Others

What little patience we choral conductors possess has surely been tested by this singer. If you have a last nerve, she will find it, and she will get on it.  Like those ubiquitous little “Santa’s Helpers” in every local mall, this singer (or her male counterpart) seems to populate every choir rehearsal in every corner […]

Rollercoasters are fun.  Riding two-wheeled vehicles (in our case, bicycles) is fun.  But doing them at the same time?  Pass.  

PUBLISHERS, COMPOSERS, CONDUCTORS (Part 4), by Jameson Marvin   Mood – now there is a concept! I am quite familiar with moods! And especially sensitive to changes of moods. Being mood-sensitive, I am easily flooded with emotion. And this brings me to what I think of as the central core of all of this: I […]

PUBLISHERS, COMPOSERS, CONDUCTORS (Part 3), by Jameson Marvin   How do we get to the point of making this decision? There are many overlapping answers, but I think for choral directors it is because we try to figure out how the music is related to the text. I try to understand why the composer wrote […]

PUBLISHERS, COMPOSERS, CONDUCTORS (Part 2), by Jameson Marvin   Personally I am as interested in performing a motet by Josquin, as I am in performing a Haydn Mass or a Bach Cantata or Tarik O’Regan’s latest composition. For example, in a single year, my Glee Club sang The Four Prayers of St. Francis of Assisi […]

PUBLISHERS, COMPOSERS, CONDUCTORS (Part 1), by Jameson Marvin   What changes/modifications if any do you think need to be made to better reach out to today¹s audiences?   I think inspiring performances draw audiences. The word spreads and more people come. It is a mutually enriching cycle. Through insightful program notes and texts with translations […]