Full-Year Curriculum:

An in-depth look at a one-year curriculum plan for Chamber Choir;

an advanced, 10-12th grade chamber ensemble

Composed by Nicholas Paradas

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Table of Contents:
Program Goals …………………………………………………………………………………………. 2

Chamber Choir …………………………………………………………………………………………. 3

Course Description …………………………………………………………………… 3

Course Goals …….……………………………………………………………………. 3

Course Objectives……………………………………………………………………… 4

Scope and Sequence …………………………………………………………………………………... 5

Unit 1……………………………………………………………………………………………... 5

Unit 2……………………………………………………………………………………………... 5

Unit 3……………………………………………………………………………………………... 6

Unit 4……………………………………………………………………………………………... 6

Performance Units………………………………………………………………………………………. 7

Performance 1………………………………………………………………………………….. 7

Performance 2………………………………………………………………………………….. 8

Performance 3………………………………………………………………………………….. 9

Performance 4…………………………………………………………………………………. 10
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Program Goals:
1. Facilitate culturally-relevant musical literacy through choral repertoire, composition,
ethnomusicology, music theory, music history, and other alternate approaches to music
education.

2. Develop lifelong consumers of the arts through a musical lens for students of all career
paths.

3. Develop students' character regarding leadership, empathy, and collaborative skills

applicable to a plethora of career fields.

4. Provide a safe and positive learning environment for students to feel comfortable making
unsuccessful attempts to learn from through trial and error.

5. Draw cross-curricular connections from other core subjects/disciplines to form a holistic

interpretation of music as an expressive art form.

6. Allow for student-centered structure including section leadership, student representation,

and collaborative outlets/positions.

7. Explore music from all eras and genres to allow students in a way that allows students to
connect with musical literature in an individualized approach.

8. Facilitate intrinsic motivations towards music-making through thought provoking

discussions and analyses of the given repertoire.

9. Develop a mastery of the eight elements of music in ensemble performance: pitch,

rhythm, melody, harmony, tempo, dynamics, timbre, and texture.
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Course Description:
Chamber Choir is an elite ensemble of 12-18 singers who operate at high-speed, demonstrating
a fine understanding of musical knowledge of choral music from all genres/era’s through a
challenging yet accessible repertoire of musical, historical, and cultural relevance. Choristers
are expected to perform their due diligence regarding score/text analyzation and preparation
(e.g., solfege, rhythmic-numerical system, key-signature identification, time-signature
identification, measure numbers, rehearsal letters, form, style, dynamics, articulations, tone, and
tempo markings) through the implementation of recording assignments, quartets, and other
periodic assignments such as discussion boards where students will be asked to explicate and
form individualized interpretations of the theme/main idea of the text. A higher order of thinking
is encouraged throughout this course so as to be able to think and respond critically to the
content and literature.

Course Goals:
1. Perform advanced repertoire with attention to musical/technical skill.

2. Develop musical/technical skills to all forms of music.

3. Develop leaders who represent the student body in an honorable way in and out of the
classroom.

4. Establish a strong social-praxial environment for students to collaborate musical ideas.

5. Develop effective practicing strategies regarding the order of scaffolding from simple to
complex to promote proper problem-solving skills.

6. Develop critical thinking skills to promote problem-solving skills.

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Course Objectives:
1. Students will obtain sight-reading skills proficient enough to access challenging
repertoire.

2. Students will identify and develop musical/technical skills involved in advanced

music-making.

3. Students will develop proper vocal technique through one on one training for solo and
ensemble performance and proper care of their instrument.

4. Students will identify and develop their own individualized philosophy of musicianship.

5. Students will collaborate and develop a strong rapport amongst each other to enhance
the collaborative aspect of ensemble performance.

6. Students will self-assess their work ethic and performance in the course through a final
reflection paper.

7. Students will develop a fine understanding of score implications dictated by the structural
form of the piece (i.e., hemiola, ties, slurs, cresc., decresc., accents, tenutos, etc.).

8. Students will form their own individualized interpretations of the given repertoire to curate
the appropriate stylistic decisions and stage presence.

9. Students will engage with repertoire across time to identify connections between the
ways of the past and present and how they have influenced each other.
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Scope and Sequence:

Unit 1
Pretest: (e.g., musical fundamentals, practical fundamentals)

Musical fundamentals: elements of music (e.g., pitch, rhythm, melody, tone, style, etc.)

- Counterpoint (e.g., contour of melody, melody vs. accompaniment)

- Solfege identification (e.g., last b=fa, last #=ti)
- Key-signatures (circle of fifths)
- Time-signatures (e.g., compound vs. simple, duple vs. triple)
- Relative Modes (e.g., la-based minor scales, do-based major scales)
- Rhythmic numerical system (e.g., 1+, 2eta, 3ea, 4a)
- Hemiola (e.g., ties across barlines, accents outlining a different/displaced meter)

Practical fundamentals: (e.g., scores study, chord analyses, mode analyses, meter analyses)

- Analyze score
- Analyze the text
- Translate if necessary
- Use IPA for pronunciation if necessary
- Metronome
- Drone
- Practice backward
- Don’t repeat sections you already know
- Isolate variables (e.g., scat rhythm with metronome, speak on solfege with metronome,
sing on solfege with metronome and drone, sing on text with metronome and drone)

Reflection paper: (e.g., before and after musical knowledge acquired after unit 1)

- Identify knowledge/skill set before

- Identify knowledge/skill set acquired
- Identify how previous knowledge/skill set was used to construct new skills/knowledge
- Identify knowledge/skill sets desired to learn in future units (teacher will implement as
necessary/convenient to ensure exponential growth of the program)

Unit 2
Technical fundamentals: (e.g., self-assessment, vocal health/care, scientific knowledge of
sonics)

- Vocal health
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- Vocal maintenance
- The overtone series
- Chord balance
- Self-assessment (e.g., elements of assessment: informal assessment, formative
assessment, summative assessment)

Performance fundamentals: (e.g., aural skills, stage-presence, concert etiquette, punctuality,

attire, etc.)

- Aural skills recording assignments

- Part-check recording assignments
- Peer assessment of posture
- Self-assessment of concert punctuality, etiquette, attire, and performance)

Unit 3
Musical fundamentals: (e.g., harmony, texture, timbre, tempo, intervals, chords, meter)

- Intonation exercises with drone

- Texture identification quiz
- Timbre identification quiz
- Aural skills quiz (intervals only)

Technical fundamentals: (e.g. solo score identification, vocal technique, one on one lessons)

- Score identification
- Research paper
- Peer workshop
- Individual lessons
- Peer performance (solos)
- Masterclass
- Self-reflection paper

Unit 4
Historic fundamentals: (e.g., time-period characteristics, style analysis, reflection)

- History lessons (pertaining to repertoire)

- Style identification (dynamics/articulation, or lack thereof)
- Composition Assignments (using style from a particular time-period with rationale)
- Reflection Paper (e.g., draw connections from the past to the present)
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Performance Units:

Unit 1: Fall Concert

Content ● Harvest by Jacob Narverud

● El Grito from “Suite de Lorca” by Einojuhani Rautavaara
(mov. 2)
● Moonset from “Fire-Flowers” by Don Macdonald
● Die Spokewals by Hendrik Hofmeyer

Skills ● Score study

& - Chord analyses
Elements Addressed - Mode Analyses
- Meter Analyses
- Rhythmic numerical system
- Imitation
● Elements of music: pitch, rhythm, style, tone, tempo
● A capella singing
● Rehearsal Technique
● Practical Technique

Cultural/Historic ● Elements of history: cultural-relevance, time-period, style etc.

Significance ● Style: Spanish/Afrikaans,
& language/translation/pronunciation/history/culture
National Standards ● Genre: secular, modern contemporary, spanish/afrikaans,
Addressed language/culture/history/poetry by Lorca
● National Standards: 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Assessment ● Informal assessment by conductor throughout rehearsals and

performances
● Students self-assessments
● Bi-weekly recording assignments
● Periodic/spontaneous score checks
● Reflection paper

Rationale During the first few weeks, students' prior-knowledge of music will be
assessed through a beginning of the year pretest and based on that
assessment, the following curriculum will be adjusted to suit the
needs of the ensemble. Students will be invited to explore elements
of style and how it expresses the style of the given repertoire in
order to synthesize the cultural and historic significance it has and
how it connects to our culture and time period. Their knowledge will
be assessed informally throughout the unit and formatively assessed
on their performances, lastly, their reflection paper will be added to a
portfolio to summatively assess their growth throughout the course.
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Unit 2: Yuletide Concert

Content ● In Terra Pax by Gerald Finzi with stringed orchestra

collaboration
● Seal Lullaby by Eric Whitacre
● Ohtul by Part Uusberg
● Hallelujah Chorus from “Handel’s Messiah” by Handel

Skills ● Score study

& - Chord analyses
Elements Addressed - Mode Analyses
- Meter Analyses
- Rhythmic numerical system
- Imitation
● Elements of music: pitch, rhythm, style, tone, tempo
● A capella singing
● Rehearsal Technique
● Practical Technique

Cultural/Historic ● Elements of history: cultural-relevance, time-period, style etc.

Significance ● Style: English baroque/classical era’s,
& language/translation/pronunciation/history/culture
National Standards ● Genre: sacred, secular, modern contemporary, english,
Addressed language/culture/history/biblical texts
● National Standards: 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Assessment ● Informal assessment by conductor throughout rehearsals and

performances
● Students self-assessments
● Bi-weekly recording assignments
● Periodic/spontaneous score checks
● Reflection paper

Rationale During the 2nd unit, students will connect prior-knowledge to newly
conceived musical ideas discovered to construct a more solidified
understanding of music. Students will be assessed on this through a
beginning of the year pretest and based on that assessment, the
following curriculum will be adjusted to suit the needs of the
ensemble. Students will be invited to explore elements of style and
how it expresses the style of the given repertoire in order to
synthesize the cultural and historic significance it has and how it
connects to our culture and time period. Their knowledge will be
assessed informally throughout the unit and formatively assessed on
their performances, lastly, their reflection paper will be added to a
portfolio to summatively assess their growth throughout the course.
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Unit 3: Masterwork

Content ● Schubert's Mass in G Major by Franz Schubert

Skills ● Score study

& - Chord analyses
Elements Addressed - Mode Analyses
- Meter Analyses
- Rhythmic numerical system
- Imitation
● Elements of music: pitch, rhythm, style, tone, tempo
● A capella singing
● Rehearsal Technique
● Practical Technique

Cultural/Historic ● Elements of history: cultural-relevance, time-period, style etc.

Significance ● Style: 19th century Austrian music of the romantic/classical
& era’s, language/translation/pronunciation/history/culture
National Standards ● Genre: sacred, latin text, greek text,
Addressed language/culture/history/biblical texts/ordinary of mass
● National Standards: 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Assessment ● Informal assessment by conductor throughout rehearsals and

performances
● Students self-assessments
● Bi-weekly recording assignments
● Periodic/spontaneous score checks
● Reflection paper

Rationale During the 3rd unit, students will connect prior-knowledge of music
to the history of roman catholicism regarding the ordinary of mass,
the text, and the romantic and classical periods of music to identify
and apply the appropriate stylistic decisions. Students will be invited
to explore elements of style and how it expresses the style of the
given repertoire in order to synthesize the cultural and historic
significance it has and how it connects to our culture and time
period. Their knowledge will be assessed informally throughout the
unit and formatively assessed on their performances, lastly, their
reflection paper will be added to a portfolio to summatively assess
their growth throughout the course.
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Unit 4: Spring Concert

Content ● Hands by Jocelyn Hagen
● Goodbye from “Fire-Flowers” by Don Macdonald
● You Do Not Walk Alone by Dominick DiOrio
● Go Lovely Rose by Eric Whitacre
● Entreat Me Not to Leave You by Dan Forrest

Skills ● Score study

& - Chord analyses
Elements Addressed - Mode Analyses
- Meter Analyses
- Rhythmic numerical system
- Imitation
● Elements of music: pitch, rhythm, style, tone, tempo
● A capella singing
● Rehearsal Technique
● Practical Technique

Cultural/Historic ● Elements of history: cultural-relevance, time-period, style etc.

Significance ● Style: dynamics and articulations
& ● Genre: secular, modern contemporary
National Standards ● Poetry
Addressed ● National Standards: 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Assessment ● Informal assessment by conductor throughout rehearsals and

performances
● Students self-assessments
● Bi-weekly recording assignments
● Periodic/spontaneous score checks
● Reflection paper

Rationale During the last few weeks, students' prior-knowledge of music will be
assessed through a beginning of the year pretest and based on that
assessment, the following curriculum will be adjusted to suit the
needs of the ensemble. Students will be invited to explore elements
of style and how it expresses the style of the given repertoire in
order to synthesize the cultural and historic significance it has and
how it connects to our culture and time period. Their knowledge will
be assessed informally throughout the unit and formatively assessed
on the performance, lastly, their reflection paper will be added to a
portfolio to summatively assess their growth throughout the course.