Rehearse at home!
If you wish to note-bash at home, there are a number of useful rehearsal aids you could consider using. The files are split into each part separately that emphasise your line so you can hear what you will be singing. There is an explanation of the various types here.
Learning files for Mozart Kyrie K33
Mp3 files for the four parts:
Learning files for Mozart Requiem
Cyberbass:
John Fletcher Music:
John Fletcher Music – Mozart Requiem
Noteworthy learning files – make sure you download the app first!
Learning files for Mozart Ave Verum
Cyberbass:
John Fletcher Music
John Fletcher – Ave verum corpus
The link to the Mozart page on Chord Perfect can be found here
Online Scores
ELECTRONIC FILES:
Noteworthy
This small program can be very helpful. It is called ‘Noteworthy’ and can be downloaded to your computer (Windows only, I’m afraid). Once installed on your computer, you can load in the music files for various popular choral works and listen selectively to your part as the orchestra plays the accompaniment. You can speed up or slow down the playing speed to help you learn the tricky bits.
Pros: Contains all the parts in the same file (you just select the part you want to hear). You can adjust the speed of playback for the difficult bits! You can set certain sections to repeat.
Cons: You have to download the app before you can play any of the files. It is only available for Windows
Download link to the Noteworthy app.
Cyberbass Major Works.
https://cyberbass.org/Major_Works.htm
Pros: very easy to use. Find your composer, find your work, click on it, click on your voice part and start to listen. You can slow down and speed up playback.
Cons: As the name indicates, it only offers major works. You can’t download the files (eg onto your computer or to Dropbox) to listen to on the move; you must find the website. You can buy the files if you want to – price quoted in $US.
John Fletcher Music:
https://johnfletchermusic.org/
Pros: There is a huge amount of music on the site, secular and modern as well as choral. For example, all the Carols For Choirs. You can download the files, onto your computer and sometimes into Dropbox, to listen to on the move. Out-of-copyright files are free, although you have to create an account to access them. Search on the composer and work, find your voice part and start to listen. For complex pieces, he often creates slower versions, but you can also adjust playback speed from inside the part.
Cons: In-copyright files require a subscription, ranging from just over £4 per month to just over £13 per year. The site takes a bit of getting used to if you’re not tech savvy, but help is available.
SUNG FILES
Chord Perfect:
https://www.chordperfect.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/@Chord-Perfect
Pros: Real people sing the words, so much easier to listen to than either Cyberbass or John Fletcher and can help greatly with fitting the correct syllables to the correct notes. No account is required. Find your composer, find your work, click on your part and start listening. Playback can be slowed down if required. The files are also available on YouTube and show the moving score. Other parts are sung, unemphasised, in the background.
Cons: like Cyberbass, it is restricted to major composers and major works. For example, there are only 4 works for Mozart. You cannot download the files. Choir packs can be bought, at a cost of $20, which then provide up to 50 free downloads.
If you haven’t used rehearsal files before and want some more explanation, please speak to a member of the committee who will sort out some help for you.