Come, let's shout praises to God; raise the roof for the Rock who saved us! (Psalm 95:1)
Five Filipinos: Lilian Lim (second soprano), Edmund Clay (tenor), Anthony Griarte (baritone), Israel Navarro (bass), and I (bass) are among the 114-members of Lake Avenue Church Sanctuary Choir, who will be singing in a concert during the 71st Annual Convention of the National Association of Church Musicians at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, California this Thursday, July 16th. With the exception of Israel, who professionally sang in the Philippines as a member of HIS Praise, we are ordinary people who just wanted to offer our God-given voices to minister through songs. Hence, it took extra effort for us to memorize 11 songs and master the music in just a short time.
During rehearsals, Dr John Sutton, our choir director, always reminds everyone to have clear diction and sing beautifully for the Lord. Except those members, who are former members of the Los Angeles Opera Choir, music directors and professors, many of us have one or two shortcomings.
One shortcoming, many of us definitely have, is how to hold our breath longer. One of the songs, "Hallelujah!", which is a composition of Dr. Emma Lou Diemer, requires us to hold our breath for 30 beats at the very end. In this song, there is only one word, "Hallelujah" to be sang in brisk tempo, 55 times. It is so difficult to train old "dogs" some tricks. Singing through ones diaphragm takes awhile to learn; singing softly with increasing crescendo at the end and holding the last note in 30 beats takes extra discipline.
Perform with your gut, slowly releasing your breath, and savoring the joy and sweetness of what you're doing. You will realize that you can overcome your shortcoming and enjoy what God has given you. As I pondered on these words, I realized that this also applies in our everyday life, in or out our workplace.
Most of us easily loss our "cool" when challenge. We always wanted outright positive result. Instead of enjoying the things we do, we often times end up thinking of failure and shortcomings. Consequently, we ended up gnawed into pieces until we give up our ghost. We forget that, in God, everything is possible.
Right after the second Sunday service today, we have our second to the last choir rehearsal. Again, we were reminded to sing beautifully for the Lord.
I patiently managed my breathing technique, and I was surprised! Those sections where I have problems before became easy, even though I still was nursing a stubborn cough. For the first time, I was able to hold my breath in 30 beats. As I listened to the choir, I heard a fervent chant-like song, upbeat soul musics, and lively angelic celebratory songs of "Hallelujahs".
Join us at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Long Beach at 7 p.m. on July 16th and be blessed.
Lake Avenue Church Sanctuary Choir is already praying for an Out-of-the-Loft Concert in Arizona and Argentina in 2010 and 2011, respectively. These five Filipinos will certainly be joining the tour.
If you would like to join us, even if you still are not a member of Lake Avenue Church, the Sanctuary Choir would like to invite you. An open enrollment will be on September 3rd. Join Lilian, Israel, Anthony, and the two Edmunds savor the musical talent that God has given you. You will be blessed as you bless others through songs.
Showing posts with label choir. Show all posts
Showing posts with label choir. Show all posts
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Clear Diction and Tone: Essentials to Effective Communication
Thursday night is our Sanctuary Choir rehearsal. The 150 members, who are either music educators, music artists, former ministers of music, or members of the Los Angeles Opera Chorus, and a few, like me, ordinary singers, sang their hearts out as they learned 10 songs, from classics to Oratorio, from old hymns to contemporaries, and from English to German and Spanish.
You're asking for my qualifications for joining this group of professionals? Well, let me put it this way. I and a few others are the thorns in the bush. hehehe... Unfortunately, with my height, I have been assigned in the first center row...so conspicuous to thousands of church goers even with the presence of the church symphony orchestra; hence, I have to fake sometimes. When there's a grave at the very end of our song and I already run out of gas, I would just open my mouth as wide and beautiful, shape as precise as possible to the sound of the word, voiceless, just waiting for that kettle drum to be struck, so that I could change the placement of my lips to produce the last phone.
I actually know how to "sight read"; I know all those musical notations. Besides of my mom's guidance, while I still have runny nose, I attended a Bible College in the Philippines for a year, where I formally learned how to sing well. Now don't ask for more; otherwise, I would be telling you that I am a videoke addict and the neighbors' "grammy awardee". Honestly, I am just waiting for some rocks to rain over our rooftop. Those rocks would indicate that my neighbors are bestowing that laurel to another competing neighbor in our ghetto. hahaha..
Anyways, during rehearsals, the music director always reminds us on basic things so that we can effectively convey God's message through our songs.
Last week, our music director reminded us that an expert singer must have the following:
1) Clear diction
2) Beautiful Tone
3) Good Posture
4) Markings on his musical scores
5) Watches the conductor's directives
He reminded us that as singers, we are setting a tone, conveying a message, and expressing a feeling that would prepare the hearts and minds of the congregation to listen to the Word of God.
Now, what's this got to do with effective communication in a regular setting?
I just would like to emphasize that, if in a choir a clear diction, beautiful tone, and paying attention are very essential, it is far more important to apply these daily at our workplace.
The message, when talking over the phone, may be misconstrued if we don't have a clear diction. We have to pronounce those letters well, so as not to be misunderstood. Most of our church choir members are native English speakers and music professionals, and yet our music director cannot just have enough to pound our head to enunciate the words clearly. This Sunday, our song has a phrase, "All Christ is, He is within us". We were reminded, time and again, to produce the sound of /t/ final in "Christ", because we don't want to convey the message that "All cries is He is within us". See the difference? Omitting the /t/ final would completely send a wrong message. With a 50-man symphony orchestra providing the accompaniment, we have to produce /t/ as loud as we could. In fact, I am a little nervous on Sundays. I'm afraid that my denture would fall off and it would hit either one of the violinists or the pianist who are sitting and playing right in front of me. It would be a disaster. hehehe.
Beautiful tone must be emphasized even in our daily conversation. Definitely, the tone has something to do with ones culture. That's why we hear some people commenting that 'he/she talks like a chirping bird', or 'he/she talks like a drum'. Others are turn off immediately even before someone opens his/her mouth, because the tone of his/her voice doesn't appeal to them. We sometimes say that a person is mad, even if he/she is really not, just because he/she drops his/her words like a bomb, or he/she shouts every time he/she talks. Honestly, I often times have to remind myself to tone down my voice when talking. Sorry, it is cultural for me to talk loud. Consequently, I sometimes forget that in some societies, the tone will either give a "green or red signal". Am I a good person? Absolutely; however, those who are not used to my culture would think otherwise.
I know... I know...it's a little difficult to polish the manner of speaking that has been ingrained in our psyche since birth, but constant practice has been a big help to me. Why not try it? You would see the difference.
P.S
For those who already have bought my gift book, PRAISING ALL SEASONS LONG: Haiku Verses, I thank you very much.
Also, I found out that Barnes & Noble has posted that they're now out of stock. I believe you could still place a pre-order with them. However, if you would like to have your copy very soon, you could place your order on Amazon.com, Target.com, and to the publisher, Comfort Publishing online store. Those who are considering to get their copy, I thank you very much. "PRAISING..." is only $9.99, "KOILAWAN" is $ 13.99, but you can get a discounted price in some online outlets.
You're asking for my qualifications for joining this group of professionals? Well, let me put it this way. I and a few others are the thorns in the bush. hehehe... Unfortunately, with my height, I have been assigned in the first center row...so conspicuous to thousands of church goers even with the presence of the church symphony orchestra; hence, I have to fake sometimes. When there's a grave at the very end of our song and I already run out of gas, I would just open my mouth as wide and beautiful, shape as precise as possible to the sound of the word, voiceless, just waiting for that kettle drum to be struck, so that I could change the placement of my lips to produce the last phone.
I actually know how to "sight read"; I know all those musical notations. Besides of my mom's guidance, while I still have runny nose, I attended a Bible College in the Philippines for a year, where I formally learned how to sing well. Now don't ask for more; otherwise, I would be telling you that I am a videoke addict and the neighbors' "grammy awardee". Honestly, I am just waiting for some rocks to rain over our rooftop. Those rocks would indicate that my neighbors are bestowing that laurel to another competing neighbor in our ghetto. hahaha..
Anyways, during rehearsals, the music director always reminds us on basic things so that we can effectively convey God's message through our songs.
Last week, our music director reminded us that an expert singer must have the following:
1) Clear diction
2) Beautiful Tone
3) Good Posture
4) Markings on his musical scores
5) Watches the conductor's directives
He reminded us that as singers, we are setting a tone, conveying a message, and expressing a feeling that would prepare the hearts and minds of the congregation to listen to the Word of God.
Now, what's this got to do with effective communication in a regular setting?
I just would like to emphasize that, if in a choir a clear diction, beautiful tone, and paying attention are very essential, it is far more important to apply these daily at our workplace.
The message, when talking over the phone, may be misconstrued if we don't have a clear diction. We have to pronounce those letters well, so as not to be misunderstood. Most of our church choir members are native English speakers and music professionals, and yet our music director cannot just have enough to pound our head to enunciate the words clearly. This Sunday, our song has a phrase, "All Christ is, He is within us". We were reminded, time and again, to produce the sound of /t/ final in "Christ", because we don't want to convey the message that "All cries is He is within us". See the difference? Omitting the /t/ final would completely send a wrong message. With a 50-man symphony orchestra providing the accompaniment, we have to produce /t/ as loud as we could. In fact, I am a little nervous on Sundays. I'm afraid that my denture would fall off and it would hit either one of the violinists or the pianist who are sitting and playing right in front of me. It would be a disaster. hehehe.
Beautiful tone must be emphasized even in our daily conversation. Definitely, the tone has something to do with ones culture. That's why we hear some people commenting that 'he/she talks like a chirping bird', or 'he/she talks like a drum'. Others are turn off immediately even before someone opens his/her mouth, because the tone of his/her voice doesn't appeal to them. We sometimes say that a person is mad, even if he/she is really not, just because he/she drops his/her words like a bomb, or he/she shouts every time he/she talks. Honestly, I often times have to remind myself to tone down my voice when talking. Sorry, it is cultural for me to talk loud. Consequently, I sometimes forget that in some societies, the tone will either give a "green or red signal". Am I a good person? Absolutely; however, those who are not used to my culture would think otherwise.
I know... I know...it's a little difficult to polish the manner of speaking that has been ingrained in our psyche since birth, but constant practice has been a big help to me. Why not try it? You would see the difference.
P.S
For those who already have bought my gift book, PRAISING ALL SEASONS LONG: Haiku Verses, I thank you very much.
Also, I found out that Barnes & Noble has posted that they're now out of stock. I believe you could still place a pre-order with them. However, if you would like to have your copy very soon, you could place your order on Amazon.com, Target.com, and to the publisher, Comfort Publishing online store. Those who are considering to get their copy, I thank you very much. "PRAISING..." is only $9.99, "KOILAWAN" is $ 13.99, but you can get a discounted price in some online outlets.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
PRAISE GOD! HE WOKE ME UP!
I hibernated.
I didn’t sing in four years.
Thursday was my first.
e. industan
I was a member of a Bible College choir which toured in other Philippine provinces in the 70s and sang bass in a quartet. Besides the church choir, I also was a member of a Singing Christmas Tree, one December, in Port Arthur, Texas. Climbing up that 36-foot Christmas tree-shaped choir loft when all the lights were out; then suddenly hearing the “oh’s and ah” of the audience once the flashing colored tree lights were turned on, a second before we sang the first note of the Christmas cantata, was exhilarating.
However, I hibernated for four years like a ground squirrel at winter time. My love for singing was below normal heavily affected by the changing times. Praise God! I finally woke up.
This past Thursday, I opened my mouth again to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord”. I signed in to join the Sanctuary Choir at Lake Avenue Church, the biggest church in Pasadena, California.
And surprised! It’s my first to know that past the church’s underground parking garage is the music department office where the choir rehearsals are held. For four years of regular attendance at Lake Avenue Church’s eleven o’clock Sunday service, I wasn’t aware of this.
I started to get nervous while I took the elevator down to the church basement. Mind you, I even stuck my name tag upside down without realizing it. Thanks to Richard, whose eyes was not only sharp enough to see those dotted quarter notes but also keen to see (and congenially corrected) the tag. The Sanctuary Choir has more than a hundred members, so imagine me intimidated. Nevertheless, I started to relax after the opening prayer, which was followed by muscle and voice stretching and constant “phonology” reminder- for us to enunciate the plosive bilabial /p/ and /b/, the velar /k/ and whatnot's- as the rehearsal went on. As if I was back in my phonology graduate course, but I loved it.
I know; God has blessed me with a voice fit for a choir; however, there were some unpleasant moments in my life that I wittingly withdrew from using it. A huge blow happened seven months ago, but it also was a turning point for me to hone the inherent talent that God has given me. I thank God for He patiently waited for me to sing praises again.
NOTE: Besides singing, God also has gifted me a talent in creative writing. My second book, PRAISING ALL SEASONS LONG: Haiku Verses has just been released by Comfort Publishing. It is a gift book with 145 praise haiku verses, which can be ordered now on Comfort’s online store. Barnes and Noble bookstore also has announced that it will be carrying PRAISING… beginning March. Barnes and Noble is now accepting pre-orders. A discounted price of $8.99 is offered to bookstore’s subscribers. Surely, it is cheaper than a dozen roses and a better gift to people who needs affirmation that our God is still in control of everything, despite this time of trials and uncertainties.
Currently, I am working on the HEALING GARDEN OF VERSES, a collection of haiku and senryu verses, and pitching to a publisher my completed book project, BEDTIME-PASTIME: A Collection of Short Stories and Folktales.
I didn’t sing in four years.
Thursday was my first.
e. industan
I was a member of a Bible College choir which toured in other Philippine provinces in the 70s and sang bass in a quartet. Besides the church choir, I also was a member of a Singing Christmas Tree, one December, in Port Arthur, Texas. Climbing up that 36-foot Christmas tree-shaped choir loft when all the lights were out; then suddenly hearing the “oh’s and ah” of the audience once the flashing colored tree lights were turned on, a second before we sang the first note of the Christmas cantata, was exhilarating.
However, I hibernated for four years like a ground squirrel at winter time. My love for singing was below normal heavily affected by the changing times. Praise God! I finally woke up.
This past Thursday, I opened my mouth again to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord”. I signed in to join the Sanctuary Choir at Lake Avenue Church, the biggest church in Pasadena, California.
And surprised! It’s my first to know that past the church’s underground parking garage is the music department office where the choir rehearsals are held. For four years of regular attendance at Lake Avenue Church’s eleven o’clock Sunday service, I wasn’t aware of this.
I started to get nervous while I took the elevator down to the church basement. Mind you, I even stuck my name tag upside down without realizing it. Thanks to Richard, whose eyes was not only sharp enough to see those dotted quarter notes but also keen to see (and congenially corrected) the tag. The Sanctuary Choir has more than a hundred members, so imagine me intimidated. Nevertheless, I started to relax after the opening prayer, which was followed by muscle and voice stretching and constant “phonology” reminder- for us to enunciate the plosive bilabial /p/ and /b/, the velar /k/ and whatnot's- as the rehearsal went on. As if I was back in my phonology graduate course, but I loved it.
I know; God has blessed me with a voice fit for a choir; however, there were some unpleasant moments in my life that I wittingly withdrew from using it. A huge blow happened seven months ago, but it also was a turning point for me to hone the inherent talent that God has given me. I thank God for He patiently waited for me to sing praises again.
NOTE: Besides singing, God also has gifted me a talent in creative writing. My second book, PRAISING ALL SEASONS LONG: Haiku Verses has just been released by Comfort Publishing. It is a gift book with 145 praise haiku verses, which can be ordered now on Comfort’s online store. Barnes and Noble bookstore also has announced that it will be carrying PRAISING… beginning March. Barnes and Noble is now accepting pre-orders. A discounted price of $8.99 is offered to bookstore’s subscribers. Surely, it is cheaper than a dozen roses and a better gift to people who needs affirmation that our God is still in control of everything, despite this time of trials and uncertainties.
Currently, I am working on the HEALING GARDEN OF VERSES, a collection of haiku and senryu verses, and pitching to a publisher my completed book project, BEDTIME-PASTIME: A Collection of Short Stories and Folktales.
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