The relationship between choral conducting departments and orchestral conducting departments was different in each school. In one institution, there were five symphonic organizations. Even then, the fundamental difficulty of incorporating the orchestra into the choral program was a complicated one. In some schools, there was a yearly exchange of services allowing the choral group to perform an oratorio with orchestra. Sometimes the orchestral conductor conducted the performances. In other cases, the choral conductor traded the conducting responsibilities with the orchestral conductor in alternate years.
It is unfortunate that doctoral candidates and master's degree students had so little opportunity to work with orchestral ensembles in conjunction with the choral music programs. Some advanced students had worked out compromises with personal friends and associates from the instrumental area so that repertoire with instruments could be included on their required conducting recital. In these situations, the instrumentalists were asked to sacrifice their time and talent in order to aid their colleagues. Live experience of this nature is absolutely essential. It is, also, not very helpful to use only recorded music or piano instead of sometimes a live ensemble for the training in orchestral conducting.
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