This morning, I led some of my favorite singers through a service at a lovely church in Denver, which has re-sensitized me to the liturgical calendar and alerted me to the fact that today is "Transfiguration Sunday" -- the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday. So, for the folks who follow the liturgical calendar, Tuesday is the day to eat pancakes, get the Alleluias out of your system, and yuck it up...and starting Wednesday, the minor mode, fasting, and the color purple reign supreme for 40 days of Lent. And, Transfiguration Sunday itself is interesting and cool in its own right/rite: the gospel story is that Jesus and three of his disciples went up on a mountain, and suddenly Jesus didn't look like the guy they'd been trekking around with for the past 3 years -- all of a sudden, he glowed with a bright light and all kinds of crazy stuff went down (including a cameo appearance by Elijah and Moses).
Whatever your religious persuasion, I think it's possible to relate to this notion of transfiguration in some way. I think we all experience it -- a moment comes along, something happens that has never happened before, and we see ourselves or someone or something else we know change radically in an instant, and a part of them rises to the surface that we've never seen. Sometimes it's for the better, sometimes not, but it's always memorable. And, in a way, isn't it vital to our survival that we can still be surprised by what can happen both outside and inside ourselves? The world is chaotic, and we may all yet see things we've never dreamed of, but even so, we each have stores of strength and instinct that will surface only when the moment is right. So effectively, that means we're all stronger than we think, even when Plan A is a distant memory....and Plan Z is all of a sudden on deck.
So, here's a little exercise in "transfiguration" for you all...it's a stretch, and probably not so very profound, but I hope you'll enjoy it just the same...
Rising Level 2's
I'd like for you all to go on a little adventure with me....to Ottman, Ch. 20...
Don't panic!
20.1 - Read as written, go with the key signature for your solfa. Anything weird? No? Good.
20.2 - Read as written, go with the key signature for your solfa. All good? By now, you've surely figured out what the deal is with this chapter, yes? Now, try reading through the example again, but pretend it has a flat in the key signature, and sing the B-naturals as "fi". What did you think? Which way did you prefer?
20.3 - Read as written, go with the key signature for your solfa. For fun, sing it once in E minor with f-sharps instead of f-naturals. What happens to the character of the piece?
20.4 - Read as written, go with the key signature for your solfa. Now, pretend there's a flat in the key signature and sing it starting from do, but sing the B-naturals as "fi". Which way did you like better?
20.5 - Read as written, go with the key signature for your solfa. Now, pretend there's a sharp in the key signature and sing it starting with so,-do rather than re,-so and call the F-naturals "ta". Which way did you like better?
Rising Level 3's
Take a look at this piece by Palestrina:
Let's take it step-by-step:
Step 1 - Sing through the bass and alto lines up to m. 14. What mode does the piece seem to be in? What is the intervallic relationship between the bass entrance and the alto entrance? Is it imitative? If so, is the alto a tonal answer or a real answer of the bass?
Step 2 - Look at mm. 14-23. How has the texture changed? Sing through any two vocal lines of your choice.
Step 3 - Look at mm. 23-39. Has the texture changed again? Sing through the soprano and alto lines mm. 23-28. How would you characterize the way these two parts move in relationship to one another? See if you can find similar "duet" relationships between other voice parts in this section.
Step 4 - Look at mm. 39-55. What is the main rhythmic event of this section? What word does it seem to be highlighting? What does that word mean (hint: use Google translate)? Sing through any two voice parts of your choosing.
Step 5 - Look at mm. 55-end. Pay particular attention to the soprano voice -- compare it to what has happened before range-wise. Where is the highest note? Why? Sing through any two voice parts of your choosing.
Rising Level 4's
For you all, a special treat....
Look at this piece:
Sing through the tenor line only.
Now, look at this piece:
Sing through the soprano line. How often does it line up with the tenor line of the first piece? Now sing through the tenor 1 line. How often does it line up with the tenor line of the first piece? Is the original material sometimes transformed in some way? Does it ever creep into other voices? Is it ever transposed? Does there seem to be an obvious connection between the two pieces (sort of like L'Homme Arme masses)? If you're interested, you can read more about the tradition here.
And finally, in the spirit of the season:
Change by Tracy Chapman
Enjoy!
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