One of the non-musical tasks every choral conductors has to perform is recruiting singers. Okay, I know there are a couple schools in the country where a staggeringly high percentage of student sing in choir, the rest of us poor mortals have to sell, sell, sell! It’s even harder in a church. In an educational […]
Choral Caffeine: Church Music
Part of the normal musical week for some choral conductors is service to a local church or synagogue. I suppose it stands to reason, given that a large portion of the history of choral music is tied in one form or another to the church. Of course, trying to understand the term “church music” is […]
Choral Caffeine: A Little Vocal Care
It’s already hit me, and I suspect you’ve faced it too. You know what I’m talking about . . . that change-in-the-weather, everyone-in-the-choir-is sick, exposed-to-all-their-germs upper respiratory infection that we all seem to get this time of year. It’s not a full-blown cold or flu, just a nagging sniffling, coughing, low-grade fever affair that takes […]
Stick Time: Clarity of Line
Johann Sebastian Bach. I confess, dispite my adoration of his art, he’s still one of my musical tormentors. The reason is simple: I don’t think I’ll ever grasp all he poured into his monolithic compositions (which explains why some conductors devote themselves almost exclusively to his music). I won’t stop trying, though. Today, let’s […]
Stick Time: Programming for Big Voices
One of the topics that has been discussed rather frequently in the Choral Journal of late is the issue of what to do with big voices in a choral ensemble. Here’s a look at an ensemble of unquestionably large professional voices – the U.S. Navy Sea Chanters. The conductor apparently does not attempt to shoehorn […]
Stick Time: Clarity in a Large Choir
I had a band colleague a few years ago who faced a problem. The football coaches were pressuring him constantly to increase the size of the marching band. It didn't seem to matter that he already had the biggest band in the conference, that the rehearsal hall was filled to overflowing and that there were […]