My Musical Musings Blog | betsyleebaileymusic.com - The Music of Betsy Lee Bailey

Virtual Church with Virtual Singing

1/25/2021

Yesterday I attended a virtual Church meeting where the "congregation" was asked to actually sing the hymns. (I had expectations that this would feel better than just listening to or humming along.) The organist was wonderful and the conductor was plenty competent, but watching the songs unfold with everyone wearing masks was deflating, indeed. She conducted a very small group of people in the huge chapel, So, while we could tell that a few people were singing, we could not hear the singing let alone understand any of the words.

Where I should have been happy to sing along at home referring to my own hymnal for the words, the choir citizen in me was really missing singing en masse. And what I missed the most was seeing the lips of and facial expressions of the conductor. I wonder if I would have felt different if she had been allowed to direct without the mask --- even if she only mouthed the words.

The speakers were allowed to take off their masks while they delivered their talks. So, why not have the music leader conduct without the mask? As a choir conductor, I have spent a lifetime leading groups of singers MOSTLY just mouthing the words. It is very normal for a conductor to lead the singing without actually singing. But, even without singing, the conductor's job is to pull a performance out of the singers and guide the experience of the group.

I think we would have enjoyed the experience of singing virtually together much better yesterday had we watched a conductor who could have shown her facial expressions and at least "mouthed" to us the words!

Being Childlike or Childish

1/11/2021

The new Primary Music Leader opened the Zoom meeting by greeting the children and their families. Then she told them they would be learning a new song. She had made various screens of the words and visual aids. Then she proceeded to teach the song. Unfortunately, she had no musical training and did not understand how to follow music notation. For example, she did not know about this little thing called the FIRST AND SECOND ENDING.

In short, she got the words wrong. Some of the older kids pointed out her mistake, and she proceeded to inform them that they were wrong and she was right. She insisted that the last line was "these are the things that I'm taught." Tempers flared and the Music Leader had to quickly switch to another activity.

Sometimes we find ourselves in positions that are unfamiliar and uncomfortable. We may be thrust into a situation where we don't feel prepared or we feel out of our comfort zones. Or we may be asked to function in an assignment that doesn't match our talents or training. In any case, there will be times in life when we get to choose whether to be childlike or childish. In other words, will we be teachable or stubborn?

Nothing is worse than finding yourself in the position of acting on information that you think is right, then finding out that it isn't. Do you stubbornly continue on that outdated or simply wrong tangent, or allow yourself to stumble then pick yourself up and change directions? For most of us, life is a series of stumbles and changing paths.

During this Covid pandemic, Church Musicians have had to be very creative to find ways to fulfill their callings. In the best of times, new Music Leaders rarely get any training, and with all of the shut downs, in-person training from Church Authorities has simply been non-existent. Many creative people have figured out interesting ways to use the internet to provide Music Time for their Primary families. They have even offered help for other leaders who may need a leg up. However, when the person called has absolutely no previous experience, that new music leader may also need a crash course in piano or singing lessons!

In the end, though, the responsibility is still on the individual. Each person must choose whether to be childlike and willing to learn, or to be childish and refuse help.

For Such a Time as This

1/6/2021

When Becky and I were teenagers in Ohio, we had an opportunity to sing in a girl's trio. Becky sang alto and I sang second soprano. Another friend sang the lead. That made sense because Becky and I could read music and hold our own parts. The other girl did better on melody. The problem was that the other girl lived pretty far away, while Becky and I were neighbors.

Because Becky and I lived so close, we were often together riding the bus to school, car-pooling to or from activities, or just hanging out. Sometimes we wanted to practice the trio song we were preparing for a Church program. Imagine how silly we sounded singing just the two harmony parts WITHOUT THE MELODY or any accompaniment. Little did we care! We wanted to get our parts down cold. And we did.

The other day I was thinking about that time way back then. I have been reading a book about the signs of the times. This book contains prophecies and counsel about the last days prior to the Lord's Second Coming. Some of those signs are pretty upsetting, pointing to calamities and wickedness that will run rampant throughout the world. But there are also exciting promises for those who are righteous and stay true to the counsels of the Lord and His prophets.

"For Such a Time as This" (the title of our song) is a quote from the Biblical story of Esther, a Jewish woman of exceptional beauty who was chosen to be Queen of Persia. Her uncle Mordecai assured her that this would possibly put her in a favorable position to help her people someday. That day came when the Jews were about to be sought out and killed according to the King's decree. Mordecai sent word to Esther, "...but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14) At great peril to her own life, and after much prayer and fasting, Esther approached the King and was able to influence him to save her people.

That song's message was all about how we have been saved for such a time as this. This is the time when strong, valiant, righteous souls will be called upon to stand firm in the face of adversity and temptation by striving to stay true to their covenants with God to become a people ready to meet the Savior when He comes.

I can't help contemplating how Becky and I managed to sing just our harmony parts without the help of either melody or accompaniment. In a way, that is a metaphor for staying strong amidst the calamities and temptations of the world. How did we do it?

Well, good musicians can hear in their heads more than just their own part. They can imagine the melody, rhythm and accompaniment going along as they sing their part. Perhaps that can be likened to staying on the covenant path without wavering all while remembering that we, indeed, were sent for such a time as this.

Salt Lake City Mission Song 2020

10/23/2020

How humbled and pleased I was at hearing that "Building on a Legacy of Faith" has been used this year as the Salt Lake City Mission song.

The wife of the Mission President called me a few weeks ago and asked if I could do a video interview explaining how I came to write this song. They wanted my thoughts to share with all of their missionaries. (In this time of Quarantine, missionary work is still rolling forward through TECHNOLOGY! The "tech" Elders in the SLC office would glean and edit the good stuff from whatever material I gave them to use in Zoom meetings.)

So, yesterday a couple of Sister missionaries came to my house, set up the video equipment, and asked me questions. First, they wanted to know about me, my family, my history of writing music, and so forth. I rambled on for a while giving them information I hope they can use.

They followed by asking how the song came about. I told them that when we lived in Baltimore Maryland, the Stake President asked me to write a song to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the formation of the Baltimore Maryland Stake. I searched for inspiration and prayed, and one day woke up with the title in my thoughts. I continued to read Conference talks and scriptures until I found the lyrics for the body of the song that supported the title.

The most important idea I felt had to be included was that our Stake was made up of many first generation members of the Church. They are as much true Pioneers as those early members who crossed the plains to Utah. Of course, the entire song is about missionary work! And the last verse is almost word for word quoting Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley:

"The time has come to stand a little taller,
To demonstrate our faith in the living God,
To do the work of His Beloved Son, Our Master,
To follow in the ways that the Savior trod"

NEW - Unison and 2-Part Version A simplified version of "Building on a Legacy of Faith" is available FREE for solo, duet, or small choir or family group, or other Missions to use as their Mission Song.

Studying the Words of Alma

8/3/2020

If there is one Prophet/Writer in the Book of Mormon that I would especially like to meet, it would be Alma the Younger. Even in translation, his powerful spiritual insights are delivered in a particularly poetic style. (Perfect for inspiring songs!) Since we have been studying the words of Alma during July and August (2020), it has reminded me of the great privilege I had to create sacred songs from three of his passages.

"Counsel With the Lord in all Thy Doings" Alma 37:37 (solo)
"Counsel with the Lord in All Thy Doings" Alma 37:37 (SATB)

I really, really do not like giving talks in Church. I would much prefer singing my testimony. One Father's Day, years ago now, I just couldn't convince the Bishop to give the assigned talk to someone else. As I was researching to find ideas for the talk, I read the account by Alma where he was giving counsel to his son. Here was a father hoping that his words would inspire his son to be faithful, to sincerely pray always, and to dedicate his life to serving the Lord. What a beautiful message for Father's Day! So I wrote a song and had my daughter and her friends sing it. (I still had to give the talk, but I felt better about it.)

"O, That I Were an Angel" Alma 29:1-9 (solo)
"O, That I Were an Angel" Alma 29:1-9 (duet)

Back in the early 2000's, I sang in a community choral society choir. The conductor was very kind to indulge me every time I asked him questions about composing. He was very supportive of my efforts and even complimented me saying that I had quite a flair for "melodic drama." He especially liked this piece.

  At the time, my youngest child had also started school, and that left my days wide open. I decided to start writing sacred solo songs for myself to sing, and while I was at it, I decided I should write some songs that my vocal students might like. One of these students was a young tenor who got a mission call while he was taking lessons from me. I decided to write this piece for him to sing for his Mission Farewell. He really did the song justice with his heroic tenor voice.

A few years later, a Baritone friend from the Tabernacle Choir asked if I would create a duet version for us to sing together. So, I did that, too.

"How Exquisite Was My Joy" Alma 36 (solo)

The entire chapter of Alma 36 is written in chiasmus. That is an ancient poetic writing style that uses inverted parallelism to emphasis the most important phrase at the center of the passage. A friend from the Tabernacle Choir, Barbara Cramer, invited me to try writing a solo for her to sing at the 50th Anniversary Jubilee of the Discovery of Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. Her brother Jack Welch had made the discovery while he was on his mission years ago and would give the keynote address.

  She gave me a few phrases from the scriptures to concentrate on in the chiastic form ABCDDCBA. But, I really couldn't wrap my head around trying to write music in a strict chiastic form. Did the melody and accompaniment have to stick to the form and the inverted parallelisms?

Anyway, I decided that the scriptural phrases would stay in the chiastic outline, but the music would not stay strictly in those patterns. After all, I had to build up to not only the climax in the center, but save a little something for the ending.

Creating these songs was spiritually moving and testimony-building for me. I realize how fervent Alma's testimony of Jesus Christ was and how he wants us all to believe and put our trust in the Lord. All I can say is Amen.

Sliding or Scooping Up to a Pitch

2/24/2020

Our ward choir director has big aspirations for us. She likes to challenge us with classical repertoire. We usually have about 25 singers, some very accomplished, but most are just regular folk who happen to like to sing, including some young children. Last Sunday, a lot of regulars were missing due to illness. The few of us in attendance had some big shoes to fill.

Felix Mendelssohn 1809-1847

"He Watching Over Israel" by Felix Mendelssohn is one of the loveliest choral pieces from the Elijah oratorio. It has a lyrical opening statement followed by development and restatement in the other voices. Then comes the exciting fugue section where the the text "shouldst thou walking in grief languish" climbs and climbs. The ending sums up with the opening words again "He watching over Israel slumbers not nor sleeps" reassuring us that God watches over us night and day.

Just because the melodies and words are lovely doesn't mean that they are easy to sing. Each of the voice parts has challenging lines with changes in dynamics and pitches that are difficult to negotiate. Singing this piece in a typical small church choir can be a challenge.

The opening line "He watching over Israel slumbers not not sleeps" has a dramatic jump in pitch for the sopranos (and tenors) in the middle of the line. What is so hard is that the "SLU" in "slumbers" happens on a sudden leap to a high F# sung pianissimo. The conductor pointed out that the singers shouldn't scoop or slide up to that high F#. ("Oh really? Then you try it!" the ladies were muttering under their breaths.)

The problem was that the "S" is an un-pitched consonant. So, it doesn't help to place the pitch immediately. Many singers forget that they have to prepare their thinking, breath management and consonant/vowel placement for the landing in a way that works best in a choral situation. Unfortunately, they allowed the "SL" to slide or scoop up to the pitch before they landed on the vowel. They were very out of tune as a section as well.

What was explained to the soprano section was that they needed to get through the "S" first consonant quickly and on to the second consonant. The un-pitched "S" cannot help, but the following "L" is a pitched consonant and can serve to lock in the pitch before opening into the "U" vowel on "slumbers." (It takes thought and preparation to manage it though!)

That explanation quickly cleared up the matter. (Yay! Too bad there are so many other issues we need to tackle in that piece! We need our regulars back!)

* * * * * * * * *
So fun to see so many faces I love and remember in this Tabernacle Choir clip of "He Watching Over Israel." If you look quickly in the opening pass over the soprano section, you will even see me!

Following a Take-Charge Conductor

2/15/2020

Some personalities you just don't want to contradict. They come across with such a take-charge demeanor that you cannot help but follow as they lead.

The conductor lady may be small in stature, but she is tall in spirit. I have visited my daughter's ward several times now, and each time, I have been fascinated by this wonderful conductor. She doesn't seem to have had any real formal musical training, and yet she feels and leads the hymn-singing from the heart. The members in this small ward really have no choice but to follow her. They don't dare NOT sing. (I get the impression that she would go after them personally if they looked down in their books too much or just didn't participate.)

Besides, you just never know what she will ask of the singers. Sometimes she signals the accompanist to drop out leaving the singers unaccompanied. Sometimes she indicates that the congregation should all sing the melody. Sometimes she insists on extreme pianissimo or fortissimo to enhance the meaning of the text. (You don't want to be caught singing forte when she just indicated subito piano!) This conductor really cares about the congregation and how they join in the singing. Clearly she wants them ALL to have a unifying and spirit-filled experience singing the hymns.

A music leader who knows what she wants to have happen and isn't afraid to do all she can to make it happen really exemplifies what it takes to be a good conductor. Her enthusiasm is what makes her conducting irresistible. She actually believes that the congregation will follow as she directs. She internalizes the music herself so that she hardly watches the music. She keeps eye contact with people in the congregation and the accompanist. What she doesn't know about formal conducting technique, she makes up for in can-do attitude. And she simply exudes LOVE --- love for the music, love for the message, love for the people, love for the Savior.

What works better than that? People respond to LOVE. They can't help themselves. As a conductor, be that person who loves what you do and transmits that love to your congregation. Engage them in the moment. They won't be able to resist joining you in singing the hymns with enthusiasm.

Impressions of a New Hymn

2/10/2020

The lyrics were crafted in solid hymn text meter and rhyme scheme. They supported the main theme throughout three verses, though could have used more poetic devices. The melody had some good ideas and some unifying repetition, but it lacked word painting and a general sense of being unique and appealing. The harmonies and voice leading did nothing to help create a definitive mood and they rarely followed standard musicianship practices such as smooth voice leading or engaging chord progression. Unfortunately, this hymn needs revising.

Good hymn writing takes skill and patience. Writing a strong melody that is memorable and matches the lyrics but stays in a tight meter and form is downright difficult. Add to that, creating an underpinning of harmonies with an interesting chord progression (which cannot be too predictable) following all of the Rules of Proper Voice Leading, then the task becomes even harder. And in the end, the hymn just has to be enjoyable to sing. Good hymns are difficult to write.

The hymn mentioned above was submitted for review by a young composer who clearly had some good ideas, but the execution was somewhat immature. It was obvious, looking at the manuscript, that the composer was a pianist. He made some classic mistakes in part writing that pianists don't see as problematic because they are not singers, or at least they don't think to test out their product by attempting to sing each part. Basses really don't like singing awkward jumps of strange intervals. Altos really hate being stuck on E flat for measure after measure. Tenors feel confused if suddenly they don't get their own pitch notated in the score or if their part crosses over the alto or bass notes. And if the melody is not gratifying to sing, you lose the entire Soprano section (or most of the congregation). Sometimes a line is a "garbage part" - meaning that the singers must jump to random notes to fill in the missing harmony with no thought of satisfying melodic movement that makes sense. Good melodic writing and voice-leading are not only acquired skills but take a lot of work and a dose of real talent.

It can be baffling to contemplate why we like what we like and dislike vehemently what doesn't work for our ears or our hearts. Some of our favorite hymns are deceptively simple. The melodies seem like they just always existed because they fit the text so well. The meters, rhythms, rhyme schemes, motives, and word painting all come together so seamlessly that they are always thought of together. And how can a melody so interesting and beautiful be underpinned by just three chords? 'Tis a puzzlement, for sure!

I do hope that the young composer will take more time to study part-writing for SATB Mixed Chorus so that when he revises his hymn, it will work beautifully

Upstrokes and Downstrokes

1/29/2020

What exactly is the role of a Church congregational singing conductor? Why do we need someone to wave their arms around when the audience just follows the organ anyway?

Unfortunately, many people have this view that the person who stands up in front of the congregation and waves his arms around serves no real purpose at all. Maybe they have just never sung under the baton of an inspired conductor. Maybe they just never look up at the conductor to take in what they are doing. Maybe they just refuse to sing in any case and check out altogether.

The Church Music Conductor does have a real function. That job is to UNITE the group in singing praises to God. The conductor shares a yoke with the accompanist -- the conductor keeps track of the tempo, dynamics, flow, breathing and interpretation so that the organist can focus on her playing. Ideally, the conductor sets the organist at ease and keeps the congregation working harmoniously together.

How is that done? What are all of those UPSTROKES and DOWNSTROKES about anyway?

The DOWNSTROKES are indication of when the beat happens. Just like tapping your toes or bouncing a ball in time to the music, the downward motion speeds into the ICTUS or the exact instant of the BEAT. Musicians call these downstrokes DOWNBEATS.

But a DOWNBEAT cannot happen unless it comes from a higher position. Rather than letting a ball simply drop, bouncing a ball or swinging a bat or getting ready to jump takes a preparation movement in the opposite direction. The force of the jump or swing or bounce comes from the power in that PREPARATION. That is the same with the UPSTROKES in conducting. Musicians call these UPBEATS or REBOUNDS or CUES or PREPARATORY Beats.

Much information is conveyed in how the UPBEAT is articulated -- the TEMPO, the FEEL, the BREATH, the DYNAMIC. For example, a long UPBEAT (accompanied by powerful hands and a big breath by the conductor) usually cues the congregation to come in singing LOUDLY. A gentle small hand motion (and light breath) on the UPBEAT usually cues the congregation that they are to sing SOFTLY.

For the novice CONDUCTOR, try experimenting with planning your CUES. You will be amazed at what you can do by just varying your UPSTROKES and DOWNSTROKES.

Impulse Conducting

1/27/2020

The organist was already having trouble before the conductor joined in. When the conductor took over, she exaggerated the 4/4 time by heavily articulating each beat in her beat pattern. Maybe she felt that she needed to "help" the organist play more accurately. (But she really made the organist more nervous and self-conscious.) The audience did their best to stay interested in the singing, unfortunately, I noticed some people around me breaking ranks and dropping out. As the four verses progressed, the music dragged slower and slower. It was a blessed relief to come to the last cadence.

Conducting or playing with an IMPULSE on each beat can be exhausting!

Once on a very enjoyable TED talk by Benjamin Zander, he explained about IMPULSE playing. He demonstrated first how a young beginning student plays the piano. (He played a Mozart piece giving the same hesitant, heavy accents on EACH NOTE.) Then he said that the child would sound like this the next year. (He demonstrated playing the same piece giving the impulses on EVERY OTHER BEAT.) Next he said that if that same student practices for about two more years he would sound "something like this." (He played the piece again giving one IMPULSE ONCE PER MEASURE.) Then he said that unfortunately at that point, the child would most likely decide to give up on lessons altogether. "But had he stuck to the lessons, eventually he would have sounded like this." (He demonstrated playing the same piece with ONE IMPULSE PER PHRASE.)

The goal -- whether conducting, playing or singing music -- should always be IMPULSE BY PHRASES. Find the arc in the musical line that defines the dynamic and articulation. It is NOT that hard. We naturally do that when we speak. Why not look ahead in the lyrics or notice the shape of the melody to find where the natural impulses should be? While there are some hymns that do not "paint the words" very well, most do. The marriage of engaging melody and powerful lyrics should be celebrated and sung or played accordingly.

Consider, for example, the woeful plight of the hymn "How Great Thou Art." Sung with IMPULSES ON EACH NOTE (the way I have most often heard congregations murder it) makes the hymn feel like a funeral dirge dragging slower and slower to its final phrase demise. However, if it is sung up tempo with through-phrasing and fluid lyric arcs, this hymn is powerful and wonderful to sing.

"Hope of Israel" can be a joyful hymn to sing, but not when it is marched with IMPULSES ON EACH NOTE. Singing with gusto and trying to accent each beat can be exhausting and feel like slogging through the mud. But, if conducted by phrase, giving dynamic impulses where they belong on just the important words and notes, the singers can have the stamina to march with power all the way to the end!

Conductors -- give the congregation a treat -- don't just conduct by IMPULSES, use impulses to CONDUCT by PHRASES!

The Music of Betsy Lee Bailey copyright 2020