ChoralEd: Standing Formations

Prior to a performance, it is beneficial for choral directors to carefully consider and experiment with various standing formation, as differing formations can affect the sound of an ensemble. When considering standing formations, most directors likely think of the physical placement of voice parts (blocked or mixed formations). But arguably the more important consideration is how singers are placed in relation to each other. Through careful placement of voices, the director can influence the overall blend of an ensemble. Common methods for achieving blend through singer placement include voice matching, placement by tone quality, and the radio choir approach.

In voice matching, the director listens to every possible combination of singers in each voice part, to determine the optimal standing formation. To watch the entire voice matching process, check out the YouTube video below (3:42). Placement by tone adjusts an ensemble’s standing formation by the tone qualities of each singer. Those with darker/heavier voices are placed in the back rows of the ensemble, while those with lighter/brighter voices are placed in the front. From this initial formation, directors may also choose to implement the voice matching approach for each row of the ensemble. Interestingly, in the radio choir approach, the director places the most desirable vocal tones and best singers in the front row. This approach is based on the acoustical principal that the sound of the singers in the front row reaches the audience first, thereby influencing the audience’s overall perception of the sound.

In addition to the standing formation of an ensemble, the placement of individual problematic voices should also be considered.  If a director needs to hide a problematic tone, it may be best to place this voice towards the back middle of the ensemble. By doing this the director can take advantage of the masking effect, in which overlapping sound waves make a voice less prominent. However, this placement may be ill-advised if the problematic voice negatively influences the sound of the singers in front of them.

To watch ChoralEd, Episode 43 on YouTube click HERE.