Reflections

Vowel Shape Study. Experimental.

Reflections is an experimental study piece designed to help choirs develop a better sense of space and resonance. Often what makes a choir great is their ability to understand and produce what is sometimes referred to as a "ceiling."

Tone is the single most important element to any choir’s success, and creating a ceiling for this sound is paramount to achieving proper tone.

A ceiling is what makes music come alive. It fills the hall and seems to dance above the choir in an almost ethereal manner, like angels joining the chorus. It can be hauntingly beautiful, and it can energize even the fastest of fugues. This is not to be confused with a deliberate attempt to create harmonics or sing overtones.

A "ceiling" is simply the effect of various vowel shapes on the resonance of sonic energy naturally present in organized polyphonic sound.

Reflections concentrates on basic vowels and their shape as they pertain to resonance and tone. As a choir experiments with their sound, they will begin to recognize which vowel and vowel shapes create this "energized" effect and really begin to bring their performances to life. Free of consonant sounds and text, a choir is better able to discern for themselves choral literature’s musical properties… To act as a string orchestra, if you will, immersing themselves in a more homogeneous texture without words. The shape of a given vowel, along with proper blending and balance, is what will determine a choir’s ceiling. Blending and balance may not always be ideal, but with proper technique, any choir can begin to create a ceiling of their own. The overall effect will increase as the individual elements improve.

The problem with choral music is, ironically, often the text...

Choirs learn to depend on the text to convey meaning and forget that the music itself is what creates the aesthetic of choral literature.

Reading a Shakespeare sonnet and hearing it set to music are entirely different experiences. One medium may evoke a sigh, while the other, a tear. Music is emotion and intimacy inspired by life and literature. It is expressed with the colors, notes, and harmonies of a composer’s mind. The sonic picture that a composer envisions can only be painted when each of these elements comes together. Therefore, it is essential to include tone production as a major component of rehearsal and conscious performance. Reflections provides a context for specific aspects of tone generation, vowel shape, and phrasing separated from a text, allowing the choir to concentrate on and apply these specific concepts, perhaps truly listening to their sound for the first time.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Original Print Size: 8.5 x 11

Approx. 2 minutes and 46 seconds in length

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