Warm up with the Hymnbook

Good warm-ups achieve specific objectives. Here are some specific ways to use hymns to accomplish warm-up objectives:

Blend and Balance

Sing through the hymn on a single syllable or vowel sound: loo, oo, mm, ah, pom, yah, sah, tah. Focus on unifying the vowel shape, the tone color, volume, and intonation.

Rhythmic Accuracy

Choose a simple, familiar hymn, and sing through it with staccatto articulation. Rhythmic inaccuracies really stand out and are easily corrected. The exercise also focuses the choir on the underlying rhythmic pulse of the music.

Unison Singing

Unison singing requires good intonation and blend. Sing through a familiar hymn melody. Instruct the choir to listen for other voices, with the objective of becoming part of one big indistinguishable voice. Practice unison singing at several dynamic levels.

Sight-Reading Skills and Confidence

Choose a familiar hymn, such as 92 For the Beauty Of The Earth. Using the first verse only, have the full choir sing through each voice part (in their own range) in unison. Then have the men sing melody while the women sing alto. Next, switch so that the men sing alto and vica versa. Now have all of the women sing tenor while the men sing the melody. Continue to mix and match parts at will. Return everyone to their correct parts for a final rendiiton.

Expressive Unity

As a choir, memorize the first verse of a familiar hymn (Without the distraction of scores, the choir will watch the conductor). Conduct in an aesthetically rewarding, expressive manner, taking advantage of dynamics, tempo changes, and stylistic changes. Insist that the choir follow you. Stop and address problems immediately as they occur, and remember that until the choir understands how to interpret your gestures, they cannot follow you.

April Warm-Up Column: Breathing and Breath Control

March Warm-Up Column: The Choral Warm-Up According to Father Finn