Choral Workshops

We hope everyone enjoyed this season's workshops! Thanks again to Jerry Blackstone,
Keith Hampton, and Stacy Garrop for their engaging and interactive presentations.
Please keep an eye on this page for information about future CMS choral workshops.

Singing and Weeds:
Thoughts from a
Gardening Conductor
May 24, 2022 | 7:00pm

Dr. Jerry Blackstone,
Professor Emeritus of Conducting
and former Director of Choirs
at the University of Michigan

Spring brings varied delights, including an abundance of flowers and a multitude of choral concerts. This session draws parallels between the garden and the rehearsal hall, including excerpts from Britten’s “Five Flower Songs” and clips from the upcoming documentary Choral Singing in America: Nurturing the Country’s Soul.

The Spiritual and
Gospel Music:
Performance Techniques
May 31, 2022 | 7:00pm

Dr. Keith Hampton,
Artistic Director & Founder,
Chicago Community Chorus and
President, Dr. KT Productions
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This session will explore the differences between the Negro Spiritual and Black Gospel Music using compositions by Keith Hampton from both genres. Vocal techniques, use of Gospel band accompaniment, and Negro Spiritual dialect will be among the topics discussed.

How Does
a Composer
Compose for Choir?
June 7, 2022 | 7:00pm

Dr. Stacy Garrop,
Composer
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Ever wondered how a composer writes music? Would you like to see the composing process up close? In this demonstration, we will explore the various aspects a composer needs to consider when writing choral music, including how to establish and musically depict the mood of a poem, how to set text, and how to orchestrate the choral forces for dramatic effect.

Previous Workshops

Workshop sessions since 2015 are listed below. Many thanks to all of these presenters for sharing their expertise!
  • Making Those Consonants Pop: Achieving Excellent Choral Diction - Kurt Hansen 
  • Can You Hear the Overtones? Strategies for Great Choral Intonation - John C. Hughes
  • Keeping Your Voice Healthy: Best Practices for Singing and Speaking - Teresa Brancaccio
  • Singing “Baroquely” - Julia Davids and Martin Davids
  • Taking Your Singing to the Next Level with Vocal Coaching - Richard Boldrey
  • Protecting Your Vocal Health - Robert Bastian
  • The Art of Auditioning and Basic Rehearsal Disciplines - Alan Heatherington
  • How to Sing Correctly, Using Your Whole Body - Jeffrey Horvath
  • The Joys and Challenges of A Cappella Singing - Anne Heider

Since our first workshops in Spring 1989, other clinicians have included choral conductors, voice teachers, and professional soloists such as:
 
​Neva Bailey
Karen Brunssen
William Chin
Richard Cohn
Cheryl Frazes Hill
John Melcher
Patrice Michaels
Myron Myers
Rebecca Patterson
Martha Swisher
Daniel Wallenberg
 
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