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It’s one thing for this dinosaur to say it (and say it, and say it, and say it), but when a hip 20-something says it, then maybe – just maybe! – the message will get through.    

Frank Sinatra sings a little vocal ensemble music with the Hi-Lo’s. (Oh, and it’s a love song, which works today since it’s Vanentine’s Day.  You forgot, didn’t you?)    

None of us in the choral profession have ever been tempted to do this when a singer pulls out a cell phone in rehearsal.  Noooooo.    

Here’s a little video to prove that pop music is nothing more than formulaic sonic pabulum.  These six country-pop hits are completely interchangeable in terms of key, harmonic progression, tempo, and instrumentation.  Astonishing.          

(An excerpt from the Choral Journal article, “Achieving Peak Performance: Rehearsal, Performance Attitudes, and Pre-Concert Routines,” by Daniel Taddie)          Singers can raise the level of their performances by keeping in mind, and executing, six performance attitudes, which can be grouped in pairs: “Think!” and “Feel!,” “Watch!” and “Listen!,” “Communicate!” and “Sing with Energy!” […]

(An excerpt from the Choral Journal article, “Messiah 1985: A Practical Approach to Rehearsing,” by Richard A. Smith)          One of the greatest challenges as we study and rehearse the choruses from Messiah is to approach the work with a new diligence that will allow us to go beyond our past associations with it: […]