I once received an email asking if I would sing a series of concerts for what was a very low sum of money. As is typical in negotiations, I countered with an offer that was higher and noted that if my request exceeded their budgeting, I would gladly put them in touch with other singers. Pretty standard.

The presenter said there were no more funds, but s/he could offer exposure, which is when I ended the exchange with a friendly “My fee for this would be $X and I’d be happy to work with you late…

Scansion (pronounced scan-shun) is matching the meter of the words with the meter of the music, so that we have the right ACCent on the right SYLLable, and not an acCENT on a syllABle. (See what I did there?) The accent of the music and the accent of the text must match.

Written for Perfect Scansion: Maybe So

There’s a pretty cool scansion story behind the brilliance that is “Maybe So.” It began as an exercise in scansion and ended up heart-wrenchingly beautiful, an devotion to unrequited love…

Solo & Ensemble (or "Solo-Ensemble") is a yearly opportunity for kids in music programs to perform a solo, duet, and/or a small ensemble piece and get some feedback from a judge. This feedback includes a rating and if it's really high, they can go on to perform at state and receive another critique.

For some students, Solo & Ensemble is the only time they get to perform outside of band, orchestra, or choir. (I'll focus on choir and solos & vocal ensembles in this piece.) It may be the only time …

Tuesday evening I adjudicated a Solo & Ensemble contest and was struck by the goals of each of the young singers. While it's impossible to know all their personal goals without having spoken with them, a few things were obvious:  some stood up and sang a song because they love to sing, some because it's what they do in their free time, some want to sing something with their friends, some to learn something, some because they wanted specifically to give the gift of music. Some to do all these thi…

For the video series Conversations with the Bach Society of Minnesota I sat down with Minnesota Public Radio host, violist, and all-round cool dude Steve Staruch to talk about the drama in Bach's oratorios, churches without bathrooms, and roadtrips to Bethlehem.

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Johann Sebastian Bach Cantata 161 Komm, du süße Todesstunde (Come, you sweet hour of death)

Sunday, February 2, 2014

4:30 p.m. | free will offering

The Christ Church Choir with friends from the Elm Ensemble

Nicole Warner, alto

Craig Lemming, tenor

Paul Boehnke, conductor

Baroque Chamber Orchestra

Christ Church Lutheran

3244 34th Ave S

Minneapolis, MN 55406

612-721-6611

Saturday, October 26th, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

Requiem - Maurice Duruflé

Gloria - Francis Poulenc

Durufle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nicole Warner, mezzo-soprano

Gerard Sundberg, baritone

Rebecca Whitney, soprano

Richard Hynson, conductor

Bel Canto Chorus

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

I am thrilled to announce this upcoming performance with the Bel Canto Chorus and Richard Hynson. We've traveled South America together, w…

J. S. Bach Kantata BWV 39 Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot (Break your bread for those who hunger)

Sunday, November 17th, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. church service, all are welcome

Paul Boehnke, conductor

Nicole Warner, alto

The Choir at Olivet Congregational Church

The holidays are a feast for the senses—you might not think so, given the sensorial overload that it usually is—but if you stop and think about it, the smells of cookies and meals cooked especially for a large gathering (or a small one), the sight of a Christmas tree, the mood that can be created with just a few candles and dimmed lights.

Or How Not to Cry at a Wedding. Or a Funeral.

Or at the End of Mahler's 2nd Symphony

Singing is an emotional venture. Listening to singing can be wrenching when you're emotional and it hits you right there--and it can be even harder when you're doing the singing. So imagine you're singing at an emotionally charged event like a wedding or maybe a funeral, or someone close to you has just passed away and you're on to sing Mahler's 2nd Symphony (known as the "Resurrection Symphony").

An excerpt fro…