CONCERT OBSERVATION FORM

Kansas State University Choirs - Fall 2007

NAME: Andrea Weber

DATE OF OBSERVATION: 11/13/07

CHOIR & DIRECTOR OBSERVED: Women’s Glee Club, Dr. Julie Yu

Below are listed components of most choral concerts. You are to give detailed accounts of each component and most importantly observe the choir members’ performance, actions and behaviors. Use the back of this form for more room. Assignments must be typed.

STAGE DEPORTMENT: (Uniforms, facial communication, etc.)

The women’s glee’s uniforms were professional looking and their hair and make-up looked appropriate. I would say that one challenge for the women at their next concert would be to have them use more facial communication with the audience on their pieces. However, some of that could be influenced by their nerves, and so more experience performing will help them become more comfortable and thus able to communicate feeling to the audience. The women also did a fairly good job at walking on and off the stage.

PERFORMANCE: (List or describe each piece)

We Are the Music Makers:

This was a great opening piece, however I feel like the women could communicate that they “make music” so beautifully with their faces. Balance is overall alright, however I would have the lower voices give a bit more since the upper voices have plenty of volume.

How Can I Keep From Singing:

I really like this arrangement of the piece. I would possibly suggest having the girls do movement or activities to help them feel the line of the music. This would help them understand what they want to communicate to the audience.

Magnificat:

Sadly this piece was interrupted for me by some chatty audience members in front of me. However, I was extremely impressed by the soloists who carried above the rest of the music during most of the piece. The women seemed to have relaxed more by this point in the program.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child:

I almost like the women’s arrangement of this piece better than the SATB arrangement. It brings a different element to the concert. This is a piece I also feel like the women enjoyed singing.

Torna A Surriento:

This is a lovely piece, however I believe the women could have communicated the text not only facially, but diction could be a bit sloppy at times. Especially beginning and ending consonants.

Gloria Tibi:

This was my favorite piece of the entire program. The women responded well to the soloist and I believe they became braver with their sound since the soloist was confident and the piece was upbeat. The women could have improved by emphasizing the syllables with the lovely rhythms Bernstein had set-up for them.

SPECIFIC FACTORS YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS:

I think the women just need more experience with performance in order to become more confident and more comfortable with expression and audiences.