Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Wasting Time

“Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” Theophrastus

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a problem ChoralNetter Trudy* was having at her church job. Everyone in this congregation was tardy, from the clergy to the choir to some members of the congregation for services. She was thinking about resigning but had some doubts. She asked for help sorting them out. We had an email dialogue in which I gave her some advice and we brainstormed a few other ideas. Trudy’s issues are fairly typical for choral directors; singers are late, what do you do to get them to be on time? But what if the problem was reversed, what if it was the director who was late or who wasted THE SINGERS time?

Jonathon* is a tenor who recently resigned from a very nice community chorus, with a very nice director. It is his opinion as a long-time choral singer, this chorus could be even BETTER if the director wasn’t consistently disrespectful of their time. She is late about once a month, and when she is, never apologizes or acts contrite for keeping them waiting. There is never a “sorry, traffic was brutal,” or “my son’s dental appointment ran late, I apologize for keeping you all waiting.” She does not tolerate lateness in her singers but ignores her own tardiness.

But it was more than the director’s occasional tardiness which caused Jonathon to leave the chorus. What pushed him over the edge was the way she handles sectionals. He tells me this director is “old fashioned” in many aspects of rehearsals and sectionals are no different. She rarely announces sectionals beforehand because everyone dreads them. Why? Because she requires everyone—all the vocal sections—to sit through everyone else’s sectional. She begins those rehearsals with the usual warm-ups, then announces she has scheduled sectionals for that evening.

Instead of allowing section leaders to take their own section members to another room to work on their own parts while she works with another section, or letting folks take a break, they are expected to sit quietly in their seats while she works with another group. And expects those not singing to follow along with their scores.  This isn’t trouble shooting during a rehearsal but an out and out SECTIONAL. Usually, it is just one voice part for the first hour, then she does a tutti rehearsal. But Jonathon has wondered, why can’t she ask the other sections to come an hour later? Is following your part while others sing really that beneficial?

After they came back from their COVID break, Jonathon hoped things would be different. The first time there was sectional last fall, he found himself resentful, feeling his time was being wasted. The basses were put through their paces for an hour—AN HOUR. He thought back to “Before COVID” and didn’t remember feeling this ticked off. The next time there was a sectional, it was his section, so he couldn’t feel his time was being wasted. But while he was singing, he looked over at the altos and they all looked ticked. He realized he wasn’t alone feeling the way he does.

Jonathon sang the December concert and really enjoyed singing together with his choirmates again. But he did NOT enjoy the rehearsal process after coming back from COVID. He informed the Chorus Board right after Christmas he wasn’t coming back. He wants to know if he should tell the Board why he left. I told him YES. It would actually be helpful for them to know the reason they are losing a tenor and perhaps other singers as well.

During the Pandemic, many people have changed their priorities.  We as a profession need to think about that fact and change our priorities too. It can’t be “business as usual” or we might lose a tenor!

*Name Withheld