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

How Choruses Have Become Ambassadors of Peace

How Choruses Have Become Ambassadors of Peace

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

There is perhaps no more fitting metaphor for bridging discord than voices joined in harmony. Read more

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The Singer's Responsibility for Artistic Excellence

The Singer's Responsibility for Artistic Excellence

Kelsey Menehan | Recruitment, Singing, Volunteer

Over 40 million people sing in choruses in the United States and countless more worldwide. But why don't choruses usually garner the prestige that, say, symphony orchestras do? Is it because we're just not measuring up? Read more

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Reaching for Artistic Excellence

Reaching for Artistic Excellence

How Choruses Actively Plan for Improvement

Kelsey Menehan | Governance, Impact/Value, Professional, Recruitment, Singing, Technique/Tool, Volunteer

No matter where your chorus is on the road toward artistic excellence, you can take steps to get better—a diverse sample of choruses tell their inspiring stories. Read more

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Building Today's Professional Choruses

Building Today's Professional Choruses

Matthew Sigman | Careers, Innovation, Management/Leadership, Professional

Adventuresome repertoire, distinctive voices, flexible organizations, and innovative productions have expanded the concept of what a professional chorus looks like today—here's what it takes to excel. Read more

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Watch & Learn A Chinese Folksong

Watch & Learn A Chinese Folksong

Jing Ling-Tam | Repertoire, Singing

"Mò Li Hua" (Jasmine Flower) has been popular since the Qing Dynasty. Read more

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The 10 Commandments for Recording Your Chorus

The 10 Commandments for Recording Your Chorus

Brad Spencer | Impact/Value, Legal/Licensing, Management/Leadership, Marketing/Public Relations, Technique/Tool

Professionally produced recordings are still one of the best ways you can enhance the quality, image, reputation, and morale of your chorus. Read more

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Breaking the Silence of Addiction

Breaking the Silence of Addiction

Daniel O'Neill | Community Outreach, Education, Health

Composer Michael Shaieb's oratorio, "Through a Glass, Darkly," is making choral music a vehicle to address methamphetamine addiction in the gay community. When the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC set out to perform it, they did a lot more than just learn the music. Read about the comprehensive outreach initiative they developed to bring this growing social problem to light. Read more

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The Wow Factor

The Wow Factor

Kelsey Menehan | Composing/Commissioning, Impact/Value, Innovation, Marketing/Public Relations, Repertoire

Think choral music is only found in drafty churches or formal concert halls? Think again! These innovators are stretching our imaginations and taking choral performances to the next level. Read more

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Out of the Concert Hall...

Out of the Concert Hall...

Choral Concerts in Unusual Venues

Kelsey Menehan | Audiences, Community Outreach, Innovation, Operations, Performance

What happens when you take your concert to a museum, armory, warehouse, stone mill, or parking garage? Performing music in unusual venues can ignite a spark of creativity and community connection for choruses. Read more

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Bringing Today's Choral Composers into Your Community

Bringing Today's Choral Composers into Your Community

Kelsey Menehan | Children/Youth, Composing/Commissioning, Education

How Minnesota's VocalEssence and composer Eric Whitacre helped high school students, choral directors, and community members of all ages discover the power of contemporary choral music through a festival and community sing event. Read more

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Resources

Two Composition Lessons from Handel

Two Composition Lessons from Handel

Chorus America Staff | Composing/Commissioning, Conducting, Education, History, Repertoire, Research/Data

Handel’s practice of borrowing from other composers allows us the opportunity to probe into the great composer’s style and creative thought processes. A number of scholars have shown without question that the majority of Handel’s borrowings transform his source materials into new creations entirely his own. But what does “entirely his own” really mean? Read more

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Choral Music from Jewish Tradition: Bibliography

Choral Music from Jewish Tradition: Bibliography

Joshua Jacobson | Composing/Commissioning, Diversity, Repertoire

A bibliography of important resources from the Jewish choral tradition prepared by Joshua Jacobson. Read more

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Choral Music from Jewish Tradition:  Music You Should Know and How to Perform it Well

Choral Music from Jewish Tradition: Music You Should Know and How to Perform it Well

Joshua Jacobson | Composing/Commissioning, Diversity, Repertoire

A comprehensive repertoire list prepared by Joshua Jacobson. Read more

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Events

¡Figaro! (90210), In Concert

¡Figaro! (90210), In Concert

151 Bank Street, New York, NY

GBFpress | Performance

Figaro! (90210) showcases Mozart’s celebrated music from The Marriage of Figaro note-for-note with a new English libretto by Vid Guerrerio.  Read more

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Figaro! (90210), In Concert

Figaro! (90210), In Concert

151 Bank Street, New York, NY

GBFpress | Performance

Figaro! (90210) showcases Mozart’s celebrated music from The Marriage of Figaro note-for-note with a new English libretto by Vid Guerrerio.  Read more

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Pacific Chorale presents "The Moon, the Sea and the Stars"

Pacific Chorale presents "The Moon, the Sea and the Stars"

Costa Mesa, CA

Ryan McSweeney | Performance

Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony perform music invoking rivers, seas, and starry nights, featuring the world premiere of Frank Ticheli's first choral-orchestral work, "The Shore," on text by poet David St. John. Read more

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A Tribute to William Appling: The Celebration Continues!

A Tribute to William Appling: The Celebration Continues!

296 Ninth Ave (at West 28th St), New York, NY 10001

21C Media Group |

      A Tribute to William Appling: The Celebration Continues! (A program of music & readings) Date & time:  Saturday, June 29, 2013, 1:30pm Venue:Church of the Holy Apostles, 296 Ninth Ave (at West 28th St) Artists:  William Appling Singers & Orchestra; Jim Hall, guitar; Ian Frazier, writer; Matthew Oltman, conductor; a choir of Appling’s students, colleagues & friends Program: Includes “Have Ye Not Known?” and “Ye Shall Have A Song” from Randall Thompson’s The Peaceable Kingdom Tickets:$25 general admission; available at http://www.muzen.com/waso.html  or by calling 201-854-7483 A reception with food and beverages immediately follows the program in the church Read more

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Figaro! (90210)

Figaro! (90210)

151 Bank St, New York, NY 10014

GBFpress | Performance

The debate over immigration reform takes center stage in this multi-cultural adaptation of Mozart’s opera “The Marriage of Figaro” set in present-day Los Angeles. Figaro! (90210) also makes the opera more accessible to contemporary audiences by distilling the action of the show to two and a half hours, including a fifteen minute intermission.   Read more

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San Gabriel Valley Choral Company Presents "Tell It!"

San Gabriel Valley Choral Company Presents "Tell It!"

Pasadena, CA 91101

San Gabriel Val... | Adults/Seniors, Audiences, CA News, Community Outreach, Conducting, Performance, Repertoire, Singing

The San Gabriel Valley Choral Company presents a concert entitled “Tell It!”  Complete with soloists and instrumentalists, this rousing concert features folk songs, spirituals, and American classics by Aaron Copland, Stephen Foster, and more.  Tickets are now available at the cost of $9 to $15 for two performances:  June 8 at 6:15 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Monrovia and June 15 at 5:00 p.m. at All Saints Church in Pasadena.  More information can be found at www.choralcompany.org or by calling 626-579-2433. Read more

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San Gabriel Valley Choral Company Presents "Tell It!"

San Gabriel Valley Choral Company Presents "Tell It!"

Monrovia, CA 91016

San Gabriel Val... | Adults/Seniors, Conducting, Families, Performance, Repertoire, Singing

The San Gabriel Valley Choral Company presents a concert entitled “Tell It!”  Complete with soloists and instrumentalists, this rousing concert features folk songs, spirituals, and American classics by Aaron Copland, Stephen Foster, and more.  Tickets are now available at the cost of $9 to $15 for two performances:  June 8 at 6:15 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Monrovia and June 15 at 5:00 p.m. at All Saints Church in Pasadena.  More information can be found at www.choralcompany.org or by calling 626-579-2433. Read more

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Highland Park Chorale and Orchestra

Highland Park Chorale and Orchestra

Dallas, TX

Greg Hobbs | Performance

Magnificat Johann Sebastian Bach Mass in D György Orbán Read more

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Highland Park Chorale and Orchestra

Highland Park Chorale and Orchestra

Dallas, TX

Greg Hobbs | Performance

Stabat Mater Emanuele d'Astorga The Spirit that Sets Us Free Stephen Paulus Missa in Solstitio Andrew Smith Read more

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Highland Park Chorale and Orchestra

Highland Park Chorale and Orchestra

Dallas, TX

Greg Hobbs | Performance

When David Heard Richard Burchard Be Not Afraid Knut Nystedt Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing Herbert Howells Ein feste Burg, ist unser Gott Johann Sebastian Bach 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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