You Raise Me Up

Rating: 3.5/5
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Date Posted: Sun, 27 May 2012
Posted By: Darwin Scheel | More from this user
Key written in: G Major
How many parts: 5
Type: Barbershop
Lyrics: You raise me up to more than I can be.
Comments: This is a beautiful, short Tag with a familiar melody in the Bari part with beautiful and familiar lyrics. The individual singing parts are simple and easy to learn. This Tag has a great unison peel-off going into word “up” which is accented by the Lead swipe going up on the word “up” making is feel very uplifting. There are two passing M7 chords on the words “than” and “I – “ with a nice swipe on the word “can” moving to the penultimate AØ7 chord adding tension before the release into the final 1, 1, 3, 5, 1 tonic chord.
I arranged “You Raise Me Up” for www.ColumbiRiverChorus.com, the chorus I Directed for 24 years, and the optional 5th part was originally arranged and intended to be sung; I divided the chorus into 5 sections for the Tag. This Tag can be sung without the added voice but adding the 5th part makes the Tag sound better; although the 5th voice is just octaving the Tenor part, it adds a rich texture to the Tag that is very satisfying.


Barbershop Tag Teaching Guidelines
1. And the words are... "You raise me up to more than I can be."
2. After the Tenor starts with seven, eight, the lower four parts start on a unison D, the 5th scale of the key and an octave and a forth from the Tenor post on G.
3. Teach the Bari part first as the melody is in the Bari part. Once learned, teach the Bass part next with the Bari quietly singing along in the background. The Bass provides the foundation. Once the Bass part is learned, teach the Lead part with the Bari and Bass quietly singing along. The Lead part sounds like a Tenor part and should be sung that way. Then teach the optional 5th voice part. Finally, teach the Tenor part. Using this process to teach the parts allows the singers to rehearse their part and keep them from forgetting their part as other parts are being taught.
4. Know the sound of each individual chord in the Tag being taught; knowing when a chord is incorrect can
be helpful in identifying appropriate part corrections.
Learn the sound of each chord by playing the chords on a piano or listening to a recording or a group sing the Tag.
5. It is helpful to inform the singers that there is an octave interval between the Lead/Bass at the end of the Lead swipe on the word "up". The Lead/Bass and octave, M7, octave, M7 on the words "more than I - ". The Lead has a unison with the optional 5th voice on the word "can".
6. Start the Tag singing session with a simpler and shorter easy Tag before teaching “You Raise Me Up” or when inviting another singer to sing this Tag with unknown singing abilities. Result: Instant chords sung with a successful and fulfilling outcome for all singers and listeners.

See the complete Barbershop Tag Teaching Guidelines at the following link:
http://www.barbershoptags.com/images/Barbershop_Tag_Teaching_Guidelines--Men.pdf

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Attributions

Arranger
Darwin Scheel
dnstags.com
Year: 2008

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dnstags.com

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