A couple weeks ago in a Choral Caffeine column, we commented that the average choral conductor’s “appetite for new music verges on rapacious.” The column went on to highlight the Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL.org) as a treasure trove of great choral repertoire.
A friend e-mailed to disagree, saying, “Old music is just that – OLD! There’s nothing exciting or engaging about it.” (NOTE: Her comments are used here with permission, and she has approved the present column.)
However, after listening to this performance from the 2011 ACDA National Conference, she claimed it to be “fresh, vibrant, and energizing.” When it was pointed out that the two selections issued from the 13th and 17th centuries respectively, well, let’s just say fireworks ensued!
Friends, our job as choral conductors is to bring choral music to life. It doesn’t matter whether the composition we're conducting was written a millennia ago, or last week; the energy, passion, and spark we bring to our art is what keeps it alive!
thomas Coker says