The Choral Director’s Toolbox This Week

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In Episode 39 of The Choral Director’s Toolbox, host Dr. William Baker takes on The Language of Spirituals, examining how conductors can approach this treasured repertoire with integrity, respect, and scholarship.  From questions of dialect and diction to the politics of performance, Dr. Baker argues for historical authenticity over political correctness.  This week’s listener question revisits the challenge of Christmas season programming, asking whether seasonal music should be moved to other times of the year.  Today’s inspiration is Pacem, a moving setting of Dona Nobis Pacem by Atlanta composer Dr. Karin R. Banks, performed by The New South Festival Singers, under the leadership of then-director Lynn Swanson, at the 2023 Piccolo Spoleto Festival.  Join us for a thought-provoking episode on language, history, and the living power of choral music.