We presented the third installment of our LOVE THAT BOOK concert series, featuring Tomie dePaola’s The Legend of Old Befana on Saturday, Dec 3, 2022. Here are some excerpts from the program:
DIRECTORS’ NOTES A story as apt now as it was in busy 9th century Rome, today’s ancient tale of a person too busy for an adventure offers a poignant invitation to modern people of all ages: set aside that to-do list, and spend some time on joy!
The Legend of Old Befana, originally published in 1980, is one of many dePaola books centered around his favorite holiday: Christmas! Raised Roman Catholic with an Irish mother and Italian father, dePaola grew up in the rich storytelling tradition found in his family’s faith: parables, saint stories, Christmas legends, miracle tales, and more. These stories, coupled with his vibrant and accessible illustrations, he transformed into some of his best known works.
Today’s songs were selected not only for how well they fit the story, but also for their representation of historical Italian culture, language, art, and history, with the understanding that the full kaleidoscope of any culture could never be represented in only one hour.
We in City Singers Youth Choirs care about great music education, because great music does what a great story does—builds bridges between people, inspires wonder and curiosity, encourages humility and compassion.
The kids in front of you today don’t audition to be in City Singers: they simply come with a love of singing and learn the rest of it.
Recommended Materials to complement today’s concert: (we may receive donations from Amazon via these links)
Gabriella’s Song by Candace Fleming
A Venetian girl hears music all around her. A beautiful story about how music can communicate many different things to different people.
I, Vivaldi (Incredible Lives for Young Readers) by Janice Shefelman
Despite his mother’s vow for him to become a priest, young Antonio Vivaldi (one composer heard in today’s concert!) pursues his passion for music.
Food of the Italian South: Recipes for Classic, Disappearing, and Lost Dishes: A Cookbook by Katie Parla
The Worlds of Tomie dePaola: The Art and Stories of the Legendary Artist and Author by Barbara Elleman
MORE PICTURE BOOKS FROM TOMIE dePAOLA
Quiet An invitation to quieting hurry and being fully present.
The Art Lesson Tomie’s first art lessons are filled with encouragement and wisdom for budding artists of all kinds.
Christina’s Carol depicts the text of well-known Christmas carol “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Christina Rosetti (a carol performed today!)
Strega Nona When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works in this classic Caldecott Honor book from Tomie dePaola.
Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs T Mr. dePaola’s favorite book of his own, this autobiographical tale portrays love and loss from a 4-year-old Tomie’s perspective. Re-illustrated & re-released in 2000.
4 Tips for Home Music-Making
1. Sing with each other for fun! Young children need to sing higher than most adults are comfortable. Begin with hooty owl sounds, imitate a siren or a whoop to get into that head voice! Sing high with your children to encourage pitch matching and healthy singing. We love the Boston Museum of Fine Arts Songbooks which can be found used on Amazon.
2. Use zany voices when reading aloud. From hoots or kitten meow-meow voices to deep shouty calls, the human voice possesses great dynamic range. Utilizing this full range of your reading voice is a great way to model early singing skills to children! Even, better, encourage them to join you!
3. Keep real instruments in the home. Toy instruments create a less resonant, and therefore less exciting, sound, which children are less likely to pursue through experimentation. There are many affordable options for ‘real’ instruments which will last years and years: look for Remo kids drums, metal glockenspiels by Sonor, nice-sounding ukuleles, and the ever-present free Craisgslist piano.
4. Be aware of voice-consciousness. Singing is a learned skill, not a born talent, so the popular view that ‘a person is either a singer or is not a singer’ is neither helpful nor accurate. We encourage adults never to speak ill of their voices in front of children, even if they aren’t the most comfortable singers, and use “skill” instead of “talent” when talking of musical ability. We are all learning to sing at various levels.
Last Updated: April 26, 2023 by testadmin
The Legend of Old Befana
We presented the third installment of our LOVE THAT BOOK concert series, featuring Tomie dePaola’s The Legend of Old Befana on Saturday, Dec 3, 2022. Here are some excerpts from the program:
DIRECTORS’ NOTES A story as apt now as it was in busy 9th century Rome, today’s ancient tale of a person too busy for an adventure offers a poignant invitation to modern people of all ages: set aside that to-do list, and spend some time on joy!
The Legend of Old Befana, originally published in 1980, is one of many dePaola books centered around his favorite holiday: Christmas! Raised Roman Catholic with an Irish mother and Italian father, dePaola grew up in the rich storytelling tradition found in his family’s faith: parables, saint stories, Christmas legends, miracle tales, and more. These stories, coupled with his vibrant and accessible illustrations, he transformed into some of his best known works.
Today’s songs were selected not only for how well they fit the story, but also for their representation of historical Italian culture, language, art, and history, with the understanding that the full kaleidoscope of any culture could never be represented in only one hour.
We in City Singers Youth Choirs care about great music education, because great music does what a great story does—builds bridges between people, inspires wonder and curiosity, encourages humility and compassion.
The kids in front of you today don’t audition to be in City Singers: they simply come with a love of singing and learn the rest of it.
Recommended Materials to complement today’s concert: (we may receive donations from Amazon via these links)
Gabriella’s Song by Candace Fleming
A Venetian girl hears music all around her. A beautiful story about how music can communicate many different things to different people.
I, Vivaldi (Incredible Lives for Young Readers) by Janice Shefelman
Despite his mother’s vow for him to become a priest, young Antonio Vivaldi (one composer heard in today’s concert!) pursues his passion for music.
Food of the Italian South: Recipes for Classic, Disappearing, and Lost Dishes: A Cookbook by Katie Parla
The Worlds of Tomie dePaola: The Art and Stories of the Legendary Artist and Author by Barbara Elleman
MORE PICTURE BOOKS FROM TOMIE dePAOLA
Quiet An invitation to quieting hurry and being fully present.
The Art Lesson Tomie’s first art lessons are filled with encouragement and wisdom for budding artists of all kinds.
Christina’s Carol depicts the text of well-known Christmas carol “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Christina Rosetti (a carol performed today!)
Strega Nona When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works in this classic Caldecott Honor book from Tomie dePaola.
Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs T Mr. dePaola’s favorite book of his own, this autobiographical tale portrays love and loss from a 4-year-old Tomie’s perspective. Re-illustrated & re-released in 2000.
4 Tips for Home Music-Making
1. Sing with each other for fun! Young children need to sing higher than most adults are comfortable. Begin with hooty owl sounds, imitate a siren or a whoop to get into that head voice! Sing high with your children to encourage pitch matching and healthy singing. We love the Boston Museum of Fine Arts Songbooks which can be found used on Amazon.
2. Use zany voices when reading aloud. From hoots or kitten meow-meow voices to deep shouty calls, the human voice possesses great dynamic range. Utilizing this full range of your reading voice is a great way to model early singing skills to children! Even, better, encourage them to join you!
3. Keep real instruments in the home. Toy instruments create a less resonant, and therefore less exciting, sound, which children are less likely to pursue through experimentation. There are many affordable options for ‘real’ instruments which will last years and years: look for Remo kids drums, metal glockenspiels by Sonor, nice-sounding ukuleles, and the ever-present free Craisgslist piano.
4. Be aware of voice-consciousness. Singing is a learned skill, not a born talent, so the popular view that ‘a person is either a singer or is not a singer’ is neither helpful nor accurate. We encourage adults never to speak ill of their voices in front of children, even if they aren’t the most comfortable singers, and use “skill” instead of “talent” when talking of musical ability. We are all learning to sing at various levels.
Category: Uncategorized