Conducting & Performing

Chorus America advances the artistry of choruses by providing masterclasses for choral conductors, sessions on repertoire and performance practice, convenings of artistic directors, research on conducting careers and transitions, information on performance trends and innovations, and forums for discussion of artistic issues.

Articles

What Every Chorus Should Know About Its Singers

What Every Chorus Should Know About Its Singers

Chorus America Staff | Impact/Value, Management/Leadership, Participation, Singing, Volunteer

What do choral singers wish their chorus managers and music directors knew about them? What would make singers' experience in the chorus more enjoyable, more meaningful, more fun? Read more

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Boys to Men: Singing Through Voice Change

Boys to Men: Singing Through Voice Change

Chloe Veltman | Children/Youth, Education, Health, Participation, Schools, Singing

An influx of new programs are beginning to recognize the value of keeping boys singing—through changing voices and for a lifetime. Read more

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Keeping Singers Well: Exercise and Sleep

Keeping Singers Well: Exercise and Sleep

Matthew Sigman | Health, Singing

When your body is the instrument, it's imperative to keep it in tip-top shape with good exercise habits and the right amount of sleep. Read more

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Keeping Singers Well: Hydration

Keeping Singers Well: Hydration

Matthew Sigman | Health, Singing

While it is ultimately the responsibility of the singer to stay properly hydrated, it's not always so easy. Read more

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Why the Bach Passions Are Problematic

Why the Bach Passions Are Problematic

Tom Hall | History, Performance, Repertoire

What is our responsibility as singers and as choruses when historic choral works are offensive, even hostile, to a whole group of people? Tom Hall, music director of the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, discusses Bach's St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion. Read more

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Spotlight on Eric Whitacre

Spotlight on Eric Whitacre

Kelsey Menehan | Composing/Commissioning, Innovation, Profile, Repertoire, Singing

We take a look at the man behind the cluster chords: how Eric Whitacre arrived at a life in music, and the ups and downs he's encountered along the way. Read more

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Selecting Music for Diverse Audiences

Selecting Music for Diverse Audiences

An Interview with Julian Wachner

Chorus America Staff | Audiences, Conducting, Innovation, Profile, Repertoire

With so many music directors juggling multiple podiums, choosing repertoire that meets the specific needs of each chorus and the audience in that community takes on special significance. Read more

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The Rise of A Cappella

The Rise of A Cappella

An Interview with CASA Founder and Sing-Off Producer Deke Sharon

Chorus America Staff | Careers, Community Outreach

Choral music—especially a cappella choral music—is more popular than ever it seems. Chorus America sat down with Deke Sharon, founder of the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA) and a producer of NBC's The Sing-Off, to get the inside scoop behind the a cappella choral music movement and its current place in pop culture. Read more

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The Art and Science of Good Sound Design

The Art and Science of Good Sound Design

Michael Shaughnessy | Audiences, Performance, Technology

Whether your needs are as simple as amplifying announcements from the podium or as complex as balancing voices with instruments in a large space, paying attention to sound design can make or break your concert. Read more

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5 Tips for Performing Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil

5 Tips for Performing Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil

Alexander Ruggieri | Rehearsal, Repertoire, Singing, Technique/Tool

The All-Night Vigil doesn't last all night anymore, but doing what it takes to perform it well certainly can keep conductors and singers up nights. Here are five tips for conquering this masterpiece: Read more

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Resources

Choral-Orchestral Engagements

Choral-Orchestral Engagements

Survey Results and Best Practices

Chorus America Staff | Community Outreach, Legal/Licensing, Operations, Performance, Research/Data, Sample/Template, Symphonic, Technique/Tool

This 2004 whitepaper provides practical guidance on the unique issues choruses face in working with orchestras for concert engagements. Based on data gathered from Chorus America's symphonic chorus members, it also provides a sample contract and budget to use when negotiating your engagement. Read more

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Choral Conductors Today: A Study

Choral Conductors Today: A Study

Chorus America Staff | Careers, Conducting, Management/Leadership, Recruitment, Research/Data

Chorus America interviewed more than 700 conductors about their career paths, levels of education, salary, job satisfaction, and more in 2005. The resulting data provides a profile of the "typical" choral conductor that may be surprising. Read more

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Additional content: Ambassadors of Peace

Additional content: Ambassadors of Peace

Kelsey Menehan | Community Outreach, Impact/Value, Profile, Repertoire, Singing

Examples of concert programming that are designed on themes of peace or reconciliation. Partner piece to "How Choruses Have Become Ambassadors of Peace." Read more

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28 American Master Choral Composers

28 American Master Choral Composers

A Repertoire and Recording Listing to Support NEA's American Masterpieces

Chorus America Staff | Composing/Commissioning, Conducting, Government/Policy, Repertoire

Celebrating America's greatest choral composers, this publication provides repertoire and recording lists for 28 composers from Billings to Whitacre. Read more

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Commissioning Timeline

Commissioning Timeline

Chorus America Staff | Composing/Commissioning, Operations, Sample/Template

Commissioning a new work? Follow this two-year timeline to help plot out which steps you should take when. This timeline is appropriate for a work that does not involve complicated instrumental requirements or multiple movements. Read more

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'Music Director Transition' Tool: Sample Search Timeline

'Music Director Transition' Tool: Sample Search Timeline

Chorus America Staff | Careers, Conducting, Governance, Operations, Sample/Template, Strategic Planning

A sample timeline to help with music director search planning. Read more

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'Music Director Transition' Tool: Readiness Quiz

'Music Director Transition' Tool: Readiness Quiz

Chorus America Staff | Careers, Conducting, Governance, Operations, Strategic Planning, Technique/Tool

Is your chorus ready for a founder transition? This 9-question quiz will help you determine the answer. Read more

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Events

The Skylark Vocal Ensemble presents: Something About Mary

The Skylark Vocal Ensemble presents: Something About Mary

Atlanta, GA

Matthew Guard | Performance

"Something About Mary” Ancient, Romantic, and Modern Hymns to the Virgin Featuring works by Victoria, Gombert, Parsons, Brahms, Bruckner, Britten, Tavener, and Kvoschchinsky Read more

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The Washington Chorus Presents "Elijah"

The Washington Chorus Presents "Elijah"

Washington, DC

The Washington ... | Performance

ELIJAH Janice Chandler-Eteme, soprano Laura Vlasak Nolen, mezzo-soprano Benjamin Butterfield, tenor Stephen Salters, baritone with the Children’s Chorus of Washington Joan Gregoryk, Music Director Experience Mendelssohn’s masterpiece—one of the greatest choral works of all time! Read more

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Prelude to Spring

Prelude to Spring

714 S. Westnedge, Kalamazoo, MI

Leona Gould-McElhone | Performance

The five choirs of The Kalamazoo Children's Chorus will herald the coming of Spring with a concert sure to put the audience in the mood for flowers blooming, tress budding and the shedding of winter's gloom.  Join us for a joyous celebration of the coming season. Tickets: $10     Read more

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Missa Pangea

Missa Pangea

157 Montague Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201-3587

CHM | Audiences

Grace & Spiritus Chorale of Brooklyn performs Missa Pangea: One Text, Three Cultural Perspectives Read more

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Missa Pangea

Missa Pangea

85 South Oxford Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11217

CHM | Audiences

Grace & Spiritus Chorale of Brooklyn performs Missa Pangea: One Text, Three Cultural Perspectives Read more

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Missa Pangea

Missa Pangea

286-88 Seventh Avenue (at Seventh Street), Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215

CHM | Audiences

Grace & Spiritus Chorale of Brooklyn performs Missa Pangea: One Text, Three Cultural Perspectives. Read more

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The Bach Concert Series Season Finale Concert

The Bach Concert Series Season Finale Concert

701 S. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21230

BachConcertSeries |

The Bach Concert Series' 25th Anniversary Season comes to an exciting close. Read more

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The Bach Concert Series: May First Sunday Concert

The Bach Concert Series: May First Sunday Concert

701 S. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21230

BachConcertSeries |

The Bach Concert Series continues its 25th season of free First Sunday Concerts with a performance of J.S. Bach's Cantata 56. Read more

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The Bach Concert Series Spring Masterpiece Performance: Mass in B Minor

The Bach Concert Series Spring Masterpiece Performance: Mass in B Minor

701 S. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21230

BachConcertSeries |

The Bach Concert Series presents J.S. Bach's masterpiece, the Mass in B Minor, in a special ticketed performance at Christ Lutheran Church. Read more

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The Bach Concert Series: Silver Anniversary Celebration Concert

The Bach Concert Series: Silver Anniversary Celebration Concert

8100 Stevenson Road Baltimore, MD 21208

BachConcertSeries |

The Bach Concert Series celebrates 25 years of bringing music to Baltimore with a special performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Read more

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Dialogue

Questions During Rehearsal?

Questions During Rehearsal?

Anonymous | Rehearsal, Singing

Conductors, do you let your singers ask questions during rehearsal? What are the pros and cons? Read more

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