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Department of Music

Choral Study

Ensemble singing has always been an important part of traditional campus life at Haverford and Bryn Mawr. The bi-college community is home to an unusually large variety of singing groups embracing a wide range of musical styles. The Chamber Singers and Chorale are directed by Daniel Spratlan. There are also a number of independent ensembles directed by students and members of the community.

Chamber Singers
Chorale
Private Voice Study

Chamber Singers

Chamber Singers Mexico 2013

The Chamber Singers in Mexico (January 2014)

A mixed choir of 30 voices who perform challenging repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to the present day in a variety of languages and styles.

Rehearsals for Chamber Singers are Monday and Tuesday afternoons in MacCrate Hall (Haverford) from 4:30-5:50 and Thursday afternoons from 4:20-5:40 in the Music Room at Goodhart Hall (Bryn Mawr). Visitors are always welcome at rehearsals!

For further information contact Daniel Spratlan dspratlan@haverford.edu.

  • Sample Repertoire
    • Aguiar - Salmo 150
    • Alberti - Compadre Pedro Juan
    • Bach - Motet VI, BWV 230
    • Bach - Organ Fugue, BWV 578
    • Barber - Agnus Dei (Adagio for Strings)
    • Berger - How Beautiful Upon the Mountains
    • Berger - Magnificat
    • Biebl - Ave Maria
    • Billings - When the Lord turn'd Again
    • Bingen - O Eterne Deus
    • Blege - Egbe Enye Dzidzo Nkeke
    • Bor - Regreso al Mar
    • Brahms - Fahr Wohl
    • Brahms - Nachtwache Op. 104
    • Brahms - O susser Mai
    • Britten - A Ceremony of Carols
    • Britten - Hymn to St. Cecilia
    • Brown - Wake me up, Lord
    • Bruckner - Ave Maria
    • Bruckner - Locus iste a Deo factus est
    • Burleigh - My lord what a mornin'
    • Burt - Jesu Parvule
    • Burt/Hutson - Some Children See Him
    • Burt/Hutson - The Star Carol
    • Buxtehude - Magnificat
    • Byrd - Sing Joyfully
    • Cacioppo - Canti indigeni nordamericani
    • Carissimi - Historia di Jephte
    • Carmichael/Rubino - A Quiet Place
    • Charpentier - Messe de Minuit pour Noel
    • Chesnokov - Spaseniye Sodelal
    • Chilcott - Christmas Day 1666
    • Chilcott (arr.) - S'vivon
    • Chilcott - The Modern Man I sing
    • Cloud - My Good Lord's Done Been Here
    • Colon-Tarrats - Piel Canella
    • Copland - In the Beginning
    • Copland - Lark
    • Davidson - I will lift mine eyes unto the hills
    • Davidson - Psalm 121
    • Dawson - Ain' a that good news!
    • Dawson - Behold the Star!
    • Dawson - Ezekiel Saw the Wheel
    • Dawson - Soon-ah will be done
    • Dawson - Steal Away
    • Dawson - There is a balm in Gilead
    • Debussy - Dieu! qu'il la fait bon regarder
    • Debussy - Quant j'ai ouy le tabourin
    • Debussy - Yver, vous n'estes qu'un vilain
    • Dett - Let us cheer the weary traveler
    • Dett - Listen to the lambs
    • Durufle - Ubi Caritas
    • Durufle - Tantum Ergo
    • Dvorak - Dnes do Skoku a do pisnicky
    • Dvorak - Napadly pisne
    • Elgar - Love's tempest
    • Elgar - My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land
    • Elgar - The fountain
    • Ellington/arr. McCoy - Come Sunday
    • Estevez - Mata del anima sola
    • Estrada - En Mi Viejo San Juan
    • Farrow - Deep River
    • Farrow - My Lord, What a Mornin'
    • Favero - Te Quiero
    • Ferko - A Festival of Carols
    • Ferko - Laus Trinitati from The Hildegard Motets
    • Foster/arr. Dvorak - Old Folks at Home
    • Gabrieli, G. - O Magnum Mysterium
    • Gal - An Epitaph
    • Gal - Hymn to Diana
    • Gal - To sleep
    • Gavilan - El guayaboso
    • Ghana: Akwaaba Dwom
    • Ghana: Bra Israel Nyame
    • Ghana: Dinpa Sen Ahonya
    • Ghana: Mafa Jesu
    • Ghana: Nhyria
    • Gibbons - The silver swan
    • Gjeilo - Sanctus
    • Grau - Caramba
    • Grau - Kasar mie la gaji
    • Graves - How can I keep from singing
    • Gretchaninoff- Salva v vishnih bogu
    • Guillaume - Kalinda
    • Gutierrez - Alma Llanera
    • Hailstork - Go Down, Moses
    • Hairston - Hold On!
    • Higdon - Amazing grace
    • Hall - Fiddler of Dooney
    • Hogan - Climbin' up the Mountain
    • Hogan - De Blin' man stood on de road an' cried
    • Hogan - Didn't my lord deliver Daniel?
    • Hogan - Elijah Rock!
    • Hogan - Glory, Glory to the Newborn King
    • Hogan - My soul's been anchored in the Lord
    • Holst - I love my love
    • Holst - In the Bleak Midwinter
    • Ippolitov-Ivanov - Cherubic Hymn
    • Ireland - The hills
    • Ives - Psalm Sixty-seven
    • Jacques - The Holly and the Ivy
    • Janequin - Les cris de Paris
    • Jobim/arr. Carvalho - Desafinado
    • Johnson - Ain't got time to die
    • Johnson - Elijah Rock
    • Johnson - Great Camp Meeting in the Promised Land
    • Johnson - I've been 'buked
    • Josquin (attr.) - Dominus Regnavit
    • Josquin - Nymphes des Bois (Deploration d'Ockeghem)
    • Joubert - There is no rose of such virtue
    • Kalinnikov - Svjetje tihi
    • Kern (Ringwald) - All the things you are
    • Kirkpatrick - Away in a Manger
    • Kodaly - Matra Pictures
    • Lang - the little match girl passion (Philadelphia premiere)
    • Lasso - Cum essem parvulus
    • Lasso - O Occhi, Manza Mia
    • Leontovich - Carol of the Bells
    • Lidarti - Befi yesharim
    • Lloyd - Camp Meeting
    • Lloyd - Leaves of Grass/Ode to America
    • Lloyd (arr.) - O Come, O Come Emmanuel
    • Lloyd - Pied Beauty
    • Lloyd - Sojourn
    • Lloyd - Stan' Still, Jordan/Egbe Nukpowo
    • Lloyd (arr.) - Swing low, Sweet chariot
    • Maggio - The wishing Tree
    • Magi - Vaikne Lauluke
    • Marenzio - Se voi sete cor mio
    • Mattson - More I cannot wish you
    • Mendelssohn - Frohlokket ihr Volker auf Erde
    • Mendelssohn - Heilig
    • Mendelssohn - Herr Gott, du bist unsre Zuflucht
    • Mendelssohn - Jauchzet dem Herrn, alle Welt
    • Messiaen - O Sacrum Convivium!
    • Milhaud - Babylone, From les deux Cites
    • Monteverdi - A un giro sol de' begl'occhi lucenti
    • Monteverdi - Volgea l'anima mia Soavemente
    • Moore - Daniel, Daniel, servant of the lord
    • Ndo - Dumdefo
    • Noble - Las Mananitas
    • Ockeghem - Alma Redemptoris Mater
    • Palestrina - Tu es petrus
    • Parker - Hark, I hear the harps eternal
    • Pearsall - In dulci jubilo
    • Poulenc - Exultate Deo
    • Poulenc - Videntes Stellam
    • Praetorius - Low, How a rose
    • Ramsey - How are the mighty fallen
    • Ramsey - Sleep, Fleshly Birth
    • Ramsey - Wilt Thou Unkind Now Leave me?
    • Richards (arr.) - Let it Snow
    • Rorem - The Miracle
    • Rossi - Ein Keloheinu
    • Saygun (Turkey) - Yavuz Geliyor
    • Schutz - Das Wort ward Fleisch
    • Schutz - Deutches Magnificat 1671
    • Schutz - Musicalische Exequien
    • Schutz - Selig sind die Toten
    • Shaw - Coventry Carol
    • Smith - Ride the chariot!
    • Sondheim - Not a day goes by (medley, arr. Page)
    • Sun, Muammer (Turkey) - Yeni Cami Avlusunda
    • Sun - Karanfil Deste Gider
    • Sun - Bebek
    • Sviridov - Arise, Timid One (Pushkin Wreath)
    • Swan - Blessed is he
    • Sweelinck - Or sus, serviteurs du Seigneur
    • Swingle - Saints fugue ("When the Saints go Marching in")
    • Sykulski - Goralu, Czy ci nie zal
    • Sykulski - Zbojnicki
    • Tallis - Hear the voice and Prayer
    • Taverner - Dum Transisset Sabbatum (II)
    • Taverner - Mater Christi
    • Thomas - Rockin' Jerusalem
    • Thompson - Alleluia
    • Tomkins - Too much I once lamented
    • Torme/Wells - Christmas song
    • Tugcular (Turkey) - Ayvanin Irisine
    • Vaughan Williams - Full fathom five
    • Vaughan Williams - Just as the tide was flowing
    • Vaughan Williams - Over hill, over dale
    • Vaughan Williams - The cloud-capp'd towers
    • Vaughan Williams - The lover's Ghost
    • Vaughan Williams - Wassail Song
    • Victoria - Ave Maria
    • Victoria - O Magnum Mysterium
    • Victoria - Vere Languores nostros
    • Walton - Set me a seal upon thine heart
    • Weelkes - Hark all ye lovely saints above
    • Whallum - The Lily of the Valley
    • Wilbye - Adieu sweet Amarillis
    • Willcocks - I saw three ships
    • Work II - Rise, Shine for thy light is A-coming
    • Zuniga - Amor de temporada
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  • Performance Schedule
    2015-16 Performance Schedule to be posted soon.
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  • Touring Information

    The Chamber Singers have had cultural exchange concert tours to Mexico, Turkey, Ghana, Poland, Costa Rica,Venezuela, and Puerto Rico.

    Explore stories, photos, recordings, videos from Mexico 2013 on the Chamber Singers blog.

    Emergency Contact Information Form (for tour years)

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  • Chamber Singer Additional Information
    Is it possible to belong to Chamber Singers and/or Chorale and belong to a student a cappella group?
    Yes. About 1/3 to 1/2 of Chamber Singers each year are members of a cappella groups, frequently including the music directors of those groups. A large number of such students also sing in Chorale.
    Is it possible to belong to Chamber Singers or Chorale and participate in a varsity sport?
    So long as meets or games don't conflict with more than two Wednesday night rehearsals a semester or with the final performance, varsity athletes have frequently sung in Chorale. Because Chamber Singers rehearses Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:00 it is difficult for varsity athletes to belong to Chamber Singers. However, with tennis and cricket at Haverford arrangements can be made where a singer/athlete can miss one rehearsal and one practice a week and still do both.
    With so many more women than men between the two campuses, how hard is it for women to get into Chamber Singers?
    Yes, auditions for women for Chamber Singers are very competitive, but there are always openings each year because of seniors graduating and juniors studying abroad. Several first year women make the group each year - you don't have to be a music major to have a chance; most women with a strong choral background are able to get in in either their freshman or sophomore year.
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Chorale

The Chorale

The Chorale

The Chorale is a Wednesday night institution in bi-college life. An oratorio choir of 120-150 singers, the Chorale performs a major work with orchestra each semester under the direction of Daniel Spratlan.

Members include bi-college students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends from the surrounding community. The orchestra is usually made up of advanced bi-college musicians supplemented by music students from Curtis and Temple. Soloists have included students who are members of Chorale, Chamber Singers and guest artists.

Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings from 6:50 - 8:50 in Marshall Auditorium (HC). Visitors are welcome at rehearsals.

For further information contact Daniel Spratlan dspratlan@haverford.edu.

  • Sample Repertoire
    • Bach - B Minor Mass BMV 232 (2002)
    • Beethoven – 9th Symphony (final movement) (2013)
    • Beethoven – Kyrie and Agnus Dei from Missa Solemnis (2013)
    • Berlioz - Requiem (2008)
    • Bernstein - Chichester Psalms (2001, 2012)
    • Bloch - Avodath Hakodesh (Sacred Service) (2007
    • Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem (1997, 2005)
    • Brahms - Schicksalslied (1997)
    • Clearfield - The Golem Psalms (2007)
    • Conte - Elegy for Matthew (2001) (Philadelphia premiere)
    • Davison - O Emmanuel (1999)
    • Elgar - The Music Makers (1997)
    • Ellington - Sacred Concerts (2006)
    • Faure - Requiem (2010)
    • Handel - Alexander's Feast (2008)
    • Handel - Israel in Egypt (1998)
    • Handel - Messiah (2000, 2005)
    • Harrison - Mass to St. Anthony (2001)
    • Haydn - The Creation (2003)
    • Haydn – The Seasons (2014)
    • Grand Opera Choruses (1999, 2009)
    • Mendelssohn - Elijah (1996,2009)
    • Mozart - Requiem (2002)
    • Orff - Carmina Burana (1999, 2007, 2013)
    • Poulenc - Gloria (2010)
    • Seltzer - Lament to Yitzhak- Requiem to a Leader (1999) (Philadelphia premiere)
    • Stravinsky - Symphony of Psalms (2003, 2012)
    • Tippett - A Child of Our Time (2004)
    • Vaughan Williams - Dona Nobis Pacem (2003)
    • Vaughan Williams – A Sea Symphony (2011)
    • Verdi - Requiem (2001, 2006)
    • Weill – The Eternal Road (concert version) (2012)
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  • Chorale Additional Information
    Is it possible to belong to Chamber Singers and/or Chorale and belong to a student a cappella group?
    Yes. About 1/3 to 1/2 of Chamber Singers each year are members of a cappella groups, frequently including the music directors of those groups. A large number of such students also sing in Chorale.
    Is it possible to belong to Chamber Singers or Chorale and participate in a varsity sport?
    So long as meets or games don't conflict with more than two Wednesday night rehearsals a semester or with the final performance, varsity athletes have frequently sung in Chorale. Because Chamber Singers rehearses Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:00 it is difficult for varsity athletes to belong to Chamber Singers. However, with tennis and cricket at Haverford arrangements can be made where a singer/athlete can miss one rehearsal and one practice a week and still do both.
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Auditions

Chamber Singers

Auditions for Chamber Singers will be held on Thursday, January 25th from 4:30-6:00 pm in Union 112. The audition consists of singing five-note scales for tone quality, range, and intonation, matching several 3 or 4 note sequences of pitches after hearing them played on the piano, and sight-reading a passage from the planned repertoire. 

Chorale

Auditions for Chorale will be held on Wednesday, January 24th from 4:30-6:00 pm in Union 112. The audition consists of singing five-note scales for tone quality, range, and intonation, matching several 3 or 4 note sequences of pitches after hearing them played on the piano.

Daniel Spratlan
Daniel Spratlan
Visiting Assistant Professor of Music
370 Lancaster Ave
dspratlan@haverford.edu
Profile

Private Study Voice Lessons

Students can take private voice lessons for one-half graded credit per semester, either with one of our teachers who regularly teach on campus or with any teacher in the greater Philadelphia area into whose studio you are accepted and whose credentials are approved by the Music Department.

Private Study subsidy request

Approved Private Study Teachers: Voice

Suzanne DuPlantis, mezzo soprano
(215) 432-5946 (cell)
(215) 848-5438 (home)
SMDuP@aol.com

Misoon Ghim, mezzo soprano
ghim@mindspring.com
267 945 8119

 

Clara Rottsolk, soprano
(713) 385-9647 (cell)
(267) 519-9427 (home)
crottsolk@gmail.com

  • Setting up Lessons for Credit
    1. Students must audition for and be accepted into either Chorale or Chamber Singers to be eligible for taking lessons for credit and partial subsidy. Students who have sung in Chorale previously do not have to re-audition, but must continue in Chorale during any semester they are taking lessons.
    2. If you already know the teacher with whom you wish to study, contact him/her directly as soon as possible to arrange lessons.
    3. If you’re not sure which teacher to study with, inquire with Prof. Lloyd or call one of the teachers to arrange a brief meeting or trial lesson individually.
    4. In order to receive credit and be eligible for partial subsidy for lessons, you must register with both the college Registrar (course number MUSCH209) and with the Music Department through the online departmental registration form.
    5. To receive credit for the semester, students must complete a minimum of 10 lessons, attend voice classes with their teacher as announced, and sing a jury at the end of the semester, to include two contrasting classical art songs or arias performed from memory. Musical theater songs can be studied in lessons during the semester but cannot be one of the two jury selections presented without special approval from Prof. Lloyd.
    6. Your final grade will be determined by Prof. Lloyd and at least one other member of the music department faculty based on your performance at the jury and the evaluation of your work during the semester by your teacher. Emphasis will be placed on your technical and musical progress since the beginning of the semester and your mastery of the songs performed at the jury.
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  • Private Lesson Additional Information
    Are voice lessons for credit covered by regular tuition?
    Unfortunately, no. As with most smaller colleges, the size of the faculty is too limited to include private teachers for voice, piano, and orchestral instruments, so the student pays the teacher directly. However, a special alumni fund is available to help subsidize the cost of lessons. Lessons tend to run $75 per hour lesson, with 10 lessons per semester required to receive credit. Subsidies range from $150 - $350 per semester depending on student involvement in the program (Music majors/minors receive more subsidy).
    Are there other opportunities to study vocal literature?
    There is an Art Song Seminar (MUSCH219) taught each Spring semester for one half graded credit. In this class, singers learn the basics of German and French diction, the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), and gain a familiarity with the musical style of German lieder, French chanson, and art songs by American and British composers.
    Are there opportunities to study conducting at Haverford and Bryn Mawr?
    Yes, you can take an independent study course with Thomas Lloyd in conducting and gain experience as an assistant conductor with Chamber Singers and/or Chorale. Students have regularly conducted both ensembles in performance and on tour.
    Is there any difference in singing opportunity for women depending on whether they attend Haverford or Bryn Mawr?
    No. The only exclusions of any kind in vocal ensembles would be a few of the student-led a cappella groups which are restricted to students from one school or the other (such as the Night Owls at Bryn Mawr and Oxford Blues at Haverford). Rehearsals and performances regularly take place on both campuses, which are only five minutes away from each other on the Blue Bus.
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