Now more than ever, it’s important for choruses to understand their rights and responsibilities regarding the use of published music. New technologies are changing the way organizations purchase and use copyrighted materials. To complement a session at the 2018 Chorus America Conference, five music publishers talk about the key questions they are facing.
Expanding its work around issues of equity and inclusion in classical music, the Sphinx Organization has launched EXIGENCE, a new professional vocal ensemble made up of singers of color. What were the impulses that led to the creation of EXIGENCE? Why is this development important to the choral field?
In early 20th-century Chicago, the intersection of classical and gospel church traditions gave birth to the modern gospel chorus movement. This history has made Chicago the gospel choir capital of the world—and continues to have an impact on ensemble singing today.
This article is part of a series highlighting new choral repertoire that can be used by a wide range of choirs to address different community issues.
For any chorus, finding the right repertoire can be an imposing task. But the process is especially difficult for community choruses. Why is the search so hard for them, how do they deal with the obstacles, and what more can be done to help these ensembles locate the music that’s right for them?
In our Winter 2017-18 issue of The Voice, Chorus America spoke to conductors and publishers about how to address the challenge of finding quality repertoire for community choruses. So what are some specific pieces that these publishers and composers would recommend for these groups? We asked a wide range of publishers and composers in the field to recommend one work from their own catalogue that they felt is especially suited to community choruses. The list we compiled represents a broad spectrum of cultural traditions, orchestrations, and voicings—including links to websites for more information when available.
Each month, Chorus America profiles one of our members in our Meet A Member interview series. To mark the season of giving, we often change things up a little bit for December by speaking with Chorus America donors. This year, we spoke to Hussein Janmohamed and Joan Szymko, the two composers donating compositions for Chorus America’s 2018 Commission Consortiums.
The December holidays are synonymous with choral music, and thousands of people in North America celebrate with singing in or attending concerts that feature timeless carols and familiar favorites. But some choruses are breaking away from the tried-and-true holiday concert formula. We spoke with several choral leaders whose ensembles are highlighting lesser-known traditions, or using holiday themes to explore more universal concepts or address timely social issues.
Alexander Lloyd Blake has plenty of jobs to keep himself busy.
Blake is the choir director for the LA County High School for the Arts, and principal assistant conductor of the National Children's Chorus’ Los Angeles ensemble. But that’s not all. “I'm an assistant conductor at First Congregational Church LA—that's a new one,” Blake recounts. “And I'm studying for my qualifying exams for my doctorate in choral conducting at USC.”
This article is part of a series highlighting new choral repertoire that can be used by a wide range of choirs to address different community issues.
