Musical Symbols
What does a crescendo (<) mean?
Gradually get louder
What does “a cappella” mean?
Singing without instruments.
Who composed The Four Seasons?
Antonio Vivaldi.
Which muscle below the lungs supports breathing for singing?
The diaphragm.
True or False: A choir can sing without a conductor.
True.
What does “pp” stand for in dynamics?
Pianissimo (PP)
Which voice part usually sings the highest in a mixed choir?
Sopranos.
Which era is J.S. Bach associated with?
The Baroque era.
Good singing posture requires standing with shoulders relaxed, feet apart, and what part of the body lifted?
The chest (sternum).
What do choir members usually hold their music in during concerts?
A folder (black folder).
What does a fermata over a note mean?
Hold the note longer than it's written
What does “SATB” stand for?
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass.
Who wrote the opera Carmen?
Georges Bizet.
What does the word “legato” mean?
Smooth and connected singing.
Which British choir sings A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols every Christmas?
The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge.
What is the difference between staccato and legato?
Staccato = short and detached, Legato = smooth and connected.
What do we call it when singers perform the same pitch together?
Unison.
Mozart’s Exsultate, Jubilate comes from which musical era?
The Classical era.
What does “ritardando” mean?
Gradually slow down.
The Guinness World Record for the largest choir was set in 2011 in India with about how many singers?
120,000.
What does the symbol ♯ mean?
Sharp; raises a note by a half step.
What does “intonation” mean?
Accuracy of pitch.
Who composed Messiah and the “Hallelujah Chorus”?
George Frideric Handel.
What’s the difference between head voice and chest voice?
Head voice = higher register resonance, chest voice = lower register resonance.
What do you call a small group of singers, usually 4–12 people?
An ensemble (or chamber choir).