(s/dev) Popular Voiceworks 1: 28 Songs in Jazz, Gospel, R&B, Soul, and Show Styles - Softcover

In terms of genre it's a delightfully mixed bag, with everything from spirituals to 80s pop pastiches making an appearance. It is packed with useful teaching notes and handy warm-up ideas. For the most part, the arrangements are lovely, and Beale is at ease throwing deliciously scrunchy chords into unexpected corners of well-known tunes, while also getting a lot of fun out of pop numbers like 'Dancin' in the Street'. (Eamonn O'Dwyer, Music Teacher, October 08)

Above all for the least experienced of choir leaders, this volume could be invaluable . . . No other choral collection that I have seen is as thorough or as helpful in laying out a scheme of exercises for the start of rehearsal . . . Every song is individually prefaced with background information, suggestions for getting started (including specially devised exercises), lists of options for teaching the song and for adapting it to your group's requirements, danger points, and ideas for performance. In other words, a complete lesson or rehearsal plan is presented for every one of the songs; all this plus a CD of model performances and backing tracks . . . Oxford University Press have, I would guess, produced a 'pop' hit. (Armin Zanner, Classroom Music, Spring Term 08/9)

Popular Voiceworks is itself a hefty number, ring bound and more than 200 pages long, many of them available to be photocopied. There are also 2 CDs of performances and backing tracks tucked in the back cover. Suitable for use for choirs of age 11 upwards, and with detailed strategies for learning each song that are effectively in themselves lesson plans, this volume will be a boon for teachers and is another remarkable achievement for this series. (Matthew Greenall, The Singer August 08)

Has loads of information and additional material about the different genres used in this book to get the most classically-bred singer 'in the swing'. The recording and performing standards on the accompanying CDs are excellent. (Sue Anderson, Singing Summer 09)

Popular Voiceworks is a fabulous collection of jazzy and popular songs in the highly practical Voiceworks format. Packed with songs in a huge range of styles, from unison to four parts, the collection provides exciting new material written by the authors as well as choral arrangements of favourites such as 'Comedy Tonight', 'Straighten up and fly right', and 'Dancing in the Street'. You'll find soul, jazz, funk, swing, spiritual, gospel, disco, show, folk, motown, R&B, doowop, hip-hop and more - all presented with practical advice on teaching and rehearsing. There are plenty of opportunities to improvise, as well as guidance on using the voice to sing popular styles. An accompanying CD includes stylish performances of all the songs together with backings for most. This all adds up to a fabulous resource for all young and young-at-heart singing groups!