Choral links:
Berkshire Choral Festival - summer camp for adult choristers - see a few photos from 1997
Singing City - a wonderful Philadelphia chorus - some of the nicest choristers I've ever had the privilege of singing with - I miss them!
ACDA - American Choral Directors Association
Pennsylvania ACDA
Chorus America - serving amateur and professional choruses - produce The First Art, a radio program of choral music
Choralnet - the best choral resources
MUSICA - the international data base of choral music is an amazingly complex and useful source of information about published choral music. An effort is being made to enter American music but the process is laborious - I know as I've done it - and the volume is immense. Data entry isn't everyone's idea of fun but doing it in the relaxed, supportive atmosphere of a MUSICA workshop makes the task more pleasant. Check out the anthem of the month then submit your own favorite. The music and a recording are required as you will see and hear a sample of each piece featured.
The Royal School of Church Music
Music at The Cathedral of St Paul, Erie, PA (Episcopal)
If you or your choir complains about folders, try The Black Folder. Expensive and heavy (IMHO but Ian says it only weighs 370 grams) but worth it as there are two expanding pockets, lots of strings, enough space for 8 1/2 X 11 copies of your director's arrangements and straps which help you hold it all in one hand. And now there is a pencil holder. Hallelujah!
My Favorites:
CHOIR: Obviously the Westminster Choir.
COLLEGE: Obviously Westminster Choir College.
CHORAL CONDUCTOR: Obviously Joseph Flummerfelt, who steals my musical heart again every time I work with him.
There are other conductors with whom I am especially fond of working:
Isaiah Jackson, conductor of the Youngstown Symphony - the real reason I sing with the Youngstown Symphony Chorus though the folks are great. Isaiah was the first conductor I worked with at the Berkshire Choral Festival. He is fun to work with and an exceptionally entertaining speaker. I urge you to check out his web page and read his biography then email Isaiah to ask him to work with your students, chorus or orchestra.
There are two choral conductors I would trust to prepare any chorus to do any work. One is Mendelssohn Choir and Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Some people do not enjoy his bluntness but nobody wonders what he's thinking. He is one of the best choir teachers I've ever worked with.
The other is an orchestral conductor - Raymond Harvey. Raymond may be a better choral conductor than orchestral conductor - he is definitely one of the best choral people I've worked with.
Ward Jamison, choral conductor at Allegheny College. Every year Ward takes more than 150 students and community members, some of whom have never sung with a chorus, and molds them into a quality chorus. His rehearsals are always fun and productive. Email Ward.
Organ links:
AGO - American Guild of Organists - national
Ontko & Young Co., Inc. - Pipe Organ Builders - includes link to Allan J. Ontko's compositions
Allan is the webmaster for the Piccolo Spoleto Organ Series Website.
St Peter's Organ Works - N.P. Mander Ltd, pipe organ builder/restorer in London - St Ignatius Loyola in NYC, and Princeton U Chapel, among others. To see JPEG photos of John Mander and a recently built house organ, click.
To listen to the "live" internet broadcasts, you need RealPlayer from RealAudio. RealPlayer is free. RealPlayer Pro has additional benefits if you are willing to pay for it.
And, of course, public television:
Radio and TV Links:
WQED-FM - 89.3 FM - from Pittsburgh via RealPlayer (public)
WCLV - a commercial classical station from Clevelanad broadcasts on the web via Shockwave, Audio Active or Netshow. I can't get Netshow to work on my Mac and Audio Active yields really lousy sound. Shockwave is the best option BUT it only works on an older version. Wish they would get their act together and update it.
WQXR - live from New York via RealPlayer (commercial). Listen to The First Art every Sunday morning at 8 am EDT.
WYSU - 88.5 FM - classical music and NPR from Youngstown State University
WQLN - 91.3 FM - classical music and NPR from Erie, PA
Here is a list of stations which broadcast music over the internet. Under Classical music WFLN in Philadelphia is no longer a classical station and several others broadcast at such low speeds that listening isn't really worth it. If you don't have broadcast classical music available in your area or your local station forgets that classical music fans listen on weekends (I don't even turn WYSU-FM on then), you might try one of these. The First Art (choral) is broadcast on Sunday mornings at 6 am on WQED-FM and at 8 am on WQXR. Sometimes they don't work for technical reasons but they are the only way I can get The First Art. It helps to have your computer plugged into your stereo system.
Then there is Radio Free New Orleans for a fun contrast when you're feeling down
And public radio sources:
National Public Radio - programs, playlists, people, participating stations, etc.
PRI - Public Radio International
MPR - Minnesota Public Radio
WQED - the original - channel 13 from Pittsburgh
Channel 45/49 - WNEO, WEAO - channels 45/49 from Kent, OH
WQLN - channel 54 from Erie, PA
Music and Information Sources:
For choral music you can photocopy, check out Masterworks Press. Their catalog is not yet online but you can email Masterworks Press for a catalog and a sample. The works are both secular and sacred and are from out-of-copyright scores.
For good, singable sacred music, check out Selah Publishing. They publish William Witherup's compositions including his setting of An Irish Blessing - our congregation complains when they don't get to sing it.
MUSICA - the international data base of choral music
Musik Innovations - friendly, helpful, prompt service for all your printed music needs - the owners are special people who just might answer the phone when you call 1-800-677-TUNE
Bagaduce Music Lending Library - where you can rent music you can't find elsewhere - founded by Westminster Choir College graduates
If you are looking for musical links, try the Charles Moss Piano Studio. Oh my! The sheer volume is utterly amazing. There is no doubt what this person does in his spare time.
The following three online companies have recorded Westminster Choir College ensembles:
Gothic Records
Delos
Chesky Records
(Some of the recordings of Westminster Choir College ensembles are listed on my WCC page.)
The following dealers have searchable catalogs:
CDNow
Berkshire Record Outlet - bargains
Tower Records
Malecki Music - online printed music catalog
Pepper - online printed music catalog
Voice Instructor's Directory - by zip code
SW Florida Music Resources - lots of useful links
MPA List - lists of music publishers and imprints, copyright info plus other links
ASCAP - see what is still under copyright, publisher and other works by composer
Music Schools and Departments:
Westminster Choir College - choristers' heaven and great for most vocal, keyboard, composition, church and education musicians as well
Sacred Music at Lenoir-Rhyne College
Allegheny College - has unauditioned chorus for students and community
Opera, Spoleto USA and other fun sites:
Piccolo Spoleto Organ Series
San Francisco Opera - where Mitzie Weiner sings with the chorus
Metropolitan Opera - where Ellen Lang sings with the chorus
THE Carnegie Hall
Tanglewood - Berkshires summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra - but they have made the website confusing to say the least. Look for the links you want on the left.
The Leonard Bernstein website
Musicians' pages:
Musicians' Not-quite-links
William Witherup - composer - check out the list of his compositions.
Email him for more information.
Jonathan Boyd - tenor extraordinaire - primarily opera. Email him if you need a talented, handsome, very personable tenor soloist.
Elaine Harned - mezzo/voice teacher/organist, Princeton, NJ. Email her to schedule voice lessons with an excellent teacher.
Ward Jamison - choral conductor, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA - especially good with amateurs but would love a chance to conduct a terrific group for a change. Email him for an educational, exciting concert or workshop experience.
Vicki Jamison - soprano/voice teacher, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA. Email her to schedule voice lessons from the best voice teacher in NW PA.
Mitzie Weiner - soprano, San Francisco Opera. Email her and hear about her son Willie.
Musical mailing lists:
Mailing lists provide group email services to subscribers. When someone "posts" a message to the list, the message is automatically sent to everyone on the list. Some lists are not very active - have little traffic - while others are voluminous and may take considerable time and space to download and read. Most lists have a digest option available which collects posts and sends them in a group periodically. Some lists have an index option which sends only a summary of subjects for which the subscriber may then download only the text. Virtually all mailing lists require a similar format to subscribe:
To: (usually a listproc or similar address)
Subject:
subscribe
Always leave the subject blank unless instructed otherwise.
Always type only the commands expected in the message.
Always turn off your sig, if you use one.
ALWAYS save the instructions you receive when you subscribe. Either print and file them or save them to disk. A folder for list instructions is most convenient. You will need them and you will annoy list members if you ask for them.
Lists:
CHORALIST, CHORALTALK, CHORALACADEME - lists for choral people - follow links on site
PIPECHAT-L - for non-stuffy organ groupies - nastiness not allowed
ANGLICAN-MUSIC - should be close to the top of the links list - traffic runs in spurts when thread is interesting, lots of service music postings, can get contentious
For more information, email me