Help for Elementary Choir and 3rd & 4th grade Soloists or Small Groups

Hello!  Here are recordings of our elementary choir song, as well as 2 verses from "La Marimorena."

This is a recording of "Campana Sobre Campana" that might help Elementary Choir students and those performing the verses for our concert:

1. “Campana Sobre Campana” Verse 1- SING IN SPANISH (English is translation is here to help):

 Part 1:

Recogido tu rebaño                        (Your flock is gathered)
a dónde vas pastorcillo?             (Where are you going, little shepherd?)

Part 2:
Voy a llevar al portal             (I’m going to the stable)

Requesón, manteca y vino.             (to bring cottage cheese, lard, and wine)

2. “Campana Sobre Campana” Verse 1- SING IN SPANISH (English is translation is here to help):

 Part 1:

Caminando a media noche             (Walking at midnight,)

donde va mira el pastor             (Where are you going, shepherd?)

 Part 2:

que llevarte y a cuidarte             (to the Child who’s being born)

como Dios mi Corazon            (As to God, I’m bringing my heart)

3. “La Marimorena” Verse 1-- SING IN SPANISH (English is translation is here to help):

En el portal de Belén hay estrellas, sol y luna  (At the entrance to Bethlehem are stars, the sun,                                                                                                 the moon,)
La Virgen y San José, y el Niño que está en la cuna. (the Virgin, Joseph, and the Child in the                                                                                                             cradle.)

4. “La Marimorena” Verse 2-- SING IN SPANISH (English is translation is here to help):

En el Portal de Belén hacen lumbre los pastores, (At the entrance to Bethlehem shepherd make                                                                                                 a fire)
Para calentar al Niño que ha nacido entre las flores. (to warm the Child born among the                                                                                                                         flowers.)

ROUGH RECORDING OF "LA MARIMORENA" VERSES:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5TBCWMdEbygazI3SXc1WVBsY0k/view?usp=sharing

4th Grade Help is Here!

Hey, 4th Graders!  Here are a few rough recordings to help you check things off on your list:

"Hark the Herald Angels Sing" the same way we sang it in class:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5TBCWMdEbygbWFQQTJPY0ZZcEU/view?usp=sharing

"Navidad, Navidad:"
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5TBCWMdEbygUXlPMUVRandNWVU/view?usp=sharing

"Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" recorder parts:
TO BE ADDED

"Hallelujah"
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5TBCWMdEbygd3l0aG4wdWpnZGs/view?usp=sharing

You are going to do great!!

Work on Getting a Good Sound on the Recorder?-- Yes, please!

Hi there, students.  We all know that it can be tough to get a sound we really like out of the recorder.  I was actually just trying to make a recording of my playing and decided I could really use some practice getting a good sound myself.  Here is a video I found that is a great refresher for the things we have learned.  I especially like how she explains the kind of "warm" air we should be using to play.

Go ahead and watch!:

Big Sound from the 4th Grade!

With this large 4th Grade class, we are going to be able to get some great sound when singing and playing instruments.  So far, we have danced, played drums and bells, and we are about to start reviewing and really learning how to play some fun material on the recorders.  That said, this coming week, I will be constantly reminding the 4th graders to locate their recorders at home and to bring them in so we have them on Thursday.

A singing game the class has enjoyed is one I have borrowed from a great middle school choir director that we call,"The Forbidden Pattern."  You may be familiar with solfege--- do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do--- from having watched "The Sound of Music."  In that wonderful musical, Maria teaches the children about singing with "Do, Re, Mi."  "Do, a deer, a female deer... Re, a drop of golden sun..."  Solfege is a way of singing musical scale tones using syllables, and it is useful when teaching pitch and reading vocal music, especially when sight-reading.  This game also encourages ear training and listening, both so magical to witness truly occurring in a large group of students all at once.  I sing different solfege patterns and have the students echo my examples.  Then I name a pattern the students canNOT sing.  As I continue to sing patterns, if the students listen and can keep quiet when I've sung the "forbidden pattern," they get a point.  If not, it's a point for the teacher!  We will continue to battle it out during the quarter and see who can collect the most points.

That is just a little insight into something we have enjoyed together thus far.  I will be sure to post more soon!

It's a New Year!

Hello!
We are a few weeks into our new school year, and it is going great!  Every Friday I plan to update this blog.  I will most likely write more than one post in that same day.  I will label them each with the appropriate grade level or levels so that you are able to click on a label to the right and read the information most relevant to you.  For example, I would usually label this post "All School Music Information."  This time I will attach all grade level and choir labels to it in order to start things flowing.

Notable events coming up:
                                             Our 1st FAMILY MASS-- Sunday, September 20th, 11:30
                                                                                       St. Sylvester Church
                                           *Every 3rd Sunday of the month, we encourage St. Sylvester           families to attend this mass, and I direct our school choir members down front.  It's a great opportunity to represent our school community!


Beginning Friday, September 18th, I will write posts about the music classes our PK-8th graders are experiencing.  In the meantime, know that I am at the school for full days on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  I am also there Mondays after 2:00pm.  If you leave me a voice mail or send an email, I will aim to respond at the end of the day, sometimes after I am done with after school activities.  The school phone number is 773-772-5222 and my extension 305.  My work email is efoxmusic@gmail.com.  Feel free to come down to the music room to visit!

Looking forward to a fantastic year!
-Ms. Fox

Additional Information...
CHOIRS: 
Older... 
5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders auditioned to be a part of our older choir.  They sang a short bit of The Star Spangled Banner and a brief section of a song of their choice.  Then they needed to show great effort and behavior in a mass performance the next morning.  We are currently 37 strong!  Each choir member has signed a choir contract and should be bringing a detailed letter home for families to read and sign, sending back the bottom portion.

Younger...
The 4th and 3rd graders showed me their best behavior and effort in a first meeting of those very interested in joining the younger choir.  We will add interested 2nd graders as of October 7th.  Because our school continues to grow and we have many students excited about singing, I have decided to split the younger choir into two groups that will alternate weeks.  This way all younger choir members can be part of the entire group all year long, but by having only 24-28 kids each week instead of 48-56, we will be better able to maintain a fun and comfortable environment in order to focus and learn how to make a choir work.  All choir members will end up signing a choir contract to show they understand expectations, and I will send a letter home to families to read and sign.  This should happen within the first week of your student's first official choir practice.  We meet on Wednesday afternoons.  The groups are "Blue" and "Orange."

4th Grade Concert Prep Materials

Here are a couple helpful videos for 4th graders...

O Come O Come Emmanuel (Remember, you are doing the 3rd verse and the last verse):

Campana Sobre Campana:

Don't forget to practice "The Wassail Song" and your recorder song, "O Come O Come Emmanuel."

You've been doing great work!!

4th Grade is getting ready for Christmas!

The 4th graders are getting more and more comfortable with their recorders as they prepare for the Christmas concert.  Here are some lyrics and links to help them outside of school.

Angels We Have Heard on High

(http://youtu.be/lVLoTGB3nMU)   (I will post a video of our recorder part very soon-- play along with the YouTube video for now).

Gloria [sung as “Glo------ria”]

In excelsis Deo

Glo-------ria

In excelsis Deo

Angels we have heard on high

Sweetly singing o’er the plains

And the mountains in reply

Echo back their joyous strains

Glo------ria

In excelsis Deo

Glo------ria

In excelsis Deo

Come to Bethlehem and see

Him whose birth the angels sing

Come adore on bended knee

Christ the Lord, the newborn King

Glo------ria

In excelsis Deo

Glo------ria

In excelsis Deo

Glo------ria

In excelsis Deo

Glo-------ria

In excelesis Deo

 Vamos Pastores Vamos

(http://youtu.be/ZamEj9tCar8)

Vamos pastores vamos, vamos a Belén

a ver en aquel niño la gloria del Edén

a ver en aquel niño la gloria del Edén

la gloria del Edén, la gloria del Edén

Oh qué precioso niño yo me muero por él

su boquita me encanta, sus ojitos también

el padre lo acaricia, la madre mira en él

y los dos extasiados contemplan aquel ser

contemplan aquel ser

Si

Vamos pastores vamos, vamos a Belén

a ver en aquel niño la gloria del Edén

a ver en aquel niño la gloria del Edén

la gloria del Edén, la gloria del Edén

Es tan lindo el chiquito

que nunca podrá ser que su belleza copien

ni el lápiz ni el pincel

pues el eterno padre con su inmenso poder

hizo que el hijo fuera inmenso como él

inmenso como él

Si

Vamos pastores vamos, vamos a Belén

a ver en aquel niño la gloria del Edén

a ver en aquel niño la gloria del Edén

la gloria del Edén, la gloria del Edén