3.1 Choirs

Introduction

There tends to be a line drawn between orchestral conductors and choral conductors. Whether you consider yourself firmly in one camp or the other, it is naïve to ignore the world of choirs! Bear in mind that ‘orchestral’ conductors may well end up in front of a large symphonic chorus if they are invited to conduct an orchestral-choral work, and a ‘choral’ conductor may well end up conducting an orchestra if their choir decides to collaborate with an orchestra for a concert. The best approach is to think that the two fields are completely intertwined and grounded in exactly the same technique. This chapter explores a few technique tricks that work particularly well when conducting choirs. We also develop some ideas from the previous technique chapters in relation to choral conducting specifically.