Sound Advice

Jean Ashworth Bartle is the founder and former music director of the Toronto Children's Chorus. Under her direction, the chorus won multiple awards, including Canada's Healey Willan Prize in 1986. She is the editor of three series of choral music and is an internationally respected speaker on children's choir issues. In 1998, she received Canada's highest civilian honor, the Order of Canada, for her outstanding contribution to the arts in Canada.

• Foreword by Sir David Willcocks ; Introduction ; Chapter 1, The Formative Years ; Chapter 2, Training Eight- to Fourteen-Year-Old Children to Sing ; Chapter 3, Checklist for Ideal Rehearsals and Preparation for Complete Artistic Performances ; Chapter 4, Developing Literacy ; Chapter 5, Discipline ; Chapter 6, The Importance of Organization ; Chapter 7, The Audition Process: Know Your Children, Your Parents, and Your Community ; Chapter 8, Things They Didn't Teach You at Music School ; Chapter 9, Conducting an Orchestra ; Chapter 10, Preparing the Children to Sing a Major Work with Orchestra ; Chapter 11, Recording, Commissioning, and Touring ; Chapter 12, From the Children ; Appendix 1, Warm-up Vocal Exercises ; Appendix 2, Audition Form ; Appendix 3, Sample Programs from Toronto Children's Chorus ; Appendix 4A, Criteria for Choosing Repertoire Appropriate for Children ; Appendix 4B, Repertoire Lists for Toronto Children's Chorus ; Appendix 5A, Concepts to Be Learned by the End of Training Choir I, Training Choir II, and Training Choir III ; Appendix 5B, Memos for the First Four Rehearsals ; Appendix 6, Sight-Singing Curriculum Outline for the Toronto Children's Chorus ; Appendix 7, Rounds All Children Should Know ; Appendix 8, Treble Choir Repertoire with Orchestral Accompaniment ; Appendix 9, Repertoire Recommended List ; Appendix 10, Toronto Children's Chorus Compact Discs ; Appendix 11, The Seating Plan ; Appendix 12, Examples of Four-Measure Sight-Reading Passages ; Appendix 13, Transposing and Nontransposing Instruments ; Bibliography ; Index

While Sound Advice clearly states that its intended audience is those who work with treble voice choirs, the ideas in this excellent book would be a valuable resource...for those working with community, high school and university choirs as well. ... Sound Advice is a well-written, organized resource. ... This book should be recommended reading for any musician who has the responsibility and privilege of working with children's choirs.