I joined our EF choir about 6-7 months ago under the impression that, being a woman, I wouldn't have to worry about singing the chant Propers, since I was under the impression that women, generally speaking, were not permitted to sing them since they were sung by clerics, who could only be men.
I was wrong. Since our schola member numbers are hit and miss each Sunday, and I am a deep contralto singing well into the bass clef (or as our schola director refers to it, the "male range", but I'm not a male, so...), I sing the Propers every Sunday, which we mostly sing the long Propers rather than the simple psalm tone Propers.
I have no formal singing experience, and am really struggling to learn Solfege on my own. I sing everything by ear and use music as a guide. I have no problems whatsoever reading modern notation or singing on pitch if I have a strong person to match, but I cannot for the life of me sight sing the chant Propers with solfege on my own. I can sight sing simpler chants and more melodic chants such as the simple tone Marian Antiphons on my own if I don't use solfege.
I have been told over the past number of weeks that the expectation for me is that I should come to chant practice able to sing, in solfege, the Introit and Communion Antiphon on my own. I can't do that, and I'm tired of being grilled each Sunday for not being able to do so, and I dread chant practice each Sunday before Mass. The only thing that keeps me going is the Cross and my love for Christ.
Does my schola director's expectations sound reasonable for someone as new to chant as myself? We're expected to learn this stuff on our own for the most part, and this seems a bit unrealistic to me. Also, does anyone have any advice for learning how to sight sing and learn solfege?
Thanks.
I was wrong. Since our schola member numbers are hit and miss each Sunday, and I am a deep contralto singing well into the bass clef (or as our schola director refers to it, the "male range", but I'm not a male, so...), I sing the Propers every Sunday, which we mostly sing the long Propers rather than the simple psalm tone Propers.
I have no formal singing experience, and am really struggling to learn Solfege on my own. I sing everything by ear and use music as a guide. I have no problems whatsoever reading modern notation or singing on pitch if I have a strong person to match, but I cannot for the life of me sight sing the chant Propers with solfege on my own. I can sight sing simpler chants and more melodic chants such as the simple tone Marian Antiphons on my own if I don't use solfege.
I have been told over the past number of weeks that the expectation for me is that I should come to chant practice able to sing, in solfege, the Introit and Communion Antiphon on my own. I can't do that, and I'm tired of being grilled each Sunday for not being able to do so, and I dread chant practice each Sunday before Mass. The only thing that keeps me going is the Cross and my love for Christ.
Does my schola director's expectations sound reasonable for someone as new to chant as myself? We're expected to learn this stuff on our own for the most part, and this seems a bit unrealistic to me. Also, does anyone have any advice for learning how to sight sing and learn solfege?
Thanks.