What Does a Choir Look Like What Does a Choir Look Like and What Do They Do?and What Do They Do?

A Choir is a group of singers that have A Choir is a group of singers that have several ranges of voices!several ranges of voices!

SOPRASOPRANONO

ALTOALTO

TENOTENORR

BASSBASS

What Does a Choir Look Like?What Does a Choir Look Like?

• A choir can be all A choir can be all male voicesmale voices

• A choir can be all A choir can be all female voicesfemale voices

• A choir can be a A choir can be a mixture of voices of mixture of voices of both males and both males and femalesfemales

What Is A Choir Made Of?

SATB is an acronym in music that stands for

•Soprano•Alto•Tenor•Bass

How many sopranos does it take to change a light bulb?

One, she just holds it in the socket and the world revolves around her!

Soprano

Soprano – A high female (or a boy’s unchanged) voice

Maria Pelligrini

• “Tu, Tu, Tu” from Madame Butterfly”

Michelle Williams• “The Way of Love”

How many altos does it take to change a light bulb?

None, they can’t get up that high!

Alto

Alto – A low female (or a boy’s unchanged) voice

Contralto – Contralto and alto originally referred to the same voice. But some people

today use “contralto” to refer to a female voice that is even lower than a typical alto

Marion Anderson – Famous Contralto

• “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen”

Fantasia“Summertime”

How many tenors does it take to change a light bulb?

Five, one to screw it in and four others to complain that it’s too high!

Tenor

Tenor – A high (adult) male voice

Famous Tenors Luciano Pavarotti• “Questa O quella

Per me Pari Sono” from Rigoletto

Usher• “Simple Things” from

Confessions

How many basses does it take to change a light bulb?

None! They're so macho they prefer to walk in the dark and bang their shins.

Bass

Bass – A low (adult) male voice

   

Famous BassesVASSILIS

KOSTOPOULOS• Movie clip of

Vassilis singing

Louis Armstrong• “What a Wonderful

World”

BaritoneThis is the voice between a bass or a tenor. In a

chorus, they may sing either bass or tenor, but as a solo voice would be classified as a baritone.

Josh Groban• “You Raise Me Up”

Other instruments have the same voicing. Can you think of one?

Recorders

Soprano

Alto

Tenor

Bass

Can you think of one other group of instruments?

Saxophones

Soprano

Alto

Tenor

Baritone

(Or Bass)

Can you think of one other group of instruments?

Orff Instruments

Soprano

Alto

Tenor

Bass

Let’s review what you know.

SATB stands for: • Soprano• Alto• Tenor• Bass

How Does This Look on Paper?

SOPRANO

ALTO

TENOR

BASS

SOPRANO

ALTO

TENOR

BASS

Compressed Expanded

PIANO

PIANO

Soprano

Alto

2 PART VOICING - SA

Piano

2 PART VOICING - TB

Tenor

Bass

Piano

3 PART TREBLE - SSA

Soprano I

Soprano II

Alto

Piano

3 PART MIXED - SAB

Soprano

Alto

Baritone

Piano

3 PART MALE - TTB

Notice the number 8 under the treble clef! It signifies that the tenor singer must sing this note 8 pitches or keys lower than the written note.

Tenor I

Tenor II

Bass

Piano

SOPRANO

ALTO

TENOR

BASS

PIANO

4 PART VOICING – SATB