Choral Cacophony Podcast
37 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago -From live rehearsal audio with The Stairwell Carollers, each Podcast is 7 minutes or less.
For singers who want to improve performance - solo or in chorus. Warmups, ear training, rehearsal and challenging vocal gymnastics with Director Pierre Massie are fun and engaging.
Live and fresh, the Choral Cacophony Podcast will help any vocalist develop their range, enunciation, breath control and vocal quality. Sound advice for singers who want to improve their listening, rhythm and pronunciation for songs in multiple languages.
Practice your ear training and vocal exercises along with the choir!
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Episodes
The Stairwell Carollers - 40 years of Song in Ottawa, Canada's Capital
December 01, 2022 21:16 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBLooking at this now from the perspective of 45 years singing - through the pandemic - it was so much simpler then! We were younger and no one cared about the jostling crowds - the more the merrier! We are still singing! This Christmas 2022 we have two live concerts coming up in Ottawa, Canada's Capital. Saturday Dec 10th at Southminster church 15 Aylmer Ave, Ottawa at 7:30pm. TICKETS Wednesday December 14 at St. Columba Church, 24 Sandridge Rd, Ottawa at 7:30pm TICKETS Pete put together...
CCPodcast S.2#14 - "I Am Not Yours" - Sneek Peek
May 21, 2018 12:00 - 3 minutes - 2.34 MBOttawa choral music fans are in for a real treat June 2nd. Pierre Massie and his award-winning choir The Stairwell Carollers will be celebrating the finale of their 40th anniversary season with a diverse program of six centuries of music sung in six languages. 2018 Spring concert Programme - Eya Eya The concert will feature a number of Renaissance gems from England, Spain, France and Germany, 19th century gems like Abendlied by Josef Rheinberger, and modern masterpieces by Lauridsen, Stroope...
CC Podcast S. 2 #13 - SSShort and SSSweet
April 23, 2018 12:00 - 2 minutes - 2.23 MBThis week is a physical warmup exercise for diaphragmatic breathing - done in a standing position. Teeth together, mouth slightly open, deep breath and release the breath in a controlled manner. Allow only the tiniest stream of air to be released in a smooth hisssss. SSSSSSSSSSSS... It's a room full of leaky tires. We revisit an earlier CC Podcast breath control exercise - with a little more direction from Pierre about the importance of the diaphragm in breathing. The Stairwell Caroller...
CCPodcast S. 2 #12 - Be like Fonzie
April 09, 2018 12:00 - 5 minutes - 4.37 MBIn this week's Choral Cacophony Podcast, The Fonz from Happy Daze fame and spaghetti are featured. Pierre uses both these vivid examples (and others) to illustrate vowel quality and production. He runs the choir through the vowel sounds with his own brand of colourful descriptions of how the sounds should come out and what shape they should take. This rehearsal group included a number of auditioners back in August 2016. A few voices stick out and were subsequently not chosen for the choir. ...
CC Podcast S. 2 #11 - Spring Concerts Sneak Preview - Abendlied
March 26, 2018 12:00 - 6 minutes - 4.71 MBIf you've been following our Choral Cacophony Podcasts (and why not???) you may be motivated to hear us LIVE IN CONCERT! Here we are at a recent rehearsal preparing Abendlied by Joseph Rheinberger for the upcoming concerts. Enjoy! The Stairwell Carollers: Pierre Massie began our a cappella choir in 1977 while a music student at Ottawa U. The Stairwell Carollers are ranked with the best of Ontario choirs, winning both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions. A r...
CC Podcast S. 2 #10 - Spring Forward with Octave Jumps
March 19, 2018 12:00 - 5 minutes - 4.41 MBWhaaaat? This week's Choral Cacophony Podcast features a warmup you can do to help with Octave jumps AND relaxed open tones. The secret?? Looking down. Yes. Literally. Looking down. Looking UP to reach a high note - straining for a note - can close off your air flow and tense up your muscles unnecessarily. So, look down when you reach up for that note. Try it, it works. About The Stairwell Carollers: Pierre Massie started our a cappella choir 40 years ago, in 1977, while a student of music a...
CC Podcast S. 2 #9 - Movable Do - Dissonance!
March 12, 2018 12:00 - 6 minutes - 5.03 MBHow high can you go? And can you hold that note? Does dissonance pull you away from your part? Stay with your section and stay in tune! Those are the two skills practiced in this week's Choral Cacophony Podcast. As an alto I know all about having to hold one note... for...ever. I've called us the Polyfilla of the choir since we always seem to fill the cracks missed by the other harmonies. In Modern and Contemporary music the dissonances in the musical design can be challenging - to say the...
CC Podcast S. 2 #8 - Play Ball!
March 05, 2018 13:00 - 5 minutes - 7.28 MBWe're all on hold waiting and wanting the spring flowers to appear. Our new singing season starts and it's a whole new ballgame - 40th, contemporary, Canadian! Personally, I can't wait to see the first flowers pop up through the snow. It's early innings in our rehearsals and there are still songs to learn and skills to hone. So, for our Choral Cacophony Podcast Season 2 Number 8, here's a fresh warmup that covers all the bases. The Stairwell Carollers: Pierre Massie began our a cappella ...
CC Podcast S. 2 #7 - One Note Wonder
February 26, 2018 19:18 - 6 minutes - 7.92 MBAs a singer, in a chorus especially, we have to shape our vowels correctly (and the way the director prefers!) But, how do we do that? Like most skill development, it takes practice and guidance. Practice making the sound, shaping the mouth, and - where does that darn pesky tongue go? Hint - The tongue should lay in the mouth, as if ready for a yawn, touching the back of the teeth. If you are lucky, you have a master music teacher on a mission leading your chorus. This weeks Choral Cacoph...
CC Podcast S. 2 #6 - We Got Rhythm
February 19, 2018 18:56 - 10 minutes - 9.74 MBThis weeks Choral Cacophony Podcast episode is an extra long one - about 10 minutes. With two whole body exercises, the Stairwell Carollers work on rhythm. Pierre created special practice sheets for teaching rhythm to his students and uses a whole body approach to teaching it. For all rhythm exercises he stresses coordination between the mind and the body; a musician always has to keep count of the beats in a bar while singing, playing an instrument, etc. This is challenging to say the leas...
CC Podcast S. 2 #5a - Working out Laud
February 12, 2018 13:00 - 6 minutes - 5.18 MBIn this weeks Choral Cacophony Podcast episode (Second of two parts) we work on a piece called Resonet in laudibus. It's a latin Sacred composition from the 14th century, transcribed by our director, Pierre Massie. About The Stairwell Carollers: Pierre Massie began our a cappella choir way back in 1977 while studying music at Ottawa U. The Stairwell Carollers are ranked with the best of Ontario choirs, winning both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions. A regi...
CC Podcast S. 2 #5 - Resonet in Laudibus Rhythm
February 05, 2018 13:00 - 7 minutes - 5.34 MBIn this weeks Choral Cacophony Podcast episode (the first of two parts) we rehearse a piece called Resonet in laudibus. It's a latin sacred composition from the 14th century, transcribed by our director, Pierre Massie. Please DONATE to support our 40th year events! All Donations receive a charitable receipt. A registered Canadian charity, we also help local charities with our concerts and CDs ! The Stairwell Carollers: Pierre Massie started our a cappella choir in 1977 while he was a m...
CC Podcast S. 2 #4a - A Heavenly Pair
January 29, 2018 13:00 - 6 minutes - 4.88 MBHere is the conclusion of a Two Part Choral Cacophony Podcast for lovers of English madrigals from the Renaissance. Part 2 continues with Fine Knacks for Ladies, by John Dowland. This podcast highlights Pierre's sense of humour in rehearsal, a question from Holly, pronunciation of key words and an answer from Maggie. Fine Knacks For Ladies - John Dowland Fine knacks for ladies, cheap, choice, brave and new, Good pennyworths but money cannot move, I keep a fair but for the fair to view, A...
CC Podcast S. 2 #4 - Fine Knacks indeed!
January 22, 2018 13:00 - 6 minutes - 5.25 MBIf you love Renaissance madrigals, we have a Two Part CC Podcast for you. Starting this week with Part 1, Fine Knacks for Ladies, an English madrigal from the Renaissance will be dissected and refined. This week, specific pronunciation (to overcome singer's individual accents) is reinforced through our favourite method - practise, practise, practise. Our director decided long ago to be true to each song's roots. That's why we work with experts on language pronunciation for all our songs -...
CC Podcast S. 2 #3 - Contre Qui Rose Rehearsal
January 15, 2018 13:00 - 6 minutes - 5.33 MB*If you live in the Ottawa region and love The Stairwell Carollers -- and would love to sing in our choir - email us to set up your audition NOW. *This podcast episode shows a typical rehearsal and illustrates how deftly Pierre our director leads us to perform such a subtle and wondrous piece as Contre Qui Rose. **To set up your audition time in the last week of January 2018, email info(at)stairwellcarollers.com ** Please DONATE to support our 40th year events ! All Donations receive a c...
CC Podcast S. 2 #2 - By Heart
January 08, 2018 13:00 - 5 minutes - 7.49 MBThis weeks Choral Cacophony Podcast is a wee lecture from our director Pierre on "getting away from the book". Besides the fact that The Stairwell Carollers are known for connecting with the audience in a way that many choirs don't - we sing to the audience, rather than at them, knowing your music by heart is a great strategy to improve performance and musicality in general. Here is the first page of the sheet music for El Grillo - a fun 15th century Italian madrigal which celebrates the C...
CC Podcast S. 2 #1 - New Ear Challenge!
January 02, 2018 18:15 - 7 minutes - 8.6 MBDirector, Pierre, warms up the choir with a simple arpeggios then starts some Movable Do work. Your task is to figure out what your part is. Along the way there are some hints! Use this episode to warm up your voice and test your listening skills. Then, guest conductor, Mark Sirett takes over with a direction to bring less sound neutrality with changes in lip position. He also discusses the tendency to slide from Re to Do and the significance of the movable Do hand signs. Book Mark Sire...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #18 - A Spanish Carol, Deconstructed
December 18, 2017 13:00 - 7 minutes - 8.75 MBAs I said in Podcast #16, En El Portal de Belen is a lively and fun Puerto Rican Christmas carol that we have really loved singing for a couple of years now. Yes, you will hear it at our Final concert for the 2017 Christmas season coming up THIS WEDNESDAY - Dec 20th. Our final concert of 2017! Come hear the Stairwell Carollers sing “A Canadian Christmas” WEDNESDAY December 20th at St. Columba Anglican Church 24 Sandridge Rd, , Ottawa, (ON), 7:30pm. The Stairwell Carollers were proud to pre...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #17 Singing like the Angels
December 11, 2017 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.64 MBAs Pierre always says, vocal strength, power, quality and control is in the diaphragm, not the throat, lungs, vocal chords or some mysterious chest muscles. In this simple exercise, Pierre leads the choir to focus on diaphragm control to release notes gently yet powerfully. To sing like angels A concert not to be missed! Come hear the Stairwell Carollers sing “A Canadian Christmas” at Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Lisgar Street, 7:30pm on December 15th. The Stairwell Carollers will pres...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #16 - En El Portal de Belen
December 04, 2017 13:00 - 6 minutes - 7.67 MBEn El Portal de Belen is a lively and fun Puerto Rican Christmas carol that we have enjoyed singing for a couple of years now. We couldn't have done it so well without a lot of help with the pronunciation. In this episode, you can hear Josée (alto) coaching us. More about why she is our resident Spanish expert in a later blog post. I couldn't include this without considering all the trouble the people of Puerto Rico have had in the past weeks with the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. T...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #15 - Give me a Yawn!
November 27, 2017 13:00 - 7 minutes - 8.42 MBIn this episode, Pierre leads us in an open humming exercise. I know, your mouth is closed when you hum so - open?? Wait for it - all will be explained. He asks us to yawn, then close our lips and hum - while keeping the open space in the throat that the yawn creates. Got it? Go! _ *PleaseDONATE to support our 40th year events ! *_ All Donations receive a charitable receipt. About The Stairwell Carollers: * * Pierre Massie began our a cappella choir in 1977 while a music student...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #14 The Devil's in the Details
November 20, 2017 13:00 - 5 minutes - 7.21 MBPierre has written a brand new arrangement of one of the most popular carols on the planet. Carol of the Bells has always been a most requested Christmas carol at our concerts and our director/composer wanted to bring a fresh modern ring to this old Belle. In this episode of our Podcast, Pierre demonstrates the attention to detail all of our song rehearsals require to get that spot on timing and tuning of the chorus. You can use this one next time you meditate... on what to get everyone fo...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #13 on the 13th!
November 13, 2017 13:00 - 6 minutes - 5.32 MBBack on October 14th, we were fortunate to have an amazing workshop with master teacher, choral director and composer, Mark Sirett. There were so many wonderful exercises he did with us that simply do not translate to written description or even audio clips; the only way to really appreciate the depth of the choral experience is to book a workshop with the man himself . Here, I will attempt to give you a taste of just one moment of the 4 hours he gave to us. This little audio excerpt illus...
Canadian Choral Composers - Podcastlet BONUS! A Babe is Born
November 11, 2017 13:00 - 2 minutes - 2.25 MBTo celebrate the Stairwell Carollers’ 40th anniversary, director Pierre Massie has created a special Christmas program, featuring a wide variety of Canadian composers from across Canada and across different time periods, including himself. In this blog post, he shares a few thoughts about three of his own compositions. “To honour our 40th anniversary, and also Canada’s 150th anniversary, I wanted to write a special Christmas carol. It is a bilingual carol called, “A Baby is Born / L'Enfant ...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #12 - The Julie Andrews Connection
November 06, 2017 13:00 - 4 minutes - 6.6 MBFor some reason, we always call this warmup the "Julie Andrews" one. Despite searching, I haven't found an actual connection between her and this exercise. That doesn't mean there isn't one -- in my mind--- Imagining Ms. Andrews doing this warmup seems to encourage me, at least, to help my pronunciation be a bit more British- ey and crisp. Whatever, it has a good result and is a nice variation on a scale warmup. The words: * _I just want to sing today_* * _And sing correctly all the wa...
Choral Cacophony Special Podcastlet Treat!
October 31, 2017 21:09 - 3 minutes - 5.7 MBWhy would a novice composer choose such a treacherous path? Why create a new arrangement of one of the most popular and beloved German Christmas carols dating back to the 1600s? Here’s why. It began in the 1960s, when I was a boy chorister with the Christ Church Cathedral choir in Vancouver. Each Christmas we would sing the English version of “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen” – “Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming” – and I instantly fell in love with the piece. This classic, timeless arrangement by ...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #11 - Warmup, Tongue-Twister Time!
October 30, 2017 12:00 - 5 minutes - 6.98 MBThis week's warm-up seems a lot like whitewater rafting - an out of control ride, moving forward. In reality, rafting is about letting go and having control (so you don't lose it, tip or fall in.) So, to our warm up. I've included the start of the first song, Patapan - a popular french carol about the little drummer boy, to show how the warmup is related to the performance of the song. This is a new arrangement by Pierre, performed for the first time last Christmas season. Watch for it on...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #10 - Do you Hear What I Hear? I think you do...
October 23, 2017 21:40 - 5 minutes - 7.56 MBFor everyone who is enjoying our podcasts, please be patient as our provider goes through some housecleaning. This may mean some delays in downloads but I am sure it will settle out soon. I have for you an early Christmas treat ! We all love the Xmas favourite "Do you Hear What I Hear?" so our director Pierre decided to do an arrangement for the choir. I thinks it's fantastic and really conveys the feeling and sweetness of the original song. What do you think? PS Last year's concert Pr...
Choral Cacophony #9 - It's all Latin to me...
October 16, 2017 20:55 - 6 minutes - 8.08 MBWorking on our most popular piece of Sacred music, Missa Brevis, by Antonio Lotti, Pierre gets into the Nitty Gritty of a Latin Ditty. Choral Cacophony podcast #9 focuses on a few vocal peccadilloes from sections of this lovely Mass. If you've ever wondered about Latin pronunciation for singing - yes, it is different! More on those differences in a later Podcast :) *PleaseDONATE to support our 40th year events! * All Donations receive a charitable receipt. A registered Canadian charity,...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #8 - Minor... is there anything finer?
October 09, 2017 12:00 - 3 minutes - 6.09 MBHarmonic Minor Scales are tricky to say the least. They sound spooky too -- just in time for Hallowe'en. Oooooooooo Ahhhhhhh I could go on, but now I'm just being silly. This short and sweet warmup will test your ear -- don't be scared to do it over and over until you've got it right! Guaranteed to improve your feel for Minor scales and give you confidence in recognizing intervals :) About The Stairwell Carollers: Pierre Massie started our a cappella choir in 1977 while he was a music...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #7 - O Claire De la Lune Cacophony!
October 02, 2017 12:00 - 5 minutes - 4 MBWhen Pierre presented us with a warmup that he invented (I think) using an old favourite French children's song, O Claire De la Lune, we thought he had lost it. Maybe he was yearning for his childhood. simpler times. But I digress... He made us sing it in a round. All four parts, soprano, alto, tenor and bass on the same note. Cacophony! it's an terrific ear-training exercise. The challenge of staying in tune with your section ( I'm an alto) and staying in key is right up our stai...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #6 - Fair Sailing in French
September 25, 2017 12:00 - 4 minutes - 3.91 MBSome of the trickiest navigation for a singer can be pronunciation. You can feel like you are thrown about like a canoe in a storm, especially if you are working in another language. To avoid drowning, you need skill - and to be in control. As a bilingual choir, we regularly sing songs in both French and English - as well as in many other languages. To ensure we have the correct pronunciation, we always try to get help from experts -- people who study or first language is the one we are w...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #5 - Movable Do - DOH!
September 18, 2017 12:00 - 3 minutes - 2.92 MBLink to short video of Movable Do Hand Signs _ ** _ *PleaseDONATE to support our 40th year events ! *_ All Donations receive a charitable receipt. About The Stairwell Carollers: * * Pierre Massie started our a cappella choir in 1977 while a music student at Ottawa University. The Stairwell Carollers are ranked with the best of Ontario choirs, winning both the 2010 and 2013 Ontario Music Festival Association competitions. A registered Canadian charity, we also help local charities with...
Choral Cacophony Podcast #4 - Octaves and scales and warmups. Oh My!
September 11, 2017 12:00 - 3 minutes - 2.78 MBPete "sings" in the kitchen too! Making pesto from our garden. Our director puts us through a warmup of scales. Tackled - Legato/ staccato, and octave jumps using Movable Do .
Choral Cacophony Podcast #3 - Warm up those Vowels!
September 04, 2017 12:25 - 4 minutes - 3.52 MBOur director, Pierre, leads the choir in a warmup to practice proper mouth positioning for vowels. French vowels are included. This episode can be used to improve your own mouth positioning for singing vowels and as a good general vocal warmup.
Choral Cacophony Podcast #2 - Fine tuning the Chorus
August 30, 2017 12:00 - 3 minutes - 5.97 MB"A Little Pretty Bonny Lass" is a sprightly Renaissance madrigal with tricky timing. Podcast recorded at the dress rehearsal for a spring concert at St. Barnabas. Pierre's attention to detail -- rehearse, rehearse, rehearse!
Choral Cacophony Podcast #1 - Tricky Vocal Hurdles
August 29, 2017 15:55 - 6 minutes - 17.2 MBRather than Twitter tweets, Renaissance madrigal bird tweets make up most of the lyrics in the song Le chant des oyseaux. Our director, Pierre, gives us direction in a particularly tricky section of the song and you'll get a taste of the intricacies of working this Renaissance madrigal by Clément Janequin (c.1485-c.1560).