I hear from the four SRYC members privileged to attend the three days' hard work of the audition-only All State Honor Choir that Dr. Caldwell was an amazing clinician. I heard it myself at the concert. I've been doing this Honor Choir thing with the SRYC and with Claire for almost ten years now, all over the country, and I can ASSURE you that this was the finest work done by a clinician I've ever seen. No nonsense, no movements (which I abhor and secretly believe indicate that a clinician doesn't have enough will to nuance the music itself and resorts to killing time teaching a bunch of junk instead of properly working the music), and a directness in the concert pieces that was astonishing.
He wrangled out of 126 or so High School students who were talented and well taught to begin with a sound that was unified, nuanced and powerful. He did so across genre lines and presented a balanced repertoire of music which I really appreciated.
Claire and I took pictures along the way...me of the SRYC members (and two Junior Youth Choir members who were attending the MMEA Elementary School Honor choir from St. Richards' School) and Claire from within the closed rehearsals. There are also videos from the concert. If you have an older computer, do not despair, these will load, you just might want to grab a cup of coffee and let them load fully before trying to explore and listen and watch.
Photoblogging the experience:
The Concert
This concert is the fruit of almost a years' worth of work, and the last of its kind for our seniors. I look forward to many more years of taking the best of the SRYC to the best of the Honor Choirs.
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Consecrate the Place and Day, by Lloyd Pfautsch, available through Alfred Press # 1367739
(St. Cecilia is the patron saint of music, which identifies this piece as yet more music created for Catholic Liturgy, presented as excellent repertoire to teach with):
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Der Abend, by Johannes Brahms, ed. by Drew Collins, available through CPDL # 50
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When Allen-a-Dale went a-Hunting, by Robert Lucas Pearsall, available through CPDL # 4990
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Laudate Pueri, by Mozart, ed. Gabor Kukin, available through CPDL # 809
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Pilgrim's Hymn, by Stephen Paulus, available through http://www.stephenpaulus.com
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Walk Him Up the Stairs, by Gary Geld and Peter Udell, arr. "Bugs" Bower
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