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Our Mission

The mission of the choral program at CWU seeks to develop and enhance the vocal abilities and skills of students who are pursuing music and choral art as a vocation and avocation. These guidelines are set forth as means to accomplish these objectives.

Repertoire selection

• balance of historical styles, sacred and secular
• varied voicings, i.e. SSAA, SATB
• selected for purposes of building solid vocal technique balanced with audience consideration
• explore music of non-western culture
• selections presented for the public are of exemplary quality
• perform works of a larger musical context, i.e. combined with orchestra

Intonation

• awareness of individual/section responsibility for melodically and harmonically difficult
• identify/anticipate/rehearse passages causing intonation difficulty
• encourage vocal technique that is conducive to good intonation

Tone

• healthy, unforced, well-focused, resonant tone that appropriately responds to the repertoire
• warm, energetic and supported in wide dynamic range
• uniform vowels
• appropriate diction, not overemphasized

Phrasing

• well-wrought musical line with flow, direction and motion
• tempos which reflect the technical/musical capacity of the ensemble and accepted practices
• phrase direction devised from issues of musicianship

Articulation

• variety appropriate to style
• excessively percussive only as effect, to be used as accents to an essentially legato instrument

Musicianship/Academic understanding

• active application of historical/theoretical concepts
• relationship of text to music and music to text
• harmonic function/progression
• use of ensemble as a tool of synthesis for musical and non-musical knowledge

Provide exemplary teaching model for future educators

• effective vocalises for teaching vocal technique
• improve posture and breath management
• improve sight-reading skills
• utilize student accompanists
• conduct with fluid, legato, expressive motion
• use musical terminology/vocabulary
• appropriate rehearsal pacing for vocal health