I.
Exploring Close Harmony
Close Harmony is when the distance between the notes of the chord are close together. The range of the full chord, from highest to lowest pitch, might be very narrow. This kind of harmony is very popular in barbershop music, vocal jazz and more recently, in the contemporary choral music of composers such as Eric Whitacre, Ola Gjeilo and Morten Lauridsen.
When singing close harmony, your singers need to feel comfortable with harmonic dissonance. One great activity to develop this skill, was shared by choir leader Kerry Gerraty, in our Creative Choir Leader Group. Here it is, accompanied by a video of the effect from Ed Aldcroft, founder of Barcelona English Choir....
https://www.thecreativechoirleader.com/exploring-close-harmony/
II.
Recharge
"People all started to sing for a reason, be it because they love music, love the stage, love connecting with others, or all three. Alas, there are times when we fall into a rut, forget why we're doing something, and need a reminder, a jolt of energy from jumper cables.
At times like these, I recommend you take your group outside its comfort zone. Go sing for some people for whom live music will make a big difference. Maybe it's a senior home, maybe it's a women's shelter, maybe it's a halfway house or a prison
....
If your singers are not feeling a connection to the music or to the audience, if they seem burned out, if they're having trouble caring, I recommend you take them to an environment where they'll feel connection immediately, where the act of performing might initially be a struggle but they'll leave with a renewed sense of the power of vocal harmony"
Source: The Heart of Vocal Harmony - Emotional Expression in Group Singing by Deke Sharon and watch Deke speak inspiringly about this HERE
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