Imagine having the opportunity to sing together with hundreds of other people while you are at home alone. You can do this in a virtual choir. Virtual choir members record themselves while they perform alone on video. These videos are uploaded onto the Internet, and then they are put together into one video that you can see online—a virtual choir. Anyone can take part in a virtual choir from anywhere—all you need is a video camera and an Internet connection. You do not even need a studio. A virtual choir helps connect ordinary people together. Many people do not have close friends or contacts who have the same interest in music. Many others do not have the chance to join a local choir. A virtual choir enables them to add their voices to those of other individuals and become part of the global community. It has proved to be a positive influence on the lives of many people. As one virtual choir member said, “Music helps me to … forget my problems. With music, I become someone else.”
The virtual choir was the idea of award-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre. Born in the USA on 2 January 1970, Whitacre began studying music at the University of Nevada in 1988. He fell in love with Mozart’s classical music when he sang for the university choir. Moved by this music, he said, “It was like seeing color for the first time.” He graduated from university in 1995, and then received a master’s degree in musical composition from the Juilliard School in New York in 1997. Over the next 10 years, Whitacre’s original compositions began to become quite popular among choirs and singers. This led to the creation of the virtual choir.
In 2009, Whitacre received a video of a girl who was singing one of his works. Inspired, he asked his fans to make videos, which he then joined together into one performance. His first virtual choir, “Lux Aurumque”, had 185 singers from 12 different countries. It has received millions of views on the Internet. Since then, the virtual choir has become a worldwide phenomenon. Whitacre’s next effort was the Virtual Youth Choir for UNICEF, which was first seen on stage on 23 July 2014 in the UK. Altogether, 2,292 young people from 80 countries joined in to sing Whitacre’s song “What If”.
The virtual choir is a wonderful way for people around the world to sing with one voice and thus make the world a better place.
1. Scan the text and find out the following information.| The man who came up with the idea for a virtual choir | |
| The place where he studied musical composition | |
| The name of his song |
Intensive reading
2. Activity 1 Read Paragraph 1 and find out the key elements of virtual choir.
3. Activity 2 Find out the differences between a virtual choir and a real choir.
| Virtual choir | Real choir | |
| Form | ||
| Place | ||
| Identity of singers | ||
| Number of singers |
5. Activity 4 Read Paragraph 2 again and answer the following questions.
(1)What can you learn from what Whitacre said?
(2)Why does the author mention Eric Whitacre’s studying experience and his achievements in music?
6. Activity 5 Read Paragraph 3 and 4 and answer the following questions.
(1)What gave him the inspiration to make his first virtual choir?
(2)Does the writer hold a positive attitude toward the virtual choir? How do you know?
Good morning! My name is Sarah Williams. It’s an honour to be here and to share with you the story of how music has had an impact on my life.
(A) Have you ever faced a time when things looked dark and you had no hope at all? Two years ago, I was told I had a serious disease which was difficult to cure. My body ached all the time and thus I thought I didn’t have much longer to live. I was very afraid and I felt so alone and discouraged. Then one day, I had to go through a two-hour medical treatment. The doctor wanted me to relax, so he had me listen to some music, and one of the songs was “Happy”. The song made me feel so much better that from then on I began to listen to music all the time. (B) John A. Logan said, “Music is the medicine of the mind.” And it’s true. Music helped me recover.
(C) Music gave me happiness. When I listened to music, (D) it made my spirits fly like a kite in the wind. (C) Music gave me strength and brought me relief. (E) It was the rock I leant on to become strong and to get through those hard times. Moreover, (C) music gave me hope and a sense of satisfaction. (F) It became my best friend. It spoke words of encouragement to the deepest part of my being.
Of course, I hope none of you have to go through the same kind of suffering that I did. At the same time, we all go through various periods when we feel sad or alone. During those times, music can help you in the same way that it helped me. I hope all of you will somehow begin to treasure music and make it a part of your life.
Thank you!
1. Reading for informationRead the speech and answer the questions.
(1) What was Sarah’s problem?
(2) How did music help her during her difficult time?
(3) What is her advice to others?
2. Reading for structure
Read the speech again and figure out the structure.
3. Reading for language features
Match the names of rhetorical devices to the lettered sentences in the speech.
metaphor
personification
quote
repetition
rhetorical question
simile
| A. Chinese traditional B. classical C. country music D. hip-hop |
1.
2.
3.
4.
1. A: Country music touches my heart.
B: So you like music that’s
2. A: When I listen to hip-hop, I just have to move!
B: So it makes you want to
3. A: Classical music makes me feel like I’m sitting beside a quiet stream and enjoying nature.
B: So to you, it’s
1. The first student likes to
2. The second student likes to
3. The third student likes to
1. What kind of songs will Grace Davis sing at the festival?
2. Who can try out as a performer?
3. What can those who think they do not have musical talent do?
4. How can students volunteer to take part?
A.people to give music lessons
B.choir members
C.people to run food stands (打理食品摊位的人员)
D.people to sell festival tickets
E.people to sell music CDs
F.people to set up equipment (布置设备的人员)
G.musical performers
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(Λ),并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
My grandmother and mother are both well-known piano players. When I was 3 years old, I developed to an interest in musical instruments, especial in piano. The home environment has always inspired me to keeping practicing. Since I could remember, I’ve been playing piano even for about eight hours a day. I am a shy and quiet girl, because the instrument is a unique means for me to express me feelings. I have participated in various musical event at home and abroad. Combine erhu with contemporary music, I hope to make more people know this tradition instrument. It is encouraging that what I have done contribute to their better understanding of Chinese culture.
One Direction was one of the most popular bands, and it
Living Heritage: Guqin
Wandering sounds, irregular rhythms and a carrier of gentle emotions. This is the musical language of guqin, a seven string instrument
The earliest piece of guqin in China, unearthed in Hubei province in 2016,
The guqin
This graceful dialogue,
