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Choral Speaking

Performance
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A poem performed by several voices together. The group may speak in unison, alternation, or overlapping parts.

Detailed Definition
Choral speaking treats a poem as material for a coordinated vocal ensemble rather than a single reader. Performers may recite in unison, divide lines among speakers, echo key words, or layer voices to create texture. The method can enlarge a poem's public force and make shifts in viewpoint audible. It has roots in school recitation, theater, pageantry, and political or community-based performance.
Example
Example in poetry:
A class speaks Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” together, carefully matching pace, volume, and pauses; A chorus recites the repeated line “I, too, sing America” together, then one student speaks the following lines alone; In a group poem, different sections speak in unison while selected voices rise above the group for important words; Students perform a poem about a storm with the whole group building from quiet voices to loud, unified speech
Additional Notes
Choral speaking is the coordinated performance of a text by several voices, which may speak in unison, alternate lines, overlap, echo, or divide into groups. Changes in volume, pace, pitch, and placement can clarify argument or create emotional pressure. Compare antiphony, which specifically uses call and response, and refrain, which repeats wording. Study hint: annotate who speaks each line and rehearse transitions carefully so layered voices remain intelligible.
Also Known As
Choral Recitation Chorus Speaking
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