Safia Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 How are those of you who don't know how to sing acclimating to the chants at the communities you're exploring? I need to learn how to sing with my head voice. I'm a whole tone deeper otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmenchristi Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I'd have to say... some people can sing, others can learn and others should just move their lips I've been in small communities with members who couldn't sing. My greatest penance as a musician... I was about ready to start a movement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantellata Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 The community will teach you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyAnn Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I can't sing. It was actually something I kept being asked at St. Cecilia's, first by the Guest-mistress and then by the Novice Mistress and I had this moment of panic thinking "oh no they're going to say no because I can't sing!" But they both just said cheerfully that many of their sisters enter unable to sing and they learn. They have to train even those who can sing because otherwise they'd hurt their voices because they have to sing so much. That being said, I like to listen to their chants just to get accustomed to hearing them and what they should sound like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 manatella is right, if the community chants part of your postulancy and noviciate will be learning the chant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antigonos Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Chanting and singing are actually about as different as singing and humming. I absolutely CANNOT sing on tune; in fact I suspect that I'm a bit tone deaf, but have no problem in the synagogue with chanted prayer and responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 ^^^^^^^^What he says. Chanting isn't usually a problem for anyone, even if they 'can't sing'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I'm holding out hope that the community will be patient as I learn! My vocal talents are a wee bit... untrained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmaberry Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 When I seriously discerned becoming a nun, I signed up for voice lessons! The convent usually teaches you to sing, especially contemplatives, since often they sing for many hours a day. if someone doesn't know how to sing/chant properly, they could get nodules and other horrible things might happen to their vocal chords! I know for me, after singing for a while, my throat gets really tense and tight, so this is another reason I am taking the voice lessons before entering a convent. I definitely would not advise you PAY for lessons though, as I am sure you will learn in the convent-and most people aren't as desperate as me. Those are technicalities though--as for just the physical sound of your singing, the community will: a) teach you, or b) most of them can't sing either so they won't mind! I have been to a Carmel where the Sisters just could not sing. God bless them, but it was true. I was thinking how wonderful it'd be to enter a community like that, because the pressure to sing well would be gone! it would also be a total penance though-contemplatives are in the choir for so long that, eventually, the bad singing would drive me mad! Isn't chanting beautiful tough? Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumiere Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 One of the best [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqwV9l-U8ds&list=FLp8o0_ehY2-wlRmBhLXtFqg&feature=mh_lolz"]chants[/url] I have found on Youtube. I so like how they drop the volume down to nothing at the end of each phrase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmaberry Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 [quote name='Lumiere' timestamp='1340225088' post='2446819'] One of the best [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqwV9l-U8ds&list=FLp8o0_ehY2-wlRmBhLXtFqg&feature=mh_lolz"]chants[/url] I have found on Youtube. I so like how they drop the volume down to nothing at the end of each phrase. [/quote] Agreed! Thank you for the link-so beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 [quote name='Safia' timestamp='1340156656' post='2446527'] How are those of you who don't know how to sing acclimating to the chants at the communities you're exploring? I need to learn how to sing with my head voice. I'm a whole tone deeper otherwise. [/quote] I'm a tenor 1. I can't sing chant to save my life. It goes way, way too low for me. I rock at the higher parts since God has blessed me with a pleasant voice, but on the lower notes (Otherwise known as 99% of the song) I sound like a dying cat. I think female communities sing higher. Maybe I should start singing female chants... Anyway, I doubt it is a big problem. There are most likely deeper parts that you can sing if you find it too difficult to sing higher, but most likely there will be Nuns there that can teach you how to sing higher notes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Most chant is not polyphony but PLAIN chant. There are not parts or voices. It's like this [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59INLhg_HXQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59INLhg_HXQ[/url] I chose this one because the voices are ordinary and there are mistakes. In chant you all sing together as one voice so please don't worry about parts or high or low...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiara Francesco Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) My problem is that I had bronchitis twice (for some reason?) a few years ago and not since then but after these 2 bouts, when singing, I either have breaks in my voice or there will be some words and then no sound at all like I lost my voice and then it comes back on it's own or if I clear my throat, etc. and then some times not. I don't sing too bad but I'd rather not be a lone singer/chanter and then there is silence or words missing! Egads!A As for a plain chant, it is more like this for the Carmelites. This video was posted in the Favorite Vocation Video (name may be a little off!) thread: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jDuISiFwNRg# at the 2:00 or so min with the nuns in choir they are plain chanting an office. I've heard some Carmels plain chant like this or recite the office. Edited June 21, 2012 by Chiara Francesco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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