S2 listening activity 1

TITLE: Chichester Psalms, Mvnt. 1

COMPOSER: Leonard Berstein

PERFORMER: Bow Valley College Chorus & Orchestra

Their music felt empowering, not just because of the music itself but how, with the choir, they did more decrescendos, by that i mean they start off a phrase very loud and strong and then keep a steady volume throughout. the crescendos were more of a buildup that was being used throughout the song.

I personally enjoyed the music. I liked the inclusion of an orchestra, but what made it good was that the voices of the choir were strong and loud enough for them to be heard over the other instruments. In a way i am not sure if our choir could achieve a balance of volume like they did. might be something worth looking at later.

I already mentioned the dynamics of the crescendo and decrescendo. In terms of vocality and consonants, the focus seemed more on the notes rather than words. I know that the piece was not in English but i still had trouble hearing consonants in the piece.

i could hear a strong soprano and bass section, but i could not distinguish a tenor and alto section, if there was one. in terms of other instruments there were snare drums and xylophones which gave it a sort of powerful yet graceful feel to the piece as well. overall it sounded like a very positive song and was not really happy but strong.