MUS20220 UCD Choral Scholars 2

Academic Year 2021/2022

*Note that entry to this module is by AUDITION, and will be permitted only if you have been awarded a choral scholarship by University College Dublin.

Students will study performance practice issues of Venetian and German Baroque choral performance (c.1610+) through the study of music by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) and Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672), a selection of which will be the focus of this module.

Collaborative ensemble singing of the Early Baroque period requires the study of style and an understanding of performance-practice problems. In this module students explore issues of performance through a study of pieces by Monteverdi and Schütz, mutually engaging with peers (at-distance via video/recording or in group) to express and develop a collective artistry. Score study and selected performance-practice scholarship will form the backbone of discussions about how Early-Baroque choral music might be approached in performance or studio. Accepted performance practices are showcased and approached by the entire group and demonstrated either through a work-in-progress performance, video or recording of selected repertory.

Technology will be used to assist the preparations of repertoire within the context of a blended model of learning that involves at-distance and in-person engagement. Students will work either remotely under supervision, in small-group rehearsal in Memorial Hall, Richview, or in full ensemble, using a combination of conferencing technology (sectionals and tutti ensemble), audio tracks, video recordings, use of conductor-marked scores and a Choral-Trainer digital application. When working together in rehearsal, students will be given constant feedback as music is made, understood and shaped.

Students will have the opportunity to hear directly from a respected Early-Music specialist about their approach to performance and discuss factors influencing early-music choral performance. Students will be joined in rehearsal and performance by period-musicians playing instruments ranging from cornetto, sackbutt, bass viol, baroque violin, harpsichord and organ.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

Participation in this module will enable students to:
-Encourage new and innovative approaches to personal musical practice;
-Approach the development of repertoire within a group over a limited time frame;
-Develop their musical communication skills in rehearsal;
-Explore specialised selection of choral repertoire during the semester;
-Perform a concert programme together at the end of the semester.

Indicative Module Content:

Choral ensemble performance practice issues in the vocal works of Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) and Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672), as examples of Early-Baroque repertoire and style.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Small Group

24
Practical

76
Total

100
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Small-group rehearsal (sections)
Small-group rehearsal (one-voice-per-part)
Self learning that includes the use of technology and recordings
Remote or in-person lecture/discussion of performance musicology
Critical analysis of professional recordings 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Practical Examination: A small-group examination of a single piece performed (or videoed remotely) one-voice-per-part or in ensemble. Unspecified n/a Graded Yes

20
Practical Examination: A collaborative grade will be awarded to the entire ensemble for the standard of the final “work-in-progress” performance, video or recording related to the module. Unspecified n/a Graded Yes

20
Continuous Assessment: A semester-long continuous-assessment component worth 60% will include:
Professionalism
Group Process
Aesthetic Aspects		 Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded Yes

60

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

The nature of collaborative performance rehearsal is such that feedback is consistently given in rehearsal. The Studio Examination piece will be presented once in Week 5 or 6 with no weighting (to enable formative assessment) and again in Week 9, 10 or 11 with a weighting of 20% (to allow for a summative approach).