Workshops
In This Section
30 Years, 30 Workshops
With this 2007-2008 season, BCCF celebrates its 30th year serving the choral community in British Columbia. The Board has set itself a challenge - to create, over the course of the season, THIRTY events that will bring singers together in music-making, and present the federation to the province.
Help us make this a reality - contact us today to set up an event in your community
BCCF Workshop Calendar
- Dr. Victoria Meredith Series:
- 34. Sunday 15 June, Okanagan
- 33. Saturday 14 June, Kamloops
- 32. Friday 13 June, Vancouver
- 31. Thursday 12 June, Victoria
- 30. Saturday 24 May ~ Women, Warmup & Song ~ Duncan
- 29. Friday-Sunday, May 9-11 ~ Chorfest 2008 ~ Vancouver
- 28. Saturday 1 March ~ Willi Zwozdesky ~ Kamloops
- 27. Saturday 1 March ~ Messiah ~ Vancouver
- Janet Warren Series
- 26. Feb 29 South Kamloops Secondary Choir
- 25. Feb 29 Westsyde Secondary Vocal Jazz, Kamloops
- 24. Feb 29 Westsyde Secondary Senior Choir, Kamloops
- 23. Feb 29 Brocklehurst Secondary Choir, Kamloops
- 22. Feb 28 Shuswap Singers
- 21. Feb 28 District Honour Children's Choir
- 20. Feb 28 Salmon Arm Secondary
- 19. Feb 28 Clarence Fulton High School, Vernon
- 18. Feb 27 Counterpoint chamber choir
- 17. Feb 27 Jewels - women's choir
- 16. Feb 27 BX Elementary - 2 choirs
- 15. Feb 27 Silver Star Elementary - 2 choirs
- 14. Saturday 16 February ~ Choral Management ~ Victoria
- 13. Saturday 9 February ~ Vocal Workshop with George Corwin ~ Oak Bay
- 12. Saturday 2 February ~ Okanagan Signs! ~ Kelowna
- 11. Friday 16 November ~ Richmond Sings!
- Prince George series of workshops
- 10. Saturday 27 October ~ Borealis Chamber Choir
- 9. Friday 26 October ~ Nove Voce Youth Choir
- 8. Thursday 25 October ~ Tapestry Choir
- 7. Thursday 25 October ~ Quinson Senior Choristers
- 6. Thursday 25 October ~ Foothills Elementary School
- 5. Thursday 25 October ~ College Heights Elementary School Choir
- 4. Thursday 25 October ~ Cedars Senior Choristers
- 3. Saturday 20 October ~ Choral Workshop ~ Merritt
- 2. Friday 19 October ~ Harmony In Sequence ~ White Rock
- 1. Saturday 13 October ~ Tune Up your Choral Skills ~ Vancouver
Keep in Touch
Vocal Tune-Up report - October 13, 2007
Thanks to all who turned out on Saturday 13 October for a very hard-working day on vocal technique and music-reading. We had 110 people pre-registered; however because of an email glitch (they WILL vanish into cyberspace!) we actually had 23 more people turn up, thinking they'd registered. Much running around for enough music ensued!
Fabiana Katz and Dr Marvin Regier put us though quite a workout, and it was stimulating and exciting for some, and daunting for others! There have been a number of calls for more workshops, and we would like to hear of choirs who would be willing to host either a single session, or perhaps a sight-reading series in their area. We know that Vancouver workshops are not always easy for people from outlying areas - they're just easier to organize from an administrative perspective. If you can offer that help in your area, please contact projectmanager(a)bccf.com
I promised some electronic resources to the Basic reading-group, and here they are:
This writer, Jocelyn Lavin, is a member of Britain's Hallé Choir in Manchester, and writes an entertaining blog. These are her tips on sightreading and on interval recognition
There are a number of links worth exploring. They include
- Learn to Sight-Sing
- A variety of books and recordings listed on vocalist
- Check ChoralNet and look under Technology and Music Software.
Find yourself a good singing teacher, and ask to have part of the lesson focus on reading techniques.
Join a choir that doesn't do the same repertoire all the time - get yourself in a position where you have to read.
And the BIGGEST help you can give yourself is not allowing yourself to become dependent on rote-learning. Be thinking all the time about what the symbols mean, and what they're cueing you on. Reading music is a very limited code - it really can be done if you work at it.
Please contact me if you need further help.
Brigid Coult projectmanager(a)bccf.com