Hi, Clare

 

Have you checked all the ChoralNet files under Technology? - http://www.choralnet.org/list/resource/1881

 Hello, Clare.

 

I think that it will be difficult to find much on the internet.  If your choir director does not have time to make any files available, which can be quite time consuming, I would suggest purchasing an mp3 recorder and taking it to rehearsal with you.  You can record your part right at the rehearsal when you know those around you are singing it correctly, or your accompanist, your director, or perhaps a fellow singer might be willing to sit down at the piano for 10 minutes after rehearsal and play or sing you some of the passages you find most difficult.  A number of my singers do this regularly.  They find it a helpful tool to memorize the lyrics as well.  Lots of these have really come down in price, so you should be able to find one to fit your budget.  

 

Paula Roberts

I would suggest talking to your fellow 2nd sopranos (I'm one too!) about arranging a sectional where you get together & go over parts. I'd include the 1st sopranos as well as it often helps to hear both parts together. This is usually done either at a time designated by the director or on your own time. Make sure that one of the singers can play the music!!

The best thing is for your chorus accompanist to generate separate audio files for each part on each song and make CDs available.

 

The next best thing (and sometimes the easiest) for you to have is a midi file for each song and a program like PowerTracks (pgmusic.com) or garageband on a Mac which allows you to isolate your own track and play it louder than the other parts or by itself. Getting the midi files is the problem. I have amassed a pretty good collection and would be willing to share if your Director contacts me (since it would benefit all parts) There might be some expense involved, as these files individually take hours to produce. The odds are pretty small that you will find midi files on the internet, unless you are doing a well known public domain classical work for women's chorus.

 

Bill Paisner

Director, Southwest Women's Chorus

Grab some time with your section leader or whoever is a strong, accurate (and kind) person in your section, & ask her to record your parts. Offer her some time in return, a ride to rehearsal, or whatever.

 

Recording from a rehearsal can be cluttered with background noise or confusing mix of parts. If getting this kind of help makes you a stronger contributor to the section, it is probably worth your friends' time.

 

Joanna Cazden

Sholem Community Chorus, Los Angeles

Dear Clare

 

Not really an answer to what you asked, and you already got  good suggestions, but since you seem dedicated and interested enogh to go to all this trouble, I think you would benefit even more in the long run by working on you rtheory and sight-singing skills.  If there are enough in your chorus, perhaps your director could add a little pre-rehearsal class.  there are many good resources, both low and high-tech.  The inner parts in an equal voice ensemble can be so much harder to mentally hear than the top or bottom voice, so pat yourself on the back for singing 2nd sop.!

 

 

Thanks so much to all of you below who have taken time to reply.  Your answers were really helpful and interesting.  I think that my best bets are to use the mp3 player when I can to record at rehearsals, to get together with more able singers in my section to practise and to attempt to learn to sight read.  My director is most keen on this option as she regards using midi files as spoon feeding us when ideally we should be working on our sight reading skills!  Anyway,  I feel a whole lot less desperate with your suggestions - so thanks again.

Choral Public Domain Library (www.cpdl.org) has lots of stuff, much of which has MIDI files. These can be played on any Windows system using Windows Media Player, but if you have appropriate software (such as Noteworthy Composer) you can import a MIDI file and then arrange to highlight a particular part, e.g. getting your second-soprano part to play much louder than the other parts. This kind of software can also be used to slow down the play-back, which may well be useful for learning purposes.

 

What you are unlikely to find, of course, is any repertoire that is still under copyright, which probably includes most of the twentieth century, unfortunately!

 

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Steve