English Diction & Repertoire
(MUSA 1251 – 18160)
Fall 2004
Course Description
A one-semester course designed to help students
 Develop an understanding of IPA and its use regarding the English language in singing
 Develop a knowledge of standard English repertoire
 Develop the ability to describe and correct English language physical articulation problems
 Develop the ability to apply the above knowledge to studio and classroom teaching situations
Course Goals / Objectives
By the end of this semester, students should be able to:
 Correctly write IPA symbols utilized in the course text (The Singer’s Manual of English Diction by
Madeleine Marshall).
 Discuss the concepts guiding good diction as it relates to efficient, musical singing
 Identify and discuss the various physical aspects of English speech / singing
 Identify the most common English diction problems in singing and how to correct / eliminate them
 Identify three standard sources for English singing diction in addition to the course text
 Prepare and perform any English text employing the concepts covered in the text and in class
 Translate English text into IPA and IPA into English
 Identify by sound the composer, title and (if appropriate) the cycle/source of any song from the course
listening
 Identify criteria for selecting appropriate repertoire based upon student information / skills
 Identify appropriate repertoire based upon criteria for selection
 Describe stylistic information regarding composers or genres of song.
 Maintain a comprehensive song catalogue based upon course performances, listening and lectures
In order to accomplish the above, students will:
 Complete written and oral exercises
 Complete daily quizzes
IPA and diction rules
Listening tape items
 Complete tests
Mid-Term Exam
Comprehensive
IPA and diction rules
Oral recitation
Final Exam
Comprehensive
IPA and diction rules
Oral recitation from memory
Listening tape items
 Perform six songs –
In class
Two from list provided by professor (unmemorized)
Three selected by applied teacher
Two unmemorized
One memorized
In recital
One selected by applied teacher (memorized)
 Prepare and turn in IPA translation sheets for each solo song performance in class and recital of a song
selected by your applied teacher (see attached form). In Diction Class provide 1 copy for each student;
the original goes to Mrs. Bowles.
 Prepare oral readings of poetry / song text(s)
Grades will be based upon the above and on class attendance and participation. The professor
reserves the right to drop anyone from class who is not meeting these expectations.
Songs 1 & 2
Sign up for one song in each of the following groups – maximum two people per song.
Art song
Simple Gifts
______________________
________________________
Greensleeves
______________________
________________________
Drink to me only
______________________
________________________
The Water is Wide
______________________
________________________
Come again, sweet love
______________________
________________________
Dream Valley
______________________
________________________
Balm in Gilead
______________________
________________________
My lovely Celia
______________________
________________________
Almost like being in love
______________________
________________________
Any dream will do
______________________
________________________
On a clear day
______________________
________________________
Oh what a beautiful morning
______________________
________________________
Put on a happy face
______________________
________________________
‘S wonderful
______________________
________________________
Till there was you
______________________
________________________
Try to remember
______________________
________________________
Musical Theater
Music is on reserve in the Music Library – see Adventures in Singing by Clifton Ware.
IPA Form
Date performed ________________
Your Name ______________________
Song Title
Composer’s full name
Composer’s dates
IPA translation
Poetic text phrase (start a new line with each new poetic phrase)
(skip at least three typed lines and two printed lines between each phrase)
IPA translation
Poetic text phrase
IPA translation
Poetic text phrase
IPA translation
Poetic text phrase
etc. . .





USE 81/2 x 11 WHITE PAPER
NO TORN EDGES
ALL HANDWRITTEN PAPERS MUST BE NEATLY PRINTED AND CLEARLY LEGIBLE
THE SAME STANDARD APPLIES TO HANDWRITTEN AND TYPED FORMS
YOUR GRADE WILL DROP TO THE DEGREE THAT YOUR FORM DOES NOT FOLLOW THE
STATED GUIDELINES
English Diction and Repertoire
Mid-Term Exam
9/28/04
NAME ___________________________________
Complete the following chart by filling in the blanks with the correct IPA symbol.
Unvoiced
p
Voiced
d
v
k
ʧ
Ʒ
Ɵ
s
Translate the following into IPA.
1. learn
________________________________________________
2. warm
________________________________________________
3. George
________________________________________________
4. beautiful
________________________________________________
5. elephant
________________________________________________
6. customs
________________________________________________
7. loomed
________________________________________________
8. delighted
9. employed
English Diction Mid-Term
9/28/2004
page 2
10. hour
________________________________________________
11. church
________________________________________________
12. question
________________________________________________
13. jeering
________________________________________________
14. retire
________________________________________________
15. suspect (noun)
________________________________________________
16. suspect (verb)
________________________________________________
17. thought
________________________________________________
18. mingle
________________________________________________
19. song
________________________________________________
20. flowering
________________________________________________
21. ice
________________________________________________
22. eyes
________________________________________________
23. agent
________________________________________________
24. newspaper
________________________________________________
25. though
________________________________________________
26. grabbed
________________________________________________
27. faithfully
________________________________________________
28. wherever
________________________________________________
29. refrigerator
________________________________________________
30. few
________________________________________________
31. onions
________________________________________________
32. enough
________________________________________________
English Diction Mid-Term
9/28/2004
page 3
33. which
________________________________________________
34. south
________________________________________________
35. surely
________________________________________________
36. fourth
________________________________________________
40. (Write your name in IPA)
________________________________________________
Fill in blank with the letter of the MOST correct answser.
____
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
1. [i, Ɛ ] are
lip vowels
tongue vowels
jaw vowels
all of the above
none of the above
____
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
2. Sounds for plurals endings are determined by
consonants that preceed them
vowels that preceed them
sounds that preceed them
all of the above
none of the above
____
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
3. Sounds for past-tense (or –ed endings) of words are determined by
consonants that preceed them
vowels that preceed them
sounds that preceed them
all of the above
none of the above
____
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
4. Musical theater demands that we
intensify the “r” sounds
intensify the diphthongs
intensify the voiced consonants
all of the above
none of the above
English Diction Mid-Term
9/28/04
page 4
____
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
5. An unvoiced consonant
is silent
does not phonate the vocal cords
has pitch
all of the above
none of the above
____
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
6. [o, u] are
lip vowels
tongue vowels
jaw vowels
all of the above
none of the above
____
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
7. We develop independence of motion in the tongue so that
the tip of the tongue can move independently
the back of the tongue can move independently
the tongue and jaw can move independently
all of the above
none of the above
____
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
8. Diction and resonance are sometimes in conflict because
the same muscles manipulate both
efficient resonance sometimes requires diction adjustment
certain pitches acoustically hinder spoken-quality diction
all of the above
none of the above
____
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
9. When we leap up from one pitch to another, we
put the beginning consonant of the upper note on the upper pitch
put the beginning consonant of the upper note on the lower pitch
do not sing the consonant
all of the above
none of the above
English Diction Mid-Term
9/28/04
page 5
____
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
10. In singing diphthongs and triphthongs we sing on the
first vowel
second vowel
third vowel
all of the above
none of the above
____
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
11. Voiced consonants are useful because they
focus the tone
can center the pitch of the vowels that follow them
help to create a legato singing line
all of the above
none of the above
____
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
12. We help clarify consonants by the way we
begin them
release them
put pitch to them
all of the above
none of the above
____
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
13. “the” is pronounced
[
] before a word beginning with a vowel
[
] before a word beginning with a consonant
[
] at all times
all of the above
none of the above
This is the story of a lost young blonde girl who needed a hotel and a meal.
She wandered in the forest, saw a cabin and went inside.
She saw three plates of food: one big, one little and one medium.
The traveler was hungry, ate every bite on the big plate and looked for a place to
sleep.
Searching the house, the girl found three beds and collapsed into the twin bed – it was
just right.
While she slept, the owners of the cabin came home, found her in their child’s bed and
began growling.
Our heroine woke up, jumped out of bed and ran six miles before she stopped and
caught her breath.
Repertoire – Projects
Select three possible English songs (one music theater, two art songs) that would be appropriate for
your student. You may select from any songs on tape or those performed in class.
Student 1
10th grade male
1st year in choir
plays clarinet
lyric baritone
lower range unstable
major key solfege only
fair pitch accuracy
fair agility
excellent rhythm skills
poor breath management
Student 2
9th grade female
1st year in choir
no instruments
big voice mezzo
no passaggio challenges
major key solfege only
good pitch accuracy
average agility
good rhythm skills
good breath management
Student 3
12th grade male
3rd year in choir
plays piano
tenor
no passaggio challenges
major & minor solfege
tends to flat in upper range
good agility
fair rhythm skills
excellent breath management
Student 4
11th grade female
4th year in choir
plays violin and flute
soprano
lower passaggio challenge
major & minor solfege
tends to weaken in mid-range to chest
excellent agility
excellent rhythm skills
excellent breath management
Student 5
8th grade male
1st year in choir
plays drums
alto
cambiata instability
no solfege
poor agility
good rhythm skills
average breath management
Student 6
12th grade female
1st year in choir
no instruments
soprano
uncertain pitch centers
no solfege
average agility
average rhythm skills
poor breath management
Final Group Project
English Diction & Repertoire
Fall 2004
Each group represents a textbook company. You have created a curriculum for
English Diction and Repertoire to be used in high schools and are now presenting it to
a group of teachers who will decide whether or not your curriculum will be purchased
for their school district.
Your class will meet every day for one hour.
Your curriculum should cover one school year.
Your curriculum presentation must address / include:
IPA teaching tools
Physical articulation exercises / teaching materials
Written exercises
Learning songs (songs everyone will learn)
10 song / solo repertoire suitable for high school students, suitable for
high and low voices
male and female singers
advanced and beginning singers
solo & ensemble contest
Solo repertoire listening
Learning activities
Visual aids
Tests / quizzes
A week-by-week calendar showing an overview of the sequence of the curriculum throughout a
36 week school year.
Each member of the group should have specific aspects of this project for which they
are responsible.
You are encouraged to be creative (but professional) in your materials and in your
presentation.
Your group will make its presentation as part of your final.
English Diction & Repertoire
Final Exam – 12/2/04
NAME _________________________________
Listening Quiz 6
1.
2.
3.
Translate the following into IPA.
1. learn
________________________________________________
2. George
________________________________________________
3. customs
________________________________________________
4. loomed
________________________________________________
5. employed
________________________________________________
6. hour
________________________________________________
7. church
________________________________________________
8. question
________________________________________________
9. jeering
________________________________________________
10. retire
________________________________________________
11. suspect (noun)
________________________________________________
12. thought
________________________________________________
13. mingle
________________________________________________
14. flowering
________________________________________________
15. heightened
________________________________________________
16. newspaper
________________________________________________
English Diction Final
12/2/04
page 2
17. though
________________________________________________
18. grabbed
________________________________________________
19. faithfully
________________________________________________
20. wherever
________________________________________________
21. refrigerator
________________________________________________
22. onions
________________________________________________
23. enough
________________________________________________
24. south
________________________________________________
25. surely
________________________________________________
26. fourth
________________________________________________
27. outstanding
________________________________________________
Answer the following:
1. What is the value of IPA?
2. What is the difference between a voiced and an unvoiced consonant?
3. What is the value of voiced consonants in singing?
4. What is the value of unvoiced consonants in singing?
5. What are the lip vowels? Why are they called lip vowels?
English Diction Final
12/02/04
page 3
6. What are the tongue vowels? Why are the called tongue vowels?
7. Why do resonance and diction come into conflict? How should the conflict be resolved?
8. What is a diphthong? Which vowel is stressed?
9. What is a tripthong? Which vowel is stressed?
10. How do we clarify consonants?
11. When would it be appropriate to use [ r ] with a diphthong schwa? Why?
12. How do we modify our diction for musical theater repertoire?
13. How do we manage diction in an interval that leaps up? in an interval that leaps down?
14. What are the rules for pronouncing “the”?
15. What has been the best / most valuable learning for you this semester in Diction?
English Diction Final
12/02/04
page 4
List the things you would need to know in order to select appropriate music for one of your
singers. Discuss your reason for including each item.
Name one song from our listening lists by each of the following composers:
1. Aaron Copland
2. Henry Purcell
3. George Frederick Handel
4. Samuel Barber
5. Ralph Vaughn-Williams
6. Peter Warlock
Identify what physical posture or action a singer would need to use to correct the following
diction errors:
1. Sings [ ð ] for [ d ]
2. Sings [ s ] for [ z ]
3. Sings [ i ] for [ I ]
English Diction Final
12/02/04
page 5
4. Sings [ Ʊ ] for [ u ]
5. Sings [ ʃ ] for [ tʃ ]
6. Sings [ tʃ ] for [ ʤ ]