Spring 2012 - RCM Examinations

The Voice Syllabus,
2012 edition and Resonance :
A Comprehensive Voice Series
By BARBARA DUNN PROSSER
Today’s performing world resonates
with aspiring vocalists, nurtured by a
multitude of talent shows and driven
by the hope of being discovered as the
next singing superstar. While these
competitions may create a rollercoaster
of expectation and disappointment, the
current tide of enthusiasm for singing
benefits the voice teacher by encouraging
those who might otherwise not have
thought of using their voices in this way.
Technology and the Internet make it
easy for us to access repertoire, transpose
keys of songs, or discover the works of
new composers, thereby offering our
students more diversity than ever before.
With such resources, it need no longer
be just a few exceptionally talented
individuals, or those with connections to
the industry, who can find their place in
the spotlight.
In light of these developments,
the task of revising the 2005 Voice
Syllabus was both an exciting adventure
and at times a daunting challenge. It
was essential to maintain The Royal
Conservatory’s heritage of teaching
classical repertoire and healthy vocal
2 examinations.rcmusic.ca
production and musicianship. In order
to keep up with the times, it was also
necessary to include Popular Music lists
for all levels, carefully chosen to be ageappropriate
and lyrical, with musical
and dramatic challenges for each level.
Specific arrangements were selected and
cited to ensure quality and consistency.
While these lists are optional for all
exams except the Teacher’s ARCT, it
is hoped that singers and teachers will
appreciate their relevance and value.
The previous syllabus contained
many wonderful songs for young voices,
but it was clear that their vocabulary,
imagery, and subject matter would no
longer interest young people today.
Some advanced repertoire that might be
an exciting complement to a university
graduate recital was found to be less
useful or relevant to our students and
ineffective as examination material.
Repertoire is now limited to songs
in English, French, German, Italian,
Spanish, and Latin, to ensure that exam
candidates will be equitably assessed on
pronunciation and presentation of the
text. Finally, at the ARCT level, some
operatic arias too challenging for even
this level of examination were deleted.
Approximately 350 songs have been
added to the syllabus lists. Standard
repertoire from the various historical
periods is joined by compositions by
hitherto unpublished composers or
composers whose works may be new to
North Americans. The works of Betty
Roe, Lin Marsh, and Donna Rhodenizer
are featured in junior levels. There are
new arrangements of songs in the public
domain by Christine Donkin, Forrest
and Akiko Kinney, Stephen Chatman,
Mark Mrozinski, Kathleen Wood, and
Nancy Telfer. In the more advanced
levels, songs by Jeff Smallman, Berthold
Carrière, Richard Hundley, Ben Moore,
Martha Hill Duncan, Jack Heggie, John
Greer, Maria Case, and Alice Ho provide
beautiful original melodies and settings
of familiar texts.
Changes were made to increase the
efficiency of the examination procedure,
and some requirements were adjusted
to improve accessibility and uniformity.
The repertoire portion of the exam is to
be sung first, with suggested time limits