenors are singing the Alto line...

[keptbyJesus]

This is a sore subject with me.  We have total about about 20 total, about 10 are consistant in attendance, 7 of them will sing the parts without falsein, and about 3 of those 7 actually sing the parts TRUE!! some of the others pretty much sing the parts but not loud enough to hear.