Alex Thacker

Exploring Choral Music Zoom Course (8th - 12th August 2022)

From Monday 8th to Friday 12th August 2022, I hosted a successful five-day, virtual course on Zoom, entitled, ʻExploring Choral Musicʼ. This week provided an opportunity for participants to delve deeper into the world of choral music, whilst also working on sight-singing, aural skills and harmony, concluded by a day singing through a collection of choral works from a range of style periods, rounding off the week. Throughout the sessions, participants were invited to sing (behind the comfort of the mute button!) various choral works from the 9th Century AD to the present day. After the success of this session I intend to run a  similar course next year.

The sessions were as follows:

Plainsong & Polyphony (Monday 8th August)

A chance to explore the origins of western choral music and how the haunting Gregorian chants of the 8th Century have continued to influence choral writing to the present day, through the simultaneous combination of many voices, known as polyphony.

Chorus & Orchestra (Tuesday 9th August)

We all know Handel’s Messiah, but how did the orchestra come to be an integral part of choral music from the 16th century to our own time? This will be a chance to observe and marvel at the development of the great and mighty orchestral works of the choral repertoire throughout history.

Understanding Harmony (Wednesday 10th August)

So often mentioned in choir rehearsals, just what is harmony and how does it work? This session will explore how composers combine notes to create the heavenly sounds we have come to know and love, and how they have developed over the course of a thousand years.

Sight-singing & aural skills (Thursday 11th August)

How many times have you come out of a choir rehearsal wishing you could brush up on your sight-singing? Now is your chance to devote a whole session on improving your ability to understand written music better and to sing it at sight with greater confidence.

Singing Workshop (Friday 9th August)

Rounding the week off, this session will tie together the various genres and lessons of the week, culminating in a virtual concert (for ourselves!). By the end of this, you will hopefully have discovered a few new choral gems and perhaps will also have sung a couple of old favourites, whilst putting them into the context of their musical and historical development.

For those interested to in signing up for next year's course please do Contact me here. Whilst I have not yet fixed on a date, it is likely to be some time during August 2023. I look forward to hearing from you!