“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” Groucho Marx We all have people in our lives who claim to be honest. They crow about it, especially if they have said something unkind in the name of honesty. They tell us, if being honest […]
Church Choir
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; October Ghost Story
“As a child I loved ghost stories.” Rebecca Hall The Choral Ethics Cyber-Mailbag is filled to overflowing. Sit back for the first blog in a long series of Choral Ethics blogs about all sorts of problems. This fall, we deal with some newish Choral Ethics concerns as well as some familiar to everyone. Today’s Choral […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; We’ve Never Done It That Way
“Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.” Oscar Wilde School is back in session. Rehearsals have begun. The Pumpkin-Spice-Maple delights are back in the coffee shops and bakeries; must be almost Autumn! How was your summer? Did you accomplish everything you wanted to? Did you have a chance to relax, really relax, for a […]
Choral Potpourri: Choral Ethics; Preaching to the Choir
“It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.” Francis of Assisi I receive quite a few emails with people’s thoughts about my Choral Ethics project. Some folks tell me they are not exactly sure what Choral Ethics is, but will know it when they see it. Some tell me […]
From Antiquity to the Contemporary: The Story of the Choir Robe
By Richard Clark In their simplest form, choir robes and choral garments have been in existence since antiquity. The notion of a uniformed collective of singers extends almost as far back as civilization itself to the Ancient Greeks, as portrayed on classic ceramics and earthenware. The format of figures wearing similar, loosely fitting tunics, intermingled […]
Music Within Reach: Beginning Pieces for Men’s and Women’s Choirs
Like most high school choir teachers, only a couple of the ensembles I teach are auditioned. While I love it this way, as it allows me to keep recruiting and bringing in students to sing who may not be interested in a heavier commitment, it can make planning literature a nightmare. How many students will […]