Choir Accompanying, Grade 8 Piece

[netzow]

I am soon to start Accompanying my churches Choir. This will be my first time accompanying anyone besides some little kids, I guess you could call it my first serious accompanying. Does anyone have and advice for a first timer? Also I am looking to do a grade 8 piece. I have done some grade 7 pieces and am looking to step up. Does anyone have any Ideas for a good first grade 8 piece? There seems to be quite a difference between  grade 7 and grade 8, should I find a hard grade seven piece first or something? I realize that grade doesn't really mean anything but I do find it to be a good Indicator of the level of the piece and have a reason (If you want to know just ask) for wanting to start grade 8 pieces. Thank you to anyone who responds. This is an awsome forum!

P.S Does anyone know anything about the Wheaton Conservatory of Music?

[netzow]

Anyone?

[little_pianist]

I think you should listen to your choir and have a lot of eye contant with your conductor. If they sing it softly, don't play the piano louder than them. Maybe you can sing as you play, so that you can get the feeling and understand the song first.... In some parts where the choir doesn's sing (the pianist plays solo) you can increase your playing volume....

[elisianna]

There isn't that big a difference between grade 7 and 8.  If you can do a "harder" grade 7 piece you can do 8.  I'm sure you've heard it a million times, but some grade 7 pieces for you will be harder than some grade 8. I'm doing both grades at the same time right now
(well, I'm doing RCM so I'm doing grade 9 and 10 which are pretty much the same as 7 and .  There isn't a huge difference.  I find grade 9 Bach more difficult than grade 10 Rachmaninov.

SO if you want to do a grade 8 piece, do a grade 8 piece.

[ksnmohan]

Hallo netzow,

As for some Grade 8 pieces, suggest  that you first listen to works from this random list usually proposed: 

    * Töru Takemitsu - Romance
    * Anton Stepanovich Arensky Impromptu, No. 1 from Quatre morceaux pour piano,
      Op. 25
     * D. Scarlatti Sonata in D, Kp. 535, L. 262
    * Billy Mayerl - Autumn Crocus
    * Alan Rawsthorne  - Bagatelle, No. 3
    * Franz Liszt  - Dem Andenken Petöfis   
    * Robert Schumann Intermezzo. No. 4 from Faschingsschwank aus Wien
      (Carnival Jest from Vienna), Op. 26
    * Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue in E flat, No. 19 from 24 Preludes and Fugues,
       Op. 87
    * C. P. E. Bach Allegro assai: Sonata in F minor, H. 173, Wq. 57/6
    * Mozart Allegro moderato: Sonata in C, K. 330/300h, first movement
    * J. S. Bach Allemande: Partita No. 4 in D, BWV 828, second movement       
    * Beethoven Sonata in E minor, Op. 90, first movement

Perhaps some of these are "easier" for you than the toughest Grade 7's!

Prof K S (Mohan) Narayanan
Musicologist, Composer. Teacher
Chennai, India