rehearsal | Sound and Silence

Choral Corner #3: Why do Orthodox choirs need to rehearse? Everyone knows the tones by heart.

Having the tones memorized is a great start, but that's precisely what it is: a start. In the Orthodox tradition, the melodies serve the...

Respecting Singers' Time (and Other Etiquette)

I joined my first performing ensemble at age 5, and from that point to the present, there's one thing that I hate with the burning...

Rehearsal Spotlight: The All-Holy

Note: this is the first in a new series of posts focusing on a single choral-liturgical element, with notes about potential pitfalls and...

Intonation in the Passaggio

Ever notice that intonation problems occur much more frequently on certain pitches? There's a reason for that, and although it's tricky...

Training the Choir to Watch

The only way to learn how to do anything, other than by divine revelation, is to practice, practice, practice. Even professional choirs...

Accurate Vocal Onset

The vocal onset, or beginning of sound, has a huge impact on the rest of the musical phrase. An accurate onset can only happen when the...

Effective Rehearsal: The Importance of Self-marking the Music

In rehearsal, one of my non-negotiables is that singers must mark their own music, and I'd encourage every director to adopt this...

Vowel Unification

All choirs, especially amateur ensembles singing without instrumental accompaniment, struggle with intonation, and there's no easy fix....