May Day!

Spring is trying really hard to come to Edmonton. We've had a week that felt like Summer, followed quickly by a week that felt like Winter. The rain/snow we received this last week was a welcome relief in many ways though, as we had been under an outdoor fire ban since the start of spring, and now it is lifted - at least for the time being. Drought conditions come very quickly now in the prairies, and unless we receive a good deal more rain in the coming months, things will dry up quickly for sure.

Many things have come to an end in April, including classes. All my marks have been submitted, and I just need to clean off my desk and then I can stay away from the college until late August!

The most significant thing to come to an end for me though is my time with the Richard Eaton Singers. After six years as Associate Conductor, we both felt that it was time to move in a different direction. I was hired initially as someone who could help the artistic director while he served as chair of the Department of Music, and then take an entire season as interim director during his sabbatical. Now that he is back with the choir full-time, it was time to return to a model where they offered a smaller choral scholarship and experience to a graduate student.

It has been an incredible experience for me. Conducting and singing in a chorus of over a hundred singers isn't for everyone, but where else would you get the opportunity to sing the majority of your concert with full orchestra, and tackle rep like Brahms Requiem, Verdi Requiem, Beethoven 9, even the choral version of 1812? I've grown a lot as a musician with this group, and take away valuable experience that many young conductors will never have.

Most of all, I will miss the people in the choir. Many of them have become quite close friends, and although I will still see them from time to time, not seeing them every Tuesday night will be a major change for me.

As you can see from the picture, I was sent off in style!

It will open up a spot in my schedule to take on something new, but for now, I will enjoy having another night a week to spend with my wife. No doubt I will drop in on the choir from time to time, and might even appear for one of their shows next year (It will be hard to hold me back from St. Matthew Passion....)

This week will be a busy one. My parents arrive tomorrow night for a week, and I have two concerts the next weekend while they are here, one in Calgary and the next day in Edmonton. The concert I'm conducting, along with the conductor and choristers of the Spiritus Chamber choir of Calgary, is a production of all double choir music. Highlights include Frank Martin's Mass for Double Choir, and Jonathan Dove's "The Passing of the Year". Much of the concert we will repeat in Saskatoon on May 21st at the Podium conference.

It's going to be a great show - hope to see you there!

Here's the poster for the Edmonton show (click for a large image)


The Calgary information can be found here

And Saskatoon Podium 2010 Concert information here!

Winding Down and Counting Down

The Winding Down:

Holy week has come and gone, and with it six large choral/organ services in seven days, two trumpets, one ham, scalloped potatoes, and a fair amount of chocolate and jelly beans have been consumed. (OK, I didn't consume the trumpets, perhaps some extra punctuation was warranted there).

The last full day of classes was today, although my last teaching day was last Thursday, so just a few reports to mark and a final exam to set and mark left!

Two shows with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra to sing this week. A fun concert of pops, everything from "O Fortuna" to "Clang Clang Clang went the Trolley", then RES cools down for the year, with only a few rehearsals before break.

The Counting Down:

Da Camera has a few big shows in May. We are teaming up with a sister choir from Calgary, the Spiritus Chamber Choir (their director and I are good friends, and were roommates for sometime around 8-10 years ago). We do one show in Calgary on the 8th, then reprise the show in Edmonton on the 9th.

"Podium" then begins on May 20th in Saskatoon, where our two choirs will meet again to perform a portion of our program at the national choral communities conference. Always a great conference to meet with the conductors from across Canada, hear some great choirs, and attend great sessions on choral music.

My hope is to get over my little case of blog-block by then and be back here in more regular intervals, perhaps highlighting a few of the sessions and choirs that will be featured in Saskatoon.

Miscellaneous:

A typical Edmonton spring weather is having trouble deciding between abnormally warm temperatures, and chilly cold temperatures, sunshine, rain and snow (yes, still snow). Although, not enough rain or snow according to the farmers. It seems the drought will continue this year as it is already dryer now than this time last year. A full fire ban has been in effect already, which is earlier than I can ever remember. Golf season is around the corner, but just when you think the corner is getting close, another night of snow happens (and then drys up by the end of the day). So I'm hopeful that I will be on the course soon.

In fact, the clubs are already in the trunk!

Dusting off the blog

Over fifteen days since my last post - so I figured at the very least, a few updates on what's been happening in my life as of late. I have a few other post subjects brewing - so hopefully I can put them into words in the next few weeks. My apologies to my ChoralBlog contributors for my hiatus there, but I will be back soon!

The Heinrich Schütz concert I was blogging about in my last post was an incredible success, which now fulfills our commitment to mount two concerts in the 2009/10 season. At this point, we don't have plans to do another until the fall, although, most of the singers are pressuring us to do another in the spring. There is a slim chance of this - most likely it would be a small ensemble concert, or a quintet show of some kind. I plan to meet with my co-artistic director this week and see what is possible. It is a lot of work - but a heck of a lot of fun at the same time, and we are filling the void of early music in the city right now.

This week, something completely different. I'm singing in the chorus for two Edmonton Symphony concerts, featuring a reprise of John Estacio's "The Houses Stand Not Far Apart". Which, in my opinion, is one of the most exciting large scale choral/orchestra works written in the last decade - with much lasting potential. The second half of the program is Beethoven's Ninth. Quite an honour for John I think to be paired with this orchestral standard. However, I think that Beethoven would also be honoured.

Funny to think that in my 38 years, it is my first Beethoven Nine! This is my last year with Richard Eaton Singers, and although large symphonic choirs are not for everyone, I highly recommend that EVERYONE who plans to make a living in choral music should spend some time singing in one of these choirs. In the last five years, I have sung - Brahms Requiem, Verdi Requiem, Beethoven Nine, Elgar Dream of Gerontius and a few other works that can/should only be performed by a large choir. I also sang the ubiquitous Messiah performances and one St. John Passion, which purists would say should only be attempted by "period" sized ensembles. However, singing them in large choirs is kind of like riding a Moped - they are tons of fun - just don't tell your friends.

In a few weeks we'll be presenting our next concert with Da Camera Singers. An afternoon of music based on Love and Roses, suitably placed on February 14th. Trying to think up some creative marketing ideas, and perhaps some door prizes that might include chocolates, roses, wine, or all three (an a free Eulogies CD - after all, nothing says "love" like a CD about ... death!) A day after this concert, I fly to Toronto for two weeks to adjudicate some junior piano at Kiwanis. Should be a good time - yet, a lot of work, and ... a LOT of sonatinas. Look for a few blogs from my Fairmont hotel room in T.O. during that time.

Currently, I'm waiting at my house for UPS to arrive with our Amazon.ca shipment. Yes folks, we are finally getting Rock Band II for our Wii.

I'm a really really really good drummer.

Verdi Withdrawl

It's been a long time since I've had postpartum issues with big performances. Since I've made the switch from student musician to professional musician some years ago, I've been able put away the music of a concert and move on to the next project without too much of a thought of what I just did. However, after this past weekend's Verdi Requiem performance, I found it quite difficult to let it go.

It might have been that this was my first Verdi Requiem, but I think it was more about the fact that the performance was extremely powerful, and emotional. Many members of the orchestra commented that it was the best Verdi Requiem Edmonton has heard in the last fifteen years. For a new tenor in the choir beside me, it was his first concert ever with orchestra, so his enthusiasm only heightened my awareness of the significance of the performance for me, taking me back twenty years, when I sang the Brahms Ein Deutches Requiem with the University of Ottawa choirs and orchestra, my first large choir and orchestra experience. There was also the added emotional issue that the performance was dedicated to the memory of a chorister who suddenly lost his battle with cancer this past August, only a week before the first rehearsal (read more about this here from the conductor of Richard Eaton Singers, and of the Verdi Requiem performance).

In any event, it has taken me three days to recover from the performance. I found myself in the grocery store on Monday wandering the aisles at a complete loss as to why I was there, and why I would ever need food to sustain life when I felt I had given everything of myself only twelve hours earlier. I did two laps of the store and looked in the cart only to find a 4 litre jug of milk, a package of English muffins, peanut butter, pita bread and humus. It sounds funny now, and my wife and I laughed about the state of our fridge this morning, but at the time I swear I was on the verge of tears. And I felt this way for nearly two full days. Even today, although now emotionally stable again, and found my lost appetite, I still find myself singing the fugue subjects from the Libera Me, or hearing the echo of the bass drum in the Dies Irae. Perhaps a second performance would have lifted me out of this a little quicker, but in any event, in some ways it was a life-altering performance, and not one I'm soon to forget.

However, it is now on to the next project. Working on Bach BWV 140 and the Haydn Little Organ Mass for two performances on December 6th with Alberta Baroque should pull me out of this quickly - as I'm not sure that singing in the back-up "Whoville" chorus for Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is going to do it for me this weekend.

and on the eighth day ...

Having enjoyed all 25 hours of All Saints' Day (thank you day light savings time - see you in the Spring!) I'm wondering if we can just keep that extra hour in the day, every day, and while we are at it, add one extra day in the week? I could get SO much more accomplished!

Great concert yesterday afternoon with Da Camera. In particular, the Mendelssohn Sechs Sprüche was a highlight for me, and much of the audience I think. The rest of the program was also well received, and the choir's first attempt at Jesu Meine Freude was full of highlights. Bravo to all I say.

So what's next you ask?

• Next weekend is a "dark" weekend for me - in the sense that I can actually get my tux to the cleaners and not worry about needing it for at least 14 more days. I do have a full slate of rehearsals to prepare for a Pro Coro Concert, the annual "Men's choir" concert, which is becoming a mainstay for the choir and is always a personal highlight for my concert year. That concert is on the 15th.
• Then in a blink of an eye Richard Eaton Singers performs the Verdi Requiem on the 22nd (a first sing for me, if you can believe it, and I'm loving it!)
• Then six days later I have to prepare the choir for the annual Christmas Wish Foundation concert with the Royal Canadian Artillery Band, not really a musical highlight, but good old fashioned fun, and anytime you get to sing the Sir David Willcocks' descants with the Davis Organ makes it worth it.
• A day later it is Advent I, which includes the Advent Carol Service.
  
• A week after that Da Camera sings with Alberta Baroque on their Christmas show, with BWV 140 (apparently I have to sing the tenor recit - frankly, I'm scared). Also on this program I get to conduct Haydn's Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo (aka the "little organ mass")- which has one of the most beautiful Benedictus (Benedicti?) movements in any of his masses.
• A week and a half later I'm singing with RES for the Edmonton Symphony's lighter Christmas Classics concert. Again, not particularly musically fulfilling, aside from RVW's Fantasia on Christmas Carols, which will always have a firm place in my heart, however the Christopher Rouse "Karolju", is just not doing it for me. Perhaps worth a later blog post. It will, however, attract a good sized audience, and they are sure to love it all.
  
• On all weekends in December I got talked into doing a few caroling gigs, something I haven't done since I left Ottawa, and figured I was pretty much done, but the fee for this is almost embarrassingly good, too good to turn down. And the other three singers are great friends, so aside from the financially rewarding aspect, it's going to be a hell of a good time, even if it is four hours a day singing in a shopping centre.
  
• Then it is Christmas! Two Christmas eve services and one Christmas morning service.
• Then my wife and I are packing up the car and heading HERE for two nights for our annual "sit in the lodge, swim outside in the huge heated pool while the snow falls, enjoy the mountain backdrop, skate on the lake, play cribbage, eat good food, drink good wine, leave our computers at home, and DO NOTHING for three days. A good way to spend the extra money made on caroling!
  

Of course, by the time we get to the Lodge, it will probably look like this, but you got to trust me on this one - there is nothing like swimming in a 90 degree pool when it's below freezing outside!

Stringing together a living in Music

Not sure how August has crept up so fast, but now that it is here, it is time to start the prep work for the season ahead.

In many ways, my year ahead is a bit lighter, I switch from interim director of Richard Eaton Singers back to my role of Associate Conductor. Mostly, I'll be singing with my friends in the 1st tenor section, running a few sectionals, and occasionally a full rehearsal in Len's absence. But otherwise, it's back to being a chorister, something I didn't do much of last year, so I am looking forward to it!

Da Camera has a busy schedule this year to make up for that. We have our regular three concert season, as well as a guest appearance with the Alberta Baroque Ensemble in December, and then two mini trips within the prairies. One to Calgary, and the other as a participating choir at Podium 2010 in Saskatoon. Both the Calgary and Saskatoon trips will be with Spiritus Chamber Choir from Calgary, and both choirs are looking forward to that a great deal!

Unfortunately, do to a variety of circumstances, mostly returning staff members from sabbaticals and other administrative leaves, there is no teaching for me at the University of Alberta this year. This is sad for me, as I've been hired as a contract teacher now for eleven years in a row. I just hope that I'll be able to work my way back in again next year. It is always a challenge to get contract teaching work - and very unpredictable. I was however offered two courses to teach at Concordia University College School of Music - so it does fill that void.

I also still have my most wonderful church position at Holy Trinity Anglican Church - which in many ways is my most stable and important job I have.

This year, in collaboration with an excellent soprano friend, we are combining forces to begin what we hope will be a long standing professional organization designed to bring in world class local and choristers to produce and perform selected choral projects. The projects will range from early music ensembles of one to a part, to larger scale choral projects with chamber orchestra. In this the pilot year of the project, we are planning two concerts, one of relatively under performed English renaissance composers, Like William Mundy, and newer compositions, and the other an all Schütz program, with up to sixteen singers and a theorbist from the Early Music Institute of the University of Indiana. I'm very excited to get this ball rolling, as there is currently a void in our choral market on this type of specialized ensemble. More on this project in a later post.

So, I'll enjoy a bit more golf in the last month of summer, but the spare time will be devoted to preparing course outlines, rehearsal schedules, finalizing repertoire, and securing musicians for both Da Camera, and the soon to be named project ensembles.

Hope your final month of summer and preparation goes well, and you are rested and invigorated to begin the fall season with a fresh outlook!

Springing out of action

It seems the plague of early spring and post midterm concerts is rampant in these parts! Both my community choirs have seen a decline in attendance of up to 25% in the last three weeks since our last concerts.

The spring cold and flu season aside, it seems that with the snow FINALLY melting, and the sun shining later into the evening, the last thing people want to do is come to choir practice. The problem is, we have concerts left to do - BIG concerts left to come. Including an all German rep with Da Camera, including Brahms' Zigeunderlieder Op. 103 and Rheinberger's Cantus Missae for Double choir, and RES is putting on Bruckner's massive Mass No. 2 in e minor. All this needs to be rehearsed and performed by the end of May. I'm seriously considering ways of ending the choral season in early April for now on.

Anyone having attendance problems at this time of year?

In other news, my church choir is gearing up for the Triduum this weekend. We kicked off Holy Week in style on Palm Sunday with a service of nearly two hours, in which we sang the Allegri Miserere during communion. I was all proud and happy about that, (and just to toot my own horn, we did a fantastic job of it). And then I read Peter Phillips' article in The Spectator, where he tells the world that we probably shouldn't ever attempt it. Wasn't it Phillips who made the Miserere famous by recording it with the Tallis Scholars?

Tomorrow is the last day of classes at the University. Ask me if I'm happy!

Where are my golf clubs?

Tongue Twister of the day

There I am in front of the choir this week, trying to teach this line to the choir, from Handel's Solomon:  "Now the hard fought battle won" Which is set in a very excited double-choir-quickly-sung-polyphony type of thing.  

Of course in good English diction, the "r" in "hard" should not be pronounced.

So I demonstrate .. "Hard Fought .. H-aw-d Fought ... h-aw-d fought ...  Hot Fart" 

Well, so much for productivity on that movement.

Let's see you say "Hard Fought" 10x fast!

RETREAT!

Well, it's early fall, which means it is retreat season!  The first choir retreat that I am conducting is coming up this weekend, and then the second one happens the weekend after Canadian Thanksgiving.  One of them is in town, meaning I get to sleep in my own bed in the evenings, and the other is in a log cabin on a secluded creek just outside of town.  Both of them will offer a great advantage to my choirs to do some concentrated learning, as well as opportunity to socialize, and build on choir morale.  

Having been involved in choir retreats for many years on the other side of the podium, I know how difficult it is for a chorister to stay mentally alert for all those rehearsals!  In the past couple of year though I have found that these retreats can be awfully taxing on me as a conductor.  After approximately twelve hours of rehearsals over three days, there are moments during the retreat where my focus dwindles, my patience grows thin, my arms get sore, my voice gets tired, my back gets sore, and the list goes on.  I'm fortunate to have an assistant for both of these choirs though, and I will make much use of them over the two weekends!

For our retreat with my chamber choir, which is the one we do out of town, I have found a pretty good system where we have enough time to really learn some repertoire, as well as finding time to enjoy the surroundings, and each other.

On the opening night, we rehearse for a couple of hours before dinner, and another hour after dinner.  Saturday morning I try to plan an extended warm-up, which will include enough stretching, vocalizing, breathing and tuning exercises to get people a bit more relaxed and ready to sing.  If someone in the choir is a yoga expert, this is the opportunity to use them.  The day is then divided up with sectionals and enough breaks to enjoy the day - especially if the weather is permitting.  This year, we are planning to take our new promotional photos, which should take up a good hour or so of the afternoon.  I also plan for at least one rehearsal to be spent on "new" music that we will be learning for future concerts in the season - something to keep the mind active, and sight reading chops in working order.  The evening will have a shortened rehearsal followed by a games night where we can all relax and get to know each other a bit better (there is often Bailey's involved!).  Sunday morning will also have a rehearsal component, but as many of our singers are off to church choir obligations, I have to limit it to easier repertoire, and small accomplishments.

This year, I expect much of the weekend retreat to be involved in memorization!  We are doing three spiritual arrangements, and it would be pointless to perform them with music in front of us.  So if we can memorize at least one or two of these works over that weekend - that will be a significant accomplishment indeed!

Do you have retreats coming up?  What are your strategies for an effective weekend retreat? 

Hitting the ground with at least one foot running

It's September 2nd, and so far, all is quiet. In fact as soon as the new CBC 2 Morning show started playing what they are referring to as "music" ... the bedroom got really quiet again. After 30+ years of never once hitting a snooze button, I've been converted... in fact, the snooze button is closely followed by the OFF button - a really really sad day for our national broadcasting service.

The quietness is going to change in a few hours though as the inevitable "back to reality" mode hits. On the list of things to do today is to finish up two course outlines and stand in front of a photocopier for a few hours while they all print. Apparently I have a TA for the course I'm teaching at U of A, and I was hoping I could use that person to do the copier work for me - but I haven't received confirmation of who this is - and class begins tomorrow at 9:00 AM.

Last week, almost certain disaster happened. We are one week away from the beginning of choir rehearsals, and we found out one week ago that the Oratorio "Solomon", which is the work I'll be conducting in late November with Richard Eaton Singers (Edmonton's symphonic choir) is completely OUT OF PRINT and won't be ready until mid-October. However, our incredible librarian and general manager found scores in Toronto, and low and behold, one-hundred-and-thirty copies of the piano vocal score should be somewhere en route, likely in a plane passing over western Ontario as we speak, and should be in the hands of our librarian tomorrow. Amazing really.

Other things on the to do list this week -- finish a job application, which will include putting together CDs and DVDs, prepare material for my church's concert series, including budget and PR related work, prep classes, including online material and powerpoint presentations, and prep rehearsals for next week!

The cats however are still sleeping unaware of the apparent cosmic shift in the world today.

Yes, another Messiah post

I've been holding off on posting about Messiah for the last two weeks. But a few recent posts about this work on other blogs, particularly a post which refers to Messiah "as the piece I'm most heartily sick of above all others", I felt compelled to stand up for those of us who are most certainly not sick of the work, and could sing it, conduct it, listen to it any day, any time of year, any time of day.

Now, if there should be someone who is sick of Messiah, you'd think I'd be a good candidate. I've been a part of some kind of Messiah production since I was eight years old, that's almost thirty years. I've sung three of four vocal parts (and I'm sure I know all the notes for all four of them, but just don't have the range to ever be a bass), and I've conducted it a few times (at least one time where I wasn't in my own house, and had to be sober) and rehearsed it countless times. Yet, I never tire from it.

This week on CBC2's morning show Music and Company, the weekly cage match, where the host puts up two works in a "match" and the winner is decided by listeners, has challenged Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker against Handel's Messiah. You can read the CBC2 blog post, and responses here, at the time of this posting, a winner had not been declared yet, and from reading the responses, it's anyone's guess. Responses range from arguing that Messiah is in fact an Easter oratorio, or that Nutcracker just isn't a "great" piece of music. Both arguments are valid, however, based on the music alone, there is no contest in my mind. Messiah is the clear cut winner.

Why is it then that some people, mostly choristers and instrumentalists, are so passionate about their dislike of Messiah? Is it really Handel's fault? Unlikely.

Here are the factors I think play a role in the general dislike of Messiah for those who are in the business. These are especially true in "large" choruses. First and foremost are the choir personalities. There's the "I don't need the score - I have it memorized, so I'm not going to write anything down" and thereby get every new marking wrong (like releases). There's the sudden surge of new Christmas Sweaters, ties and flashy broach pins at choir rehearsals which are enough to make anyone a little sick of the commercialism surrounding the whole event. There's the one who complains the whole time because "it's not the way he/she would have done it", or "it's not the way we did it last year". There's the large bass section who just can't seem to "purify" fast enough. Imagine the intimidation factor of being a new chorister to the choir who has never sung Messiah before on that first rehearsal? Wouldn't that be enough to make you want to quit? Then there are the conductors, usually guest conductors, who are trying to make Messiah "new" to them, and the reluctant choristers who won't conform to change. There are the overused scores which are so marked up that you can't tell if the conductor wants a dotted rhythm or not in bar 12 of "Behold the Lamb of God". There's the conductor that year who insists the first chorus "and the Glory" is in three, instead of one to a bar. The list goes on and on.

So, after all this, why is it that I love Messiah, and could never tire from it? Simple - it's a great work. Yes, GREAT work. Once you get past all the stuff in the above paragraph and actually concentrate on the work itself, the incredible writing, the inspiring texts, the work as a whole, it is indisputable that the piece is fantastic! I didn't realize this until a bit later in life though. I was in my mid-twenties, with already about fifteen years of Messiah under my belt, and a colleague of mine suggested I buy a new recording, one by Paul McCreesh with the Gabrieli Consort. It was mid-July, far removed from Christmas, or Easter - definitely not your usual Messiah listening to month. After the great folks at BMG had delivered my copy, I decided to listen to a bit of it. A little over two and a half hours later, I had finished listening to the whole thing. There were moments that I was reduced to tears, moments where I was laughing (the pifa is the fastest "pifa" I've ever heard) and moments was I was so excited by the performance I couldn't sit still (the string playing during "refiners fire" and "all they that see him" is a highlight for sure). It was then that I realized what a great work it truly is, and also the fact that it doesn't require a "season" at all. The meaning of the work spreads its way through the entire season. Part I, yes, Christmas. Part II, for sure, Lent and Easter. But Part III? Redemption, Revelations, the "moral of the story" as it were - there is no season for this - it's the POINT OF TELLING THE WHOLE STORY - worth listening to any day of the year.

Since that moment about ten years ago, I've learned to approach every Messiah performance with a new energy. Finding out new things about it, and new meanings. Meanings which change depending on my current life situation or world situations.

So, if you are in the group of people who detest the work, then ask yourself why it is you do. If it's the over performance factor, then maybe sit out a year or two, revisit it in the middle of the summer with your favourite recording, or buy a new recording which brings out something different for you. But don't "hate it" just because you feel you have to.

Anyhow, I have to get the tree up, I think I'll put on a good recording (I think know which one) and then I have to get ready for tonight. My wife and I are taking our nephew out to see Nutcracker.

Are all Choral Conductors poor Orchestral Conductors?

On the ride home last night after our Symphonic Choir's guest appearance with the Symphony in thier "lighter Christmas Classics" concert, my wife and were commenting on the guest conductor, who is one of the conductors of a reputable pops orchestra down south. My wife commented on the fact the he was quite clear, and certainly proved to be both an effective orchestral conductor as well as providing enough attention to the chorus to keep us all happy. The "conducting professor" in me immediately found ways to criticize his tight shoulders, loose wrist, his tendency to subdivide where no subdivisions are necessary, and for the most part, his lack of expression - however, for the most part, I agreed with my wife. He seemed very comfortable in both idioms as an accomplished orchestral conductor, and choral conductor. Not a great conductor, but very capable.

I recently read on a blog somewhere of an orchestral musician complaining about how they disliked performing Messiah, mainly for the number of times that they had to perform it with so many "poor choral conductors" at the helm. My immediate reaction of course was one of defense. (To be fair, the blogger did qualify the statement by saying that not ALL choral conductors were poor). It got me thinking though, about how many times I've complained about singing for orchestral conductors that do not know enough about choirs to effectively conduct a large work for chorus and orchestra. I even remember one of them saying "Don't look for cues from me, my concern is the orchestra." Of all the musicians who actually NEED the cues - choirs should be at the top of the list shouldn't they?

Here are some of my observations of differences between large choruses and orchestras, besides the brutally obvious. Symphonic choirs, most of which are over 100 singers, have such a wide range of abilities - from the skilled music reader right down to the singer who learns everything by rote, and relies on those with more ability around them to help them learn, but once it's learned, it can't be unlearned - to everything in between. Professional orchestral musicians are all extremely accomplished musicians who are the best available players of their instruments. Singers tend to put life and limb in the hands of the conductor. After having dozens of rehearsals with their chorus master for a show, it is a tricky thing for them to adjust to a new conductor, who is not giving them the attention that they were used to (specifically for cues and releases). Remember - most of these singers don't actually count, they are looking for the visual command (heck - it's not uncommon for them to practice mundane things like sitting, standing, lifting music and bowing on cue even - something you don't see in orchestral concerts). They are less concerned about the difference between subdivided two and a four beat pattern then they are about a consonant release or an offbeat entrance.

Orchestral conducting and choral conducting I believe are two very different skill sets, and one is always going to compromise the other when you are faced with both choir and orchestra at the same time. Although my training is predominantly in choral conducting, I was lucky enough to study with our University's orchestra conductor for two terms during my Doctoral studies. I studied at the length about conducting an effective pizzicato, understanding bow markings and the many various articulations associated with each instrument. Yet few orchestral conductors worry themselves of how to conduct a proper release of an "M" consonant, or take any care to learn about diction or proper breath support. I was quite happy, however, to have the experience of conducting Prokofiev, Stravinsky, and Poulenc in a completely orchestral idiom. I feel that I am quite comfortable in front of an orchestra, maybe a little intimidated at first rehearsal, but I've always been told that I am quite clear, and they enjoy playing for me. I'm assuming that they wouldn't tell me this unless it were true.

My question is - how many "great" conductors are there who can work effectively with both Choir and Orchestra? In my experience, I've only met a few great ones. One of which is Yannick Nézet-Séguin - who first studied as conducting as .... a Choral Conductor ... just saying.

Busy week off to a "won't start"

How nice is it to wake up on Monday morning and say "OK, here we go - two dress rehearsal, and three concerts, on top of the usual rehearsals through the week, then by Sunday night, ALL my Christmas concert are essentially OVER.

The weather right now in the thriving northern metropolis is, in a word, COLD. How cold you ask? Right now, 10:38 am, with the wind chill it feels like -25 celcius (-13 in Fahrenheit, 248 above absolute zero Kelvin ... you get the idea - it's cold) Oh, and it's snowing, not heavily, but off and on since Sunday night. My wife and I left our house at around 5:30 in order to make it to rehearsal #1 of the evening, complete in full concert dress for a photo shoot at the start of rehearsal #2 (at least they were in the same building). At around 10:00, when all rehearsals were over, the temperature had dropped to something just below "I can't feel my toes" but above "I can still walk, talk and think". I was happy I had found parking spot close to the back stage door - and my car, ever reliable through the last five winters, was covered in a film of fresh snow, but at least looked eager to go. I started it, took out the snow brush to wipe it down, it sputtered, and stopped. "Not good" I thought.
I waited... restarted .. sputter .. stopped.
I waited... restarted .. REVVVVED .. sputtered ... stopped.
I waited... restarted .. nothing, eventually battery failure.

Not the start, or "no start" of the week I wanted. Luckily my wife's emergency road plan sent a crew out (far sooner than the four hour estimate). He also could not start the car, and a tow truck has taken my dead car to my garage. I just hope I'm not without it for too long - as much of my music is still in the back seat (oops).

Christmas "Musical Prostitution"

One more week left of constant rehearsals and concerts, then I can go into auto pilot mode until Christmas. Actually, it will be the first year in a long time that I am "done" with regards to Christmas shows so early, so I consider myself lucky.

Next week I have a symphony pops concert (blech!) where besides the ubiquitous "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" jazz arrangement (yes, a symphonic choir of 120+ choristers singing in close harmony!) we are also presenting two Christmas epics by Randol Bass, who is John Williams' answer to an orchestral Christmas. Following that will be a two performances in one day show with the local Baroque Orchestra, with the crowd favourite "Vivaldi Gloria". Don't get me wrong, I love Vivaldi, but if I didn't have to sing the Gloria again for at least thirty more years, I'd be OK with that (I could add Faure Requiem to that list as well, but that's a little off topic).

On to the topic at hand. If it weren't for Christmas, choirs would probably starve to death (most are eating from the bottom of the gruel pot as it is). For the last two yeas, I've managed to avoid programing a Christmas "potpourri" concert in favour of an early November concert. However, it's not to say we haven't done our share of Christmas shows. Last year, My chamber choir was asked to sing at the Symphony's Christmas pops concert - highlights included two Randol Bass Christmas medley's (there are so many thing wrong with that, that I don't know where to begin), and a women's choir arrangement of "Mele Kalikimaka", complete with Hawaiian leis. For a choir that is used to doing programs of the odd Bach Motet, plenty of Vaughan Williams (I'm Anglican after all) and Romantic part-songs of Brahms, Elgar and the like ... Mele Kalikimaka is bit of a stretch. The rehearsals were met with a certain amount of groaning and dissatisfaction from the choristers - no where near a mutiny, but displeasure was in the air. In the end it was an enjoyable experience all around, as symphony concerts often are (it was actually my wife's idea to buy the Leis for the Hawaiian number, putting them on without the conductor's knowledge. It was a great moment). One thing I will not forget though is the look on our financial secretary's face when he was presented with the cheque from the symphony. To which my reply was ... "it's sort of like 'musical prostitution' isn't it." Turns out singing easy Christmas arrangements for two nights would basically cover the costs of our next two concerts, and still have change left over to put into our tour account. It almost makes you feel guilty.

About fifteen years ago, in the prime of my undergraduate career, I joined a caroling quartet. We worked about four or five caroling shows a week starting late November, and closer to Christmas about three gigs a day mostly in shopping malls. The money was lucrative, I made more cash in that month then I did all year as a freelance musician at the time. The music is mind-numbing at the best of times, and only involves being able to sing the right notes, and have enough stamina to sing for three hours, louder than the ambient noise around you. It does nothing to further your ability to sing better (in fact, one might argue the contrary), or improve your general understanding of music and musicality. Yet, wow ... $$

It seems that the public, and businesses, are willing to spend so much money on music during the Christmas season, and we as musicians are wired to take advantage of it. I'd be willing to bet that the majority of funds in any business which are budgeted towards "social activities" go into the annual Christmas party, and entertainment is one of the larger expenses.

I'm not complaining though - secretly, I love it, and I'm not only talking about the money here. Christmas brings out the best in musicians, and even though my friends in my profession are running from gig to gig for the whole month, few complain about it. I'm sure a big part of it is the money that comes with it, however, there is something else, something intangible about it. Perhaps its the larger audiences, the friendly faces in the crowds, the ability for most patron to look past a wrong note or two in favour of MORE. Even at those dreaded shopping mall caroling gigs, there was always a moment, every time we were there, that a young child stopped his or her parents, who were usually in a mad dash to get in and out of the stores, to hear one more verse of "Up on The House Top." "Kid, if you like this ... you should have heard us last month performing Britten's War Requiem!" OK... maybe not yet.

December begins tomorrow and many of us are preparing for a slew of concerts - here's hoping that you see many smiling faces, full houses, and ... some extra spending money!

Cats, Crackers and Cheese

It is the eve before my parents arrive from the east, and my lovely wife and I are madly cleaning house, making the spare room ready, drinking Australian Shiraz, and training the cats not to jump up on people. Well, the last one is going to be a loss cause. My mother isn't a big fan of anything that isn't bipedal - especially if most of their mass is covered in hair, and especially if they are stupid. Which describes both of our cats. We do love them dearly however - not to worry.

Plans for the weekend include a reception in honour of my graduation tomorrow night at a dear friends house. I'm not a huge fan of this kind of attention. ... Oh, hogwash - I love it, every minute of it - and I can't wait to share it all with my parents. I am a conductor after all, there needs to be some little tiny thread of self-right-ee-ousness, egotistical "LOOK AT ME" attitude, or I probably wouldn't be where I am today. However, the shy and quiet side is also evident at times - hence the anonymity of this blog. Anyhow, beautiful wife is right now in the kitchen putting together massive trays of veggies, crackers, and various sorts of cheese in preparation for tomorrow night.

Aside from the party tomorrow, and convocation on Thursday - everything continues on at the same rate of speed - which is somewhere between a brisk walk and a gentle gallop. I have a rehearsal with a whole pile of brass instruments and organ tomorrow afternoon, in preparation for a dress rehearsal on Monday, and concert on Thursday evening. Parents leave again on Friday midday - I'm predicting the week will fly by - but with much joy.

One of three potential job applications is now in the mail. The other two will be prepared after Christmas. Not holding much hope for any of them, but that's OK. The joy is - I love everything that I am doing - so if something comes along - it's going to have to be a good one!