Stick Time: Conducting Study 7

It seems criminally obvious to say that how we end a piece is at least as important as how we begin one.  Today let’s watch a colleague bring a choral work to a close.

 

First, note that his left hand cues the sopranos in a manner that guides them to a “floating” sound on their final pitch.  He then immediately turns to reinforce both the pulse and the diminuendo for the rest of the ensemble in a most understated yet effective manner.  The following crescendo is clearly visible on the final chord, but is shown in such a way so as to avoid the sort of ‘pushed’ sound that many choirs employ at the end of spirituals.  When he does then show the release (note I did NOT say “cut-off”), it encourages the choir to end with a forward-moving energy that provides a resonance that has a life beyond the actual cessation of phonation.  Pay attention also to his hands throughout this excerpt: they are energized, but do not communicate any tension.