Performance Songs
Here is the alphabetical list of songs that the guest chorus will be performing on June 7
- Down By The Old Mill Stream
- Harmony Leads The Way
- Honey Little Lize Medley
- My Wild Irish Rose
- Tumble Down Shack In Athlone
- The Chordbuster March
- The Old Songs / Give Me A Barbershop Medley
Music for these as well as all the songs being performed on June 7 can be found HERE
Reminders
Orientation & Voice Placement – March 11 at 6:00 PM
📌 Weekly Rehearsals – March 18 – June 3, 6:30-7:30 PM
• If you’re up for an extra challenge, stay for the second half (7:30-8:30) to learn additional songs and perform with the chorus!
📌 Registration Fee – $10 due at Orientation
📌 Songs will be performed from memory
Here are a few essentials to bring each week to ensure a productive and rewarding experience:
• Recording device with a Bluetooth or wired headset (hands-free is best so you can stay engaged while capturing key insights)
• Handheld mirror (a quick glance can correct vocal technique more efficiently than a lengthy discussion)
• Pencils (for marking music)
• Water (hydration is key for vocal health)
To get a head start, here are a few rounds we’ll be using for vocal warm-ups:
🎶 “Music Alone Shall Live”
• Lyrics: All things shall perish from under the sky, music alone shall live, never to die.
• A simple, flowing round emphasizing warm vowels.
🎶 “Dona Nobis Pacem” (Traditional Latin Round)
• Focuses on soaring legato phrasing, open vowels, and breath control.
🎶 “Oh How Lovely is the Evening”
• Lyrics: Oh, how lovely is the evening, is the evening, when the bells are sweetly ringing, sweetly ringing, ding, dong, ding.
• Strengthens diction, blending, and listening to harmony.
Vocal Strength & Flexibility: Warm-Ups & Exercises for a Resonant Voice
Welcome to our vocal exercise guide!
While many traditional vocal warm-ups focus primarily on the vocal folds—improving strength, flexibility, and endurance—our exercises go a step further. We target the 15 muscles surrounding the vocal mechanism, ensuring balanced muscle strength. When all these muscles work in harmony, the vocal folds can vibrate freely with less tension, allowing for better tone, control, and vocal longevity.
During rehearsals, we will use the following warm-ups and concepts to develop breath control, resonance, articulation, and blend.
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Key Vocal Concepts & Exercises
1. 3D Breath Space - To achieve a supported and resonant sound, singers should develop awareness of breath space in three dimensions:
• Pre-Sneeze – Lifts the soft palate, creating more vertical space
• Pre-Yawn – Expands the width across the hard palate
• Pre-Taste – Encourages a relaxed tongue for better articulation
This creates a feeling of height, width, and depth, ensuring optimal breath support and resonance.
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2. Bubbles & Lip Trills - Bubble (or “V” sound) on scale degrees 1-2-1, sliding up to 5 and back down to 1
• Helps engage airflow and connect abdominal support
• Reduces tension in the larynx
• Prepares the voice for smooth pitch transitions
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3. Precision in Pitch & Resonance “Maybe My Mama May Move to Miami” (Sung in unison or octaves on a single note, moving up or down by half steps)
• Trains pitch accuracy
• Develops resonance
• Improves articulation and breath connection
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4. Articulation & Enunciation Drill “Mini, Mini, Mini, Mini, Ming, Ming, Ming, Ming, What a Pity, What a Pity, What, What, What, What, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zah” (Sung in unison or octaves on a single note)
• Strengthens diction & clarity
• Encourages connected vocal production
• Enhances resonance for a rich, full sound
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5. Onset & Resonance Development “Prih - Preh - Prae - Pruh”
• Engages the upper lip for strong consonant articulation
• Focuses on the resonance of short vowel sounds
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6. Breath Flow & Pitch Accuracy Vah - Descending Pattern (VAH-VAH; VAH-VAH-VAH-VAH; VAH-VAH-VAH-VAH; VAH-VAH; VAH)
• Reinforces steady airflow
• Improves articulation & control
• Strengthens pitch accuracy
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7. Barbershop “Ping” & Mask Placement Hung - HUNG AH EH EE OH OO (scale degrees 5-5-4-3-2-1)
• Develops mask resonance for the classic barbershop sound
• Enhances projection without strain
• Improves vowel clarity and consistency
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Exercises for Balance, Blend & Vowel Matching
These drills refine intonation, chord tuning, and ensemble blend.
1. May, Me, My, Moh, Moo – 4-Part Chord Exercise (Sung with different vowel sounds in a chord position)
• Tenor: 3, 3, 4, 4, 3
• Lead: 1, 1, 1, 7, 1
• Bari: 5, -7, 6, 5, 5
• Bass: 1, 5, 4, 2, 1
This exercise helps singers lock into harmonic tuning while reinforcing vowel matching across all voice parts.
2. Scale Degrees 1, 5, & 8 for Word Focus
• Singing trouble words on these scale degrees strengthens clarity and vowel unity
• Helps troubleshoot words that may be unclear in specific songs
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Final Thoughts
By incorporating these exercises into our rehearsals, singers build a stronger, more flexible voice with improved resonance, breath control, articulation, and ensemble blend. Consistency with these warm-ups ensures a free, open, and vibrant sound, perfect for a dynamic vocal performance!
Let’s sing with freedom, balance, and precision!