ISTANBUL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY « GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND

SOCIAL SCIENCES

EFFICIENCY IN REHEARSAL:
A STUDY ON CHORAL CONDUCTING METHODOLOGY

Ph.D. THESIS

Burak Onur ERDEM

Department of Music

Music Doctoral Programme

FEBRUARY 2020
ISTANBUL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY « GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND
SOCIAL SCIENCES

EFFICIENCY IN REHEARSAL:
A STUDY ON CHORAL CONDUCTING METHODOLOGY

Ph.D. THESIS

Burak Onur ERDEM

(409122003)

Department of Music

Music Doctoral Programme

Thesis Advisor: Doç. Dr. Yelda Özgen ÖZTÜRK

FEBRUARY 2020
İSTANBUL TEKNİK ÜNİVERSİTESİ « SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ

PROVA VERİMLİLİĞİ:
KORO ŞEFLİĞİ METODOLOJİSİ ÜZERİNE BİR ÇALIŞMA

DOKTORA TEZİ

Burak Onur ERDEM

(409122003)

Müzik Anabilim Dalı

Müzik Doktora Programı

Tez Danışmanı: Doç. Dr. Yelda Özgen ÖZTÜRK

ŞUBAT 2020
Burak Onur Erdem Ph.D. student of ITU Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences
student ID 409122003, successfully defended the dissertation entitled “EFFICIENCY
IN REHEARSAL: A STUDY IN CHORAL CONDUCTING METHODOLOGY”,
which he prepared after fulfilling the requirements specified in the associated
legislations, before the jury whose signatures are below.

Thesis Advisor : Doç. Dr. Yelda Özgen ÖZTÜRK ..............................

Istanbul Technical University

Jury Members : Dr. Eray ALTINBÜKEN .............................

Istanbul Technical University

Prof. Dr. Hasan UÇARSU ..............................

Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University

Doç. Dr. Jerfi Aji ..............................

Istanbul Technical University

Doç. Ahmet Altınel ..............................

Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University

Date of Submission : 30 October 2019

Date of Defense : 17 February 2020
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To my mother for her unconditional support,

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FOREWORD

According to the Singing Europe Report, a research initiated by the European Choral
Association, there are 37 million singers in Europe. Thus, everyday millions of singers
gather in rehearsal rooms to sing together. Choral activity is one of the most
fundamental artistic expressions of humankind and it will continue to be so.
The reason of this dissertation is to examine on how efficient choral conductors can
possibly be in the rehearsal and in all the processes around it. A spectrum from
professional choirs to music classes features the practice of rehearsal and the way
conductors lead it has effects on millions of people. In my opinion, an efficiently led
rehearsal makes choirs and individuals happy and satisfied. In time, it increases the
attachment to the choirs and helps the artform to improve.
In the process of writing this dissertation, I had the opportunity to discover many
different approaches to the rehearsal making process. My hospitation in the rehearsals
of Wiener Singverein and the inspiration I got from Prof. Johannes PRINZ is
indispensable. I would like to thank Prof. Prinz since he is the main motivation behind
this work.
During my writing process, I have been working with the Turkish State Choir and
Rezonans. Both ensembles were incredibly fruitful in terms of efficiency and much
has been derived from my experiences with them. I would like to thank all the members
of both choirs, since they have enabled me to see the process of both professional and
amateur environment of choral music.
Lastly I would like to thank my family and friends who have supported my throughout
this process.
I hope this study inspires us, choral conductors, to prepare better and work more
efficiently, achieving a more peaceful and fruitful enviroment in the rehearsal room.

October 2019 Burak Onur ERDEM

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

FOREWORD ............................................................................................................. ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS.......................................................................................... xi
LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................ xiii
LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................... xv
SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ xvii
ÖZET.......... ................................................................................................... ...........xix
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1
Purpose of the Study........................................................................................... 2
Target Group ...................................................................................................... 3
Limitations.......................................................................................................... 4
The Significance of the Rehearsal Efficiency .................................................... 5
The Case Study of Wiener Singverein ............................................................... 6
TOOLS OF EFFICIENCY IN CHORAL CONDUCTING ............................... 7
Established Rehearsal Methods .......................................................................... 7
Schedule Planning ............................................................................................ 12
Rehearsal Design .............................................................................................. 14
2.3.1 Construction of a rehearsal ....................................................................... 15
2.3.2 Approaching a new piece .......................................................................... 16
2.3.3 Why to repeat and what to repeat .............................................................. 17
Conducting Technique ..................................................................................... 19
2.4.1 The concept of gravity .............................................................................. 20
2.4.2 The shape of the hand ............................................................................... 20
2.4.3 Click or no click ........................................................................................ 21
2.4.4 The face and the mimics ........................................................................... 22
2.4.5 Modification of technique in the rehearsal................................................ 23
Human factors .................................................................................................. 23
2.5.1 Motivation ................................................................................................. 24
2.5.2 Communication ......................................................................................... 25
2.5.3 Discipline .................................................................................................. 28
Warm-up ........................................................................................................... 30
LOGISTICAL BACKGROUND OF EFFICIENT REHEARSING ............... 35
Location ............................................................................................................ 35
3.1.1 Venue ........................................................................................................ 36
3.1.1.1 Visibility and lighting ........................................................................ 36
3.1.1.2 Acoustics of the room ........................................................................ 37
3.1.1.3 Sitting order ........................................................................................ 37
3.1.1.4 Accompanying instruments ................................................................ 38
3.1.1.5 Printed announcements ...................................................................... 39
3.1.2 Neighbourhood.......................................................................................... 39

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 Timing .............................................................................................................. 40
3.2.1 Punctuality of the beginning and the end .................................................. 40
3.2.2 Practicing the exact schedule .................................................................... 42
3.2.3 Daily schedule ........................................................................................... 43
3.2.4 Timing of the dress rehearsal .................................................................... 44
Transportation................................................................................................... 45
3.3.1 When to travel ........................................................................................... 45
3.3.2 How to travel ............................................................................................. 46
3.3.3 Utilising the transfer time .......................................................................... 47
Subsistence ....................................................................................................... 47
3.4.1 Meal schedule ............................................................................................ 47
3.4.2 Utilising meal time for the group .............................................................. 48
Resources .......................................................................................................... 49
3.5.1 Scores ........................................................................................................ 49
3.5.2 Attendance ................................................................................................. 50
3.5.3 Management .............................................................................................. 51
3.5.4 Communication ......................................................................................... 52
3.5.5 Archive ...................................................................................................... 53
People ............................................................................................................... 53
3.6.1 General assembly ...................................................................................... 54
3.6.2 Board ......................................................................................................... 55
3.6.2.1 Tools of representation ....................................................................... 59
3.6.2.2 Flow of communication ..................................................................... 60
3.6.3 Working groups ......................................................................................... 61
CASE STUDY: WIENER SINGVEREIN AND JOHANNES PRINZ ........... 63
Observations ..................................................................................................... 64
4.1.1 Day 1: Choir rehearsal with Prinz ............................................................. 64
4.1.2 Day 2: Choir rehearsal with Prinz and Bychkov ....................................... 70
4.1.3 Day 3: Warm-up and orchestra rehearsal .................................................. 77
4.1.4 Day 4: Warm-up and concert .................................................................... 80
4.1.5 Day 5: Warm-up and concert .................................................................... 81
Interviews ......................................................................................................... 83
4.2.1 Choirmaster: Johannes Prinz ..................................................................... 83
4.2.2 Board Members: Rita Beer and Gabriele Reichelt .................................... 89
4.2.3 Singing Pedagogue: Thomas Künne ......................................................... 93
CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................... 97
Plan for Different Scenarios ............................................................................. 97
Prepare Musically ............................................................................................. 98
Communicate towards a Positive Environment ............................................... 99
Build a Strong and Sustainable Team ............................................................ 100
Support the Choir Outside the Rehearsal Room............................................. 101
REFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 105
APPENDICES ........................................................................................................ 107
APPENDIX A ...................................................................................................... 109
APPENDIX B ....................................................................................................... 111
APPENDIX C ....................................................................................................... 113
CURRICULUM VITAE ........................................................................................ 119

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LIST OF FIGURES

Page

Figure 2.1: A possible model fort he order of the warm-up.........................................35

Figure 3.1: The governance model of the Turkish State Choir as in 2019..................60
Figure 3.2: The governance model of Rezonans as in 2019........................................60
Figure 4.1: The molto legatissimo entrance of the choir (Rehearsal Number 31).......69
Figure 4.2: Bars 517-518, where tenor 2 should be audible........................................70
Figure 4.3: Bar 491, where only soprano 1 sings to achieve the pppp........................71
Figure 4.4: The musical phrasing of the sentence ‘Mit Flügeln...’..............................74
Figure 4.5: Rehearsal number 35 and mix of singing voice and nasal sound..............75
Figure 4.6: The exact spot of the consonant ‘t’...........................................................76
Figure 4.7: Three repetitions of the Word ‘Gott’, all produced differently.................78

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LIST OF TABLES

Page

Table A.1: List of engagements and application categories....................................109

Table A.2: Daily schedule of the Wiener Singverein..............................................110
Table B.1: Daily schedule and rehearsal plan of Rezonans.....................................111
Table C.1: Daily schedule and rehearsal plan of Turkish State Choir.....................115

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 EFFICIENCY IN REHEARSAL:
A STUDY ON CHORAL CONDUCTING METHODOLOGY

SUMMARY

The course of a rehearsal is part of the performance of a conductor. Considering that

choral conductors have to plan a lot in advance to prepare a season and make sure that
this plan functions well, it becomes evident that the efficiency level of a rehearsal is
extremely important for an ensemble.
Many factors have an impact on the efficiency of the rehearsal. The rehearsal
methodology of the conductor, the planning of the schedule and its execution, the
design of the rehearsal period itself, the conducting technique and the utilisation of the
warm-up are prominent topics that should be discussed. On top of that, human factors
like communication, motivation and discipline should be taken into consideration. All
the literature considered, these elements all affect the rehearsal efficiency and function
in combination.
Logistics such as location, timing, transportation and subsistance are not to be
neglected and they can be powerful in boosting performance, as well as decreasing
rehearsal productivity when they are not taken care of. The allocation of the resources
like the score library or the archive have strong effects on the outcomes of a rehearsal.
Last but not least, the organisation within the choir, the self-governance structures, and
the very existence of a board, extended representation tools, working groups, and
general assembly are crucial for a healthy functioning of a choir, thus its efficiency in
the rehearsals.
Looking at the case study of the Wiener Singverein, a world-class choir with a rooted
history and tradition, one can see how a season full of professional engagements can
be managed with a membership of amateur singers. The case study primarily teaches
the reader that the rehearsal is not a result of an improvised performance, but each and
every aspect of it is carefully planned and crafted by the conductor and the driving
forces of the choir.
As a conclusion, this dissertation claims that five fundamental points can summarise
the road to a more efficient rehearsal. These are the following points: Planning for
different scenarios, preparing musically in great detail, communicating towards a
positive environment, building a strong and sustainable team, and supporting the choir
outside the rehearsal room.

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 PROVA VERİMLİLİĞİ:
KORO ŞEFLİĞİ METODOLOJİSİ ÜZERİNE BİR ÇALIŞMA

ÖZET

Prova, şefin performansının bir parçasıdır. Özellikle koro şeflerinin sezonu hazırlamak
için oldukça erken planlamaya başlamaları ve bu planı sağlıklı şekilde yürütmelerinin
gerekliliği düşünülürse, her bir provanın verimliliğinin de topluluk için ne kadar
önemli olduğu anlaşılacaktır.
Şimdiye dek özellikle Alman literatüründe prova yöntemleri ile ilgili birçok akademik
çalışma yapılmış olsa da, verimlilik konusu başlı başına bir kavram olarak nadiren ele
alınmış ve incelenmiştir. Prova verimliliği, bir topluluğun kısa ve uzun vadeli
başarılarını etkileyen temel kriterlerden biridir. Her bir prova, gerek topluluğun tüm
bireylerinin sanatsal açıdan topluluğa bağlı hissetmeleri, gerekse idari açıdan
topluluğun süreçlerinin en iyi şekilde işlemesi için elzem bir kavramdır. Detaylı
şekilde planlanmış, akıllıca tasarlanmış ve hedefi net şekilde belirlenmiş provalar,
koroların çok daha hızlı sonuçlar almalarını sağlayacaktır.
Prova verimliliğini etkileyen birçok faktör söz konusudur. Şefin prova yöntemleri,
takvim planlanması ve yürütülmesi, prova süresinin kendine has tasarımı, şeflik
teknikleri ve ısınmanın kullanılması tartışılması gereken öncelikli konulardır. Bunların
dışında iletişim, motivasyon ve disiplin gibi insan faktörleri de unutulmamalıdır. Bu
konuda yazılmış kaynaklar tarandığında, tüm bu etkenlerin prova verimliliğini
etkilediği ve birlikte çalışarak işlerlik kazandığı görülmektedir.
Tüm bu faktörleri incelerken gerek literatürde, gerekse pratik uygulamalarda öne çıkan
bazı alanlar olduğu tespit edilmektedir. Örneğin şeflik tekniği başlı başına bir
verimlilik aracı olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Tekniğine hakim bir şefin yürüttüğü bir
prova ile, halen teknik araçları öğrenmekte olan şeflerin yürüttüğü provalar zamansal
açıdan farklı sonuçlar vermektedir. Bunun yanı sıra makro düzeyde prova planlaması,
gerek koro şeflerinin gerekse müzik öğretmenlerinin en önemli araçlarından biri olarak
öne çıkmaktadır. En az bir yıllık planı detaylı biçimde yapan şeflerin çok daha net
sonuçlar aldıkları, planlamada eksik olduğunda bunun topluluğun bütün süreçlerinde
kendisini gösteren bir ana sorun olarak karşımıza çıktığını görmekteyiz. Her bir
provanın kendi içindeki tasarımı koristlerin öğrenme gücünü artırabilecek bir
faktörken, ısınmanın provanın içeriğine uygun olarak kullanılması ise koroların aynı
süre içerisinde çok daha hızlı bir öğrenme sürecine geçmelerini sağlamaktadır.
Koro, enstrumantal topluluklara göre çok daha fazla insan faktörünü barındıran bir
yapıdır. Bu nedenle korolarda insan faktörü, diğer müzikal topluluklara göre daha fazla
öne çıkmaktadır. Şefin koroyla iletişimi, koristlerin motivasyon araçları ve koronun
yönetim süreçleri içerisinde aynı disiplinli yapıyı koruyabilmesi, koroların ömürlerini
uzatan araçlardır. Bu noktada koro şefliği açısından sadece müzikal bir altyapının
yeterli olmadığı, insan iletişimi ve takım yönetimi araçlarının koro şefleri açısından
elzem olduğu görülmektedir.
Mekan, zamanlama, ulaşım ve yemek gibi lojistik faktörler de gözardı edilmemeli ve
bu faktörlerin performansı yükseltebileceği gibi, üzerinde durulmadığı takdirde
verimliliği düşüreceği de unutulmamalıdır. Nota kütüphanesi veya arşiv gibi

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kaynakların kullanımının da prova verimliliği üzerinde önemli etkileri bulunmaktadır.
Son olarak, koronun kendi içindeki organizasyonu, kendini yönetim biçimleri,
yönetim kurulunun, temsil edilebilme araçlarının, çalışma gruplarının ve genel kurulun
varlığının da topluluğun sağlıklı işlemesi açısından önemli olduğu ve prova
verimliliğine etki ettiği de belirtilmelidir.
Bu türlü lojistik faktörler de hesaba katıldığında koro şefinin hiçbir zaman tek başına
yeterli bir yönetim sağlayamayacağı, aksine uyumlu çalışan bir yönetim ekibinin
koroların sürekliliği açısından çok önemli olduğu ortaya çıkmaktadır. Her koronun
içerisinde belli uzmanlıklara sahip amatör veya profesyonel koristler bulunmaktadır.
Bu uzmanlık alanlarının en iyi şekilde kullanılması, ilgili kişilere koronun yararına
görevler verilmesi ve tüm bu yapılanmanın demokratik süreçlerle işletilmesi koro
şefliğinin sorumluluğunda olan önemli bir noktadır. Her bir topluluk gibi koro da bir
toplum modeli olarak temsiliyete ve demokrasiye ihtiyaç duyar. Bu noktada genel
kurul, yönetim kurulu ve çalışma gruplarının işleyiş biçimlerinin belli bir anlayışta
yürüyor olmaları, uzun vadede koronun müzikal gelişimine hizmet eden temel
taşlardır.
Köklü bir geçmişe ve geleneğe sahip olan dünyanın sayılı korolarından Wiener
Singverein ile yapılan vaka çalışmasında, amatör üyelere sahip bir koro ile profesyonel
angajmanlarla dolu bir sezonun nasıl hazırlandığı çok iyi görülmektedir. 1858 yılında
kurulan bu koronun 150 yılı aşkın süredir kendini yaşatabilmesi, farklı şeflerin
önderliğinde topluluk bilincini koruyabilmesi ve halen dünya çapında performanslara
imza atabilmesi tesadüf olamaz. Bu noktada Wiener Singverein’ın hangi alanlara
odaklanarak çalışmalarını yürüttüğü bu çalışma açısından büyük önem arz etmektedir.
Vaka çalışmasının okuyucuya gösterdiği öncelikli nokta, provaların doğaçlama bir
performans olarak yapılmadığı, tam tersine provaya ait her türlü detayın önceden
dikkatle planlanıp şef ve ilgili yöneticiler tarafından hassasiyetle uygulandığıdır
Bunun yanı sıra koronun demokratik olarak seçilen yöneticilerinin olması, bu gönüllü
yöneticilerin ise profesyonel bir sorumlulukla koronun tüm lojistik gereklerini
yürütmeleri koronun sürdürülebilirliğini sağlayan noktalardır. Yazar, tez
çalışmalarının bir parçası olarak Wiener Singverein ile bu konuya adanmış bir hafta
geçirmiş, provalara korist olarak katılmış, şef, şan eğitmeni ve koro yönetimiyle
röportajlar yapmış ve gözlemlediği noktaları bu çalışma içerisinde paylaşmıştır.
Birinci elde yapılan bu vaka çalışmasının tez içerisindeki teorik alanların pratik
uygulamalarda incelenmesi açısından büyük önemi vardır.
Literatür analizi ve vaka çalışmalarının ardından tezin savunduğu beş temel noktaya
varılmıştır. Buna göre, daha verimli bir provaya gidecek olan yol farklı alanların bir
arada düşünülmesiyle sağlanabilir. Müzikal olarak başta gelen nokta, provadaki farklı
senaryolar için plan yapmak ve bunları esnek şekilde yürütebilecek yeterliğe sahip
olmaktır. Bunun için şefin gereksinimlerinden en başta gelen adım, müzikal olarak
provanın içeriğine detaylı şekilde hazırlanmak olacaktır. Koro şefinin hazırlığının
amaca yönelik olması, koronun prova süreçlerini direkt olarak etkilemektedir. Bunun
yanı sıra müzikal alanın dışında insan iletişimi ile ilgili de önemli noktalar öne
çıkmaktadır. Koro şefi, koro içerisinde olumlu bir atmosfer yaratmak üzere iletişim
stratejisini belirlemelidir. İnsan faktörünün en güçlü yaşandığı toplulukların başında
gelen korolar, verimli şekilde işleyebilmek için olumlu bir atmosfere ihtiyaç duyarlar.
Bundan dolayı koro şefinin süreçleri yönetmek üzere güçlü ve sürdürülebilir bir takım
inşa etmesi, koronun sürekliliği açısından elzemdir. Hiçbir şef tek başına toplulukla
ilgili tüm süreçleri yürütemez, yürütmeyi çabalarsa bir noktadan sonra hata yapar.
Bundan dolayı uyumlu çalışan ve sürekli koro tarafından demokratik olarak
desteklenen takımlar oluşturmak önemi bir noktadır. Son olarak koroyu prova odasının

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dışında da desteklemek, bunun için araçlar sağlamak, farklı yöntemlerle koristlerin
müzikal ihtiyaçlarıyla ilgilenmek ve kendi kendine işleyen bir sistem yaratmak, prova
verimliliğinin vazgeçilmezlerinden biri olarak öne çıkmaktadır.

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 INTRODUCTION

The rehearsal is the heart of the music making process of the choral conductor. It plays
even a more prominent role than the work of an orchestral conductor, since usually
choral rehearsals span throughout a wider time period than orchestral ones. Whatever
the conductor would like to achieve musically results from his/her capabilities to
showcase the desired artistic qualities to the ensemble in the process of the rehearsals.
The level of the choir that has been prepared after a rehearsal period cannot be changed
or altered in the performance. Therefore the conductor needs to plan his/her approach
to the rehearsal period well before, so that the most efficient outcome can be present
at the performance.

It is very well known that orchestras need less rehearsal time for the same piece of
music than choirs. A choir should not only read the music, but also form into an
ensemble and breathe as one entity. That is why in professional institutions, usually
the preparation period of a choir begins well before the orchestra. As Kaplan (1985)
mentions, usually the strings prepare their bows and other articulation marks well
before the rehearsal, whereas even the professional choir would rarely mark their
placement of final consonants and breath marks (Kaplan, 1985, p. 93) individually.
Therefore, the choral conductor is responsible of shaping the sound into his/her
imagination within a longer span of time.

In a capella music, the choral rehearsal becomes even more important to determine
the quality of the performance. Singing uses a lot of techniques that have to do with
muscular habits of the singers. Therefore, the specific habits must be prepared in the
right manner from the very beginning of the rehearsal period. It is very hard to change
a mistake after it has been learned by the choir. More or less every dynamic, phrasing,
fine intonation and articulation marking should be rehearsed thoroughly in a capella
music to bring it to the performance.

Nevertheless, human voice is not an infinite resource. Even professional singers have
their time limitations of singing in a healthy way. A choir cannot be expected to

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rehearse all day long and still have a healthy production of sound. Both for reasons of
singing technique and learning capabilities, singers have a limited resource of time to
work towards a piece. Therefore, the term efficiency is very crucial for choral
conductor, utilising the limited resource of time to get the best possible outcome from
the ensemble.

The study will examine how this limited resource of time can be used efficiently and
what are the techniques that are being used in the field to get the maximum outcome.
We will also question what is meant by the outcome regarding choral performance.
The results of a rehearsal can vary from a high quality concert to a sustainable
ensemble motivation. The desired outcome may differ from choir to choir but the fact
that time should be used efficiently in every case does not change.

Scholars who have researched about efficient methods of rehearsal will be mentioned
throughout the study after a review on fundamental techniques that can be used by the
conductor. Although every conductor has his/her own approach to rehearsal
management and every choir has different needs, there are basic universal techniques
that are present in many rehearsal rooms. Apart from rehearsal techniques, there are
also logistical factors which are very influential on the efficiency of a rehearsal session,
which will be mentioned with case studies. Even very basic factors like the lighting of
the venue or the seating chart of the singers have strong effects. Not only logistical
factors but also communication skills and methods are very influential and will be
mentioned in the study. Especially considering that choral music is an art form that
basically uses human beings as a material, we should not forget that the human
psychology is one of the crucial elements of efficient rehearsals.

Purpose of the Study

The aim of researching about efficient way of rehearsing is to provide a comprehensive

spectrum of techniques, approaches and factors that have effects on a successful
rehearsal. There is an abundant literature on how to interpret music, considering the
musical styles, periods and composers. Less has been written about how to approach
an ensemble, communicate clearly and get quick results. Though it is equally important
to be able to convey the existing musical ideas to the ensemble, in order to have a
concrete result. Otherwise, the interpretation of a conductor cannot go beyond
imagination. In order to realise the ideal musical interpretation, at least getting close

2
to an ideal one, the conductor has to be able to deliver the message clearly and get
clear answers from the ensemble.

As a choral conductor working in the field for eleven years, I have observed the need
to cover methods of efficient rehearsal leading for the extreme time loss choirs can
experience because of the lack of the proper methodology. Choral ensembles are losing
lots of potential resources as time, money and people by not covering the existing
assets into musical output. A reason behind the fact that the turnover rate of choral
singers especially in amateur choirs is very high is also rooted in that loss of resources.
Thus, one of the most prominent aims of this study is to facilitate a well-planned
approach to rehearsals, in order to obtain sustainable choirs and satisfying musical
programmes.

Target Group

The main purpose of the study is to summarise efficient methods of rehearsing for
professional conductors who work both with professional and amateur ensembles. It
is clear that there are different characteristics of a professional choir and an amateur
choir, but some methods remain the same regardless of the level of the singers.
Therefore the study will demonstrate a clearer picture to the conductor of any choir.

The classroom is a choir. Many music teachers use a high percentage of their lessons
for choral music because of the very simple fact that everybody can sing. It is a way
to bring all the students together and teach them interesting content about music
making. Since, especially with children, a very good rehearsal plan and clear directions
of directing the rehearsal will be needed, the study will also be helpful for music
teachers in their classroom.

Choral singers, who are the actual instruments producing the music, are the real
subjects to the rehearsal of a conductor. Therefore, actual singers are also the target of
the study on efficient methodology for rehearsals, especially because their approach to
a rehearsal session may alter once they are aware of the factors that are playing an
important role in the rehearsal room.

From a secondary level, choral managers and composers may also find it interesting
to see a guideline for the background work behind a performance. The scheduling of
the rehearsals, be it the time plan or the calendar, is very well dependent on how the

3
rehearsals are being conducted, which effects the workflow of a choral manager.
Similarly, a composer would write music in a more sensitive way, once he/she knows
how the score is prepared by the ensemble. Even the way of musical notation can
change the necessary rehearsal time to a big extent. Writing the music in a more
understandable way will certainly enable a composer to get his/her works performed
much more often.

Limitations

By no means is this study claiming to be totally comprehensive. It is impossible to list

all the possible rehearsal methods, all the different factors that have effect on well-
being of the singers’ potential, and all the communication techniques helping to
develop a solid team. The research is examining the concepts of efficiency in rehearsal
and looks into some interesting ways of facilitating this. For sure, there will be other
methods and approaches that also result in very high quality outcomes.

Also one must note that the attitude of the conductor varies from person to person and
its effects differ from choir to choir. It is a very subjective area, where also musical
tastes and personal decisions come into play. However, this does not hinder the fact
that there are universal methods which can be effective in many cases and it is always
an asset for a conductor to have those in his/her portfolio.

The methods and approaches discussed in this study are mainly dealing with adult
mixed choirs, be it professional or amateur. Of course, much of the content can also
be adapted to children’s and youth choirs, but these choirs also have their own special
specifications and needs. In order to get more insight on children’s and youth choirs,
further reading of that specific category can be made.

Lastly, the study is eventually aimed at choirs, not vocal groups. By definition, it is
assumed that we talk about an ensemble which posseses more than 12 singers and a
conductor. Some of the techniques discussed here may also be helpful to vocal groups,
but it is for sure that with less than 12 people, the dynamics of the rehearsal vary a lot.
Many vocal groups adapt their own approaches to rehearsal and this generally depends
on the personalities of the specific singers, since the individual characteristics of the
singers play a more important role in groups with fever people.

4
 The Significance of the Rehearsal Efficiency

The notion of rehearsal efficiency is a rather unusual one, since it brings together a
musical process with a concept of economics. In the study, what we understand from
a rehearsal and how we define efficiency will be discussed thoroughly. To start, it must
be mentioned that the concept of efficiency here is basically used to express a process
of generating maximum output from a certain amount of musical input. One
comprehensive definition of efficiency is made by Kurt Thomas as follows:

The highest efficiency in the rehearsal work should be to reach the highest
performance in the shortest time period, greatest conservation of the voices and
the bodily energy of the singer, however simultaneously also giving a session
of distanglement from everyday life and providing a real community
experience to all participants in each rehearsal. (Thomas and Wagner, 1991, p.
123)

It is a fact that the process of rehearsal lies at the heart of any choral ensemble. The
rehearsal is the session that brings together the singers, that gives them their sense of
belonging, and that curates the musical representation of the choir. In any ense mble,
be it professional or amateur, many resources can be wasted because of inefficient
moments of rehearsal. Especially in amateur choirs, even the turnover rate of the
singers depends on the quality of the rehearsal time. It is an important factor not only
to perform good music, but also to keep the singers motivated in the choir. Overall, it
would not be too much to argue that the efficiency of the rehearsal is one of the main
characteristics that generates the quality of the choral ensemble. Therefore, this study
on methods of rehearsal is motivated primarily to facilitate existing tools for the
portfolio of professional choral conductors.

Within the categorisation of this dissertation, the second chapter on the tools of
efficiency in choral conducting also represents a form of a literature review, gathering
sources on this topic that has been significant. Although there is also some literature
written about the third chapter, which deals with logistics, many of these subcategories
come from observations in amateur and professional level. After these two theoretical
chapters, a case study is presented through the Wiener Singverein.

5
 The Case Study of Wiener Singverein

The study includes a case study after elaborating different concepts on rehearsal
making processes. The case study examines the working tools and methods of the
world-famous Wiener Singverein, a choir dating back to the 19th century, thus being
prominent with its uninterrupted continuity for a very long time. The Wiener
Singverein sings in numerous concerts every season, with some of the most
challenging choral music repertoire, and for world renowned conductors and
orchestras. To maintain an amateur choir that serves as the chief symphonic choir to
the Wiener Philharmoniker must feature a very well-planned and well-executed
rehearsal plan. Thus, the study will end with a deeper look into the kitchen of the
Singverein through schedule plans, rehearsal observations, analyses and a series of
interviews with the choirmaster Prof. Johannes Prinz, singers and board members Rita
Beer and Gabriele Reichelt, and the singing pedagogue Thomas Künne.

6
 TOOLS OF EFFICIENCY IN CHORAL CONDUCTING

Established Rehearsal Methods

Choral conducting schools are equipped with certain primary rehearsal methods which
the conductor carries in his/her rucksack. Whenever needed, different methods can be
utilised for different situations.

First of all, it needs to be cleared why these methods are crucial for the survival of the
choir’s well-being. Theoretically, there may be infinite ways of delivering a specific
musical input to the ensemble. Ultimately the goal of the conductor is that the singers
perform their parts perfectly. What he/she uses to achieve that goal may seem
irrelevant, but considering the by-products of each and every method, it is not. A
musical line can be introduced to the singers in such a way that no singer will show up
for the next rehearsal, because the experience of rehearsing itself was not attractive,
regardless of the music. Michael Gohl (2016, p. 230) explains this by claiming that the
journey is the destination. He uses this metaphor for open singing with public, where
the participants are both ‘rewarding’ and ‘being rewarded’ at the same time, since they
are the aim group. But still, this is also true for the rehearsal of a concert choir. If the
journey to the concert is not inspiring enough, the destination is not interesting for
many singers.

A very critical point, before going into the depth of rehearsal methodology, is the
assumption that the conductor himself/herself is decently prepared for the music he/she
is about to rehearse. Kurt Thomas (1991) mentions some important aspects of the
preparation that should be done by the conductor in advance. First, the conductor has
to read the score many times intensively, thus have a clear imagination about the
timbre and the tempo. He/she should play it on an instrument to produce a version of
this imagination. The individual parts should be sung by the conductor many times and
over that, other parts should be played by an instrument to get an idea about the line
and the polyphony. Most importantly, the conductor has to divide the work into

7
meaningful sections in his/her mind and plan very carefully how to introduce which
section.

Michael Kemp (2008, p. 97) states that the choral conductor has always two kinds of
preparation, one is musical and the other is administrative. He claims that some
conductors prefer one to another, but in the ideal world a conductor should be able to
do both of them in balance. A choir needs to have interesting and artistic rehearsals,
but also be well-organised and planned. Score study and administrative planning
should go hand-in-hand. Obviously, the conductor should not neglect the very need of
detailed musical preparation before the rehearsal, since organisation time can very well
take so much time and if the conductor runs out of time to study musically, there is no
point in administrative planning.

Delving into the methods of rehearsal, we should prioritise the specific methods that
save time and energy for both the conductor and the ensemble. As a rehearsal leader,
the conductor has to stop the choir while performing, give instructions on how it should
be or not be, and start it again. This process is repeated over and over again. It is clear
that after a hundred times, small missteps in the way of delivering information can lead
to bigger results considering the total rehearsal. That’s why Gohl (2016) suggests it is
better to sing instead of speaking and to show instead of telling. He claims that there
are singing leadership methods which are used completely wordlessly. It is easier for
the singers to hear the music they need to produce than to intellectually think about it.
Since speaking utilises a different part of the brain than singing, it also stops the
musical flow of the rehearsal. That’s why to demonstrate gives much more quicker
results than to explain. It can be suggested that the conductor does not have the
technical skills to perform the perfect interpretation of a musical line, but this should
not be an obstacle. Even though the voice of the conductor is not of the best quality,
hearing a musical example is much more effective than hearing a conference on what
not to do.

In singing or showing what is the desired outcome, the conductor can be very practical
by using methods of call and response. This especially functions very well in children’s
and youth choirs, since they usually learn by doing. However, it is also a technique
utilised even in professional choirs. Gohl calls that method ‘riding on the beat’, where
the melody is divided into small, coherent, easily understood musical units. The
conductor performs the desired outcome, the choir repeats. The key point here is that

8
in the second repetition of the conductor, there should not be any speech in between
and if so, it should not be out of the musical unit. Rhythmical speaking of the text is a
good example of riding on the beat. In order to execute this method, the conductor has
to be ready jump to in the exact rhythmical moment and leave space for the choir for
breathing and entering the rhythmical unit in the repetition phase.

Methods of call and response can be very time-saving but they need a lot of practice
because the conductor needs to demonstrate whatever needed very precisely. A
smallest mistake can result in many mistakes in the ensemble. These kinds of methods
are also very handy in the warm-up phase of the choir. There are many occasions where
the conductor won’t possess a piano or another instrument to give pitch and melody to
the choir for warm-up exercises. In those cases call and response saves much time for
introducing the individual exercises and maintaining the desired pitch for the exercise.
If the pitch goes too high or too low in relation to the voice register of the conductor,
he/she can find shortcuts to initiate the new pitch for example by only giving the first
degree of a longer high exercise or pointing out only the fifth degree in a descending
low melody.

According to Eric Ericson (1976) the issues of intonation in a choir is rooted in two
factors: First is the fatigue of the singers and second is the production of vowels. The
level of tiredness of a singer is usually not a factor to which the conductor can interfere
immediately. It is something which should be foreseen before when making the
arrangements of rehearsal schedule and the order of the works that are rehearsed in a
specific time period. But the phonetics of the singers can be an immediate solution to
undesired intonation errors. Any good musician can be good in the diagnosis of the
problem but the conductor is the one who can set up the cure. At the same time, to
improve the quality of the ensemble, the singers should be aware of a deeper
understanding about musical concepts. For example, to make sure that the conductor
can work on intonation, he/she should transmit to the choir that the musical scales are
more than 12 notes on the piano. An example can be how Alldahl (2008, p. 10) relates
nuances in intonation with colours like light blue and dark blue or even with
ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, and Prussian blue. These approaches can be enlightening
for the ensemble and will enable that a brand new level of musical communication can
be achieved between the conductor and the singers.

9
According to Boonshaft (2002) it is not enough to point out what is wrong, but it needs
to be fixed with the technical devices that the performer can easily adapt to. Whereas
this can be the fixation of a vowel regarding the intonation problem as Ericson
suggests, it can also be a hint to singing technique especially for amateur singers for a
passage where the ensemble is late in rhythm or slow in tempo. It may as well be
pointed out that the singers are late, but this is never the solution, it is only the
diagnosis. A well-balanced breath in a rather earlier beat could fix the problem of
running late very easily.

It is often a problem that much time is lost while the conductor is speaking to the choir.
Abraham Kaplan (1985, p. 188) argues that in the ideal rehearsal, the conductor has to
give simple and understandable instructions to the choir. These instructions should be
directions to change something clearly, so that all the choir members can execute a
novelty in the performance. So, the ideal rehearsal should be aiming towards a clearly
understandable change. In that process, it always helps the choir to give simple
instructions, one at a time. Repeated statements will result in a decreased attention in
the choir members to the specific information (Kaplan, 1985, p. 92). Therefore, the
rehearsal should be differed from an academic conference. It is not about measuring
the conductor’s knowledge, but rather transmitting useful information to the ensemble.

The clever usage of piano is also one of the most important tools of the conductor in
the rehearsal. There are advantages and disadvantages of rehearsing with the
accompaniment of the piano and the conductor should make use of these consciously.
When learning a new piece, a smooth accompaniment by the piano helps the singers a
lot, especially to maintain their sense of tonal center and harmony. Nevertheless, the
dynamics of the piano should not be too loud to avoid the singers from hearing
themselves and their colleagues. Similarly, in an a capella piece, it is better to leave
the support of the piano rather early, to make sure that the choir can tune itself without
any instrument. At the end of the day, the choir will stay alone on stage in the
performance. It is very well known that the problem with the equal temparament of
the piano hinders the singers from singing the natural intervals, thus leading to an
artificial tuning. Therefore, singers have to be encouraged to tune with their
neighbours, not with the piano.

10
Alldahl (2008, p. 6) lists a few factors for the clever usage of piano in the rehearsal.
These factors are to demonstrate the image of a composition, to deliver the timbre
character, to give rhythmical impulses, to show entrances of parts, to give harmonic
support, and to have references for intonation. At the same time, he offers some
recommendations for the usage of piano. For Alldahl, it is important to give the tonic
and the fifth for intonation references, but not the third, because of the equal
temperament of the piano. It is always healthy for intonation to have reference tones,
but not playing the whole chords all the time. The possibilities of playing in the
rehearsal include a spectrum from playing the whole parts from the score to play only
reference tones or to play nothing at all. It should be a good balance between all of
these possibilities that are most helpful for the condition of the choir at the exact
moment of the rehearsal.

A carefully practiced accompaniment would quicken the learning process notably. The
conductor or the pianist can assist the choir with new phrases, for example by playing
the rhythmical structure of an upcoming phrase one bar before to get the rhythm into
the ears of the singers. Also, to introduce a melodically complex phrase, the conductor
may make up a suitable harmony to support the learning of the melody by the singers.
A right way of using the registers may even help the singers’ voice technique. Playing
the bass part one octave lower encourages basses to produce a more round and rooted
sound, whereas playing the sopranos one octave higher would initiate more natural
harmonics by the singers. On top of that, singers will be able to hear the frequency of
the piano easier when played in a different octave than the one they are singing. As a
result, one may argue that piano should be used in a balanced way to support the choir,
but not for the choir to lean on.

All in all, the rehearsal is not only the execution of some performance by the singers.
It has many different facets with regard to the musical skills of the ensemble. David L.
Brunner (1994, p. 38) states that a successful rehearsal teaches also musical skills.

The rehearsal experience should be one in which musical skills are acquired,
leading students to musical literacy and autonomy. Successful rehearsals teach
theory, music history, vocal technique, aesthetics, and appreciation and
enhance sight-singing, analysis, and aural skills in an integrated fashion from
the musical score itself. Too often, educators treat musical components as

11
 though they are segregated from the actual experience of making music. Broad
concepts should be experienced by the singers before they are verbally
articulated by the teacher.

All these different aspects of the rehearsal necessitate a thorough preparation by the
conductor, concentrating on various elements to consider. The main point is to choose
what aspects have priority in which rehearsal and how this information can be
transmitted to the ensemble.

Schedule Planning

The path to an efficient rehearsal period starts with a good planning. Freytag (2011, p.
112) indicates that a good plan in a choir is half of the work done. The conductor may
use very successful techniques within the rehearsal and may have very good
communication with the ensemble, but if the planning in macro-level fails, this has no
meaning at all. Halsey (2011, p. 124) sees the concept of schedule planning through
the perspective of two different questions. One, ‘How much time is to our next concert
date and which program can we prepare until then?’ and two, ‘How much time do we
need to learn a specific program?’ For him, the priority is either on the time or the
music but he also accepts that schedule planning mostly has to do with a subtle mix of
both questions.

Usually it is a coherent approach to start the plan from the end, thus the concert date.
Going back from the last day one by one, the conductor can see when the ensemble
must accomplish what task in order to be ready for the concert. This has especially a
significance in preparing for an orchestral work. After a certain period of preparation,
the choral conductor hands in the choir to the orchestral conductor. The first rehearsal
with the orchestra is the critical point, where the choir should be more than ready to
perform the work in different tempi, with a flexible interpretation, and with a perfect
technique to blend with the orchestral instruments.

The choral conductor must prepare the development of the choir from week to week,
bringing in more detailed concepts every next rehearsal to keep the quality of the
ensemble growing. It is important even to plan when to give what information, so that
the ensemble is ready to digest the musical input given to them. An information too
early may be lost in the minds of the singers, if the musical preparation of the work is

12
not mature enough. For example, to explain a detailed articulation about a specific
syllable would provide no help to an ensemble in the first reading period of a work.
Thus, the conductor should plan to what extent he/she would like to go into detail in
every rehearsal. Naturally, the process of schedule planning has one assumption that
the rehearsals are consecutive and the conductor is able to continue from where he/she
has left in the last session. As Brunner states (1994, p. 39) successful rehearsals are
sequential and build upon each other. Therefore, the director should anticipate and plan
for subsequent rehearsals.

Halsey (2011, p. 257) suggests that there are three main factors that determine the
elaboration of one work throughout time. First, the conductor should make sure that
all the movements or pieces are rehearsed. If the rehearsal always starts with
chronologically with the first movement, sometimes the Agnus Dei never comes up or
should be rushed in the rehearsal period. Second, the conductor should make sure that
all the movements or pieces comes up often enough. If some parts are ‘rested’ too
much, it is easy to forget the details and the choir goes one step back. Third, the
conductor should be careful to take the challenging movements and passages in the
beginning of the rehearsal period. It is possibly ideal to work on them every week
periodically.

In schedule planning, it must not be forgotten that the human voice is not an infinitely
available instrument. There are limits to every singer’s potential to work every day.
Some singers are comfortable with singing for hours, whereas some voices are more
vulnerable. Thus, the working hours of the singers should be limited to a reasonable
time for one day and not exceed that period of time. Not only the voice, but also the
mind cannot digest more than a certain number of new information every day. Thus,
the planning of the schedule should include the ability of the ensemble to receive useful
musical input.

It is of great value to inform the singers about the exact planning of the rehearsals, well
before the rehearsal period starts. To see the macro-level planning always helps the
singers to orientate themselves in the rehearsal period and this also gives a meaning to
the individual rehearsals. In contrast, the lack of information about the macro-planning
results in a lack of motivation and usually arises questions in the singers’ minds
whether they will be able to learn the piece until the concert or not. The singers are
more productive, if they feel comfortable in the rehearsal period and not in a hurry.

13
That is the reason why the schedule plan should be shared with the choir, even if it is
a draft. The ability of the plan to convince the singers will increase their level of
performance to a notable extent.

Rehearsal Design

The duration of a rehearsal varies from case to case. But one thing remains clear, every
rehearsal has a limitation of time. If the ensemble has 90 minutes to work, it is those
90 minutes where the conductor must accomplish whatever is necessary. In that sense,
there is no room for a rehearsal that is improvised, since the usage of time determines
every aspect of the quality of the output. As Iacono (1975, p. 3) suggests, the rehearsals
should be planned ahead of time and complete efficiency should be strived for in the
use of this time.

There are different theories on how to design a rehearsal period, however there are
aspects that are commonly accepted, such as a clear start and a musically satisfied
ending. Ehmann and Haasemann (1981, p. 35) argue that it is always better for the
singers to start with pieces that are vocally not challenging. The first pieces that are
selected to be rehearsed may be thought as an extension of the choral warm-up.
Examples could be a mid-range Bach chorale or any other homophonic work that
would help the choir to set up a homogenous timbre. It is also crucial to use the fresh
minds of the singers for new music or intense delivering of new information in the first
half of the rehearsal. A tired mind can be the worst obstacle against learning new
material. Therefore, it would be clever not to leave pieces with new information to the
end of the rehearsal.

Another aspect of the starting point of the rehearsal is mentioned by Boonshaft (2002,
p. 151). He advocates the silent start of the rehearsal, which does not allow the chatter
of the singers become the norm. Usually in those cases the conductor has to talk over
the noise. However, using a comfortable level of volume when talking to the choir will
generate the new norm, thus will result in a more relaxed rehearsing atmosphere. The
same applies for a focused start of the rehearsal. He argues that psychologically it is
better to leave the announcements and all other musically unrelated practical stuff to
the end of the rehearsal, so that the mind can easily concentrate on music from the very
start.

14
A productive rehearsal has both its tension and release points. It is not possible to
conduct a rehearsal with an intensive effort from beginning to end. That would result
in a very tired conductor and a very distracted choir. Every tension should have its
release, so that psychologically singers can have free moments to relax their minds. It
is a good idea to leave one or two minutes of short informal pauses between the
sections of the pieces in the rehearsal, so that the singers have a certain time to get
their orientation and concentration back in line.

2.3.1 Construction of a rehearsal

The tension curve of a rehearsal creates very visible consequences on the choir singers.
A rehearsal starting with an extremely challenging piece that is being read by the choir
first time or a rehearsal which does not end with a feeling of achievement will not help
the singers’ integration to the choir. What the conductor should be trying to create is a
fruitful working atmosphere, where the singers are challenged but also enjoy being in
that process of creating something in common.

There are many elements that come together in a rehearsal. Possibilities may look as
the following: A new piece that is introduced to the choir for the first time, passages
from works that are previously rehearsed, a general rehearsal of a concert programme,
and many more. The point is to find out the best distribution of time and resources in
the rehearsal to get the most outcome.

Brödel (2014, pp. 157-158) recommends the conductor to have a general insight on
the concert programme and certainly to rehearse the concert order in the rehearsal. In
that context, the main challenge is to change between different styles and the choir
must be trained to do it continuously. Once a rehearsal starts with a Renaissance piece,
it may be a challenge to change to a romantic sound, and then to a contemporary work.
Therefore it is suggested that -unless it is a competition or a special festival
programme- to work on pieces that go well with each other stylistically.

On the other hand, the distribution of time is a crucial concept when it comes to the
construction of the rehearsal. Brian Gorelick (2001, pp. 28-29) argues that one good
approach to this is the method of Donald Neuen about minutes per piece per rehearsal.
In that method, the conductor calculates a total time of rehearsal over a longer span,
divides that in the number of pieces and then adjusts the minutes per piece based on
the difficulty of the pieces. Eventually the time for warm-up and announcements

15
should be subtracted from the total number before. That does not mean that every piece
should be rehearsed every rehearsal. Gorelick adds that a conductor may need to decide
to work on one composition for an entire rehearsal. If it is needed, this possibility
should not be neglected.

2.3.2 Approaching a new piece

The manner of approaching a new piece determines the overall course of the rehearsal
period. The first encounter of the singers with the music is very crucial in terms of
getting an image of the characteristics of the piece. The timing of the rehearsal, which
bar to start, how to introduce the parts, when to start with the text, to what extent details
should be mentioned are all significant questions a conductor should ask
himself/herself.

It may be good for the choir to start reading the piece from the top to the end without
interruption, if the singers are able to do it. Then, step by step details can be added.
This is what is suggested by Behrmann in his understanding of introducing a new
piece. According to Behrmann (1984, p. 41) there are four phases of the preparation.
In the first phase, the character of the piece is heard through a casual singing. The
second phase covers a quick rehearsing on the work and getting an idea about the form
and the phrases. In the third phase, the details and the difficulties of the piece are
rehearsed. In the last and the fourth phase, individual units are brought together and
the general arc of the work is created, where the blurs are corrected repeatedly.

Nevertheless, it may not be possible to read through the whole piece at once. Then, the
conductor should clearly divide the work into meaningful sections and work on them
one by one. If needed, rehearsals with individual voice parts could be made in advance
to prepare them for the tutti rehearsal. It should be made sure to maintain a decent pace
in the introduction period, not being too slow, because that would lower the rehearsal
tension and at the same time not rushing too much, since this would make the choir
neglect some important details. Being too fast may mean to introduce the text too
quickly, before the singers had the chance to read the notes. However, some conductors
prefer to start with the text immediately without the notes, just by reading the
rhythmical syllables. Some choirs are better in sight-reading with the names of the
notes, whereas some prefer easy syllables like ‘du’ or ‘nu’. According to the needs of
the passage, the conductor may introduce different vowels to make the first reading. If

16
there are high registers, the vowels ‘a’ or ‘o’ would help more than a narrow ‘u’.
Nonetheless, an open ‘a’ may also ruin the focused singing position. It is clear that ‘u’
is a vowel which is easier for the singers to build a harmony on, so it helps a lot in the
first instance. Sometimes, when the conductor needs a fine tuning of the intonation,
she/he may also use a version with higher overtones ‘dü’ or ‘nü’, where singers should
be much more careful to position their vocal production.

It is not a must to start the piece from the top. It may also be very helpful to start
working on the end of the piece and then go back to the beginning. The advantage of
that is clearly to rehearse the ending twice, so that it becomes more safe. Considering
the psychological condition of the choir, the conductor may want to start from the
easier part of the piece or may directly go to the challenging part to work on that.
Starting with easier passages gives the confidence to the singers to sing out and
motivates them to get closer to the new piece. Starting with the challenging part, on
the other hand, gives the singers much more concentration and time to figure out the
difficulties of the piece. Then, most of the work will be done in the first minutes and
the singers will read the rest easier.

It is very common to start with the main theme, if the music is written in a polyphonic
style. In a fugal or canonic work, one can save much time by rehearsing the main
subject and/or counter-subject with all parts, so that all the singers make sure they have
the same interpretation on nuances, phrasing and colour on the same melody. It also
canalises the singers to listen carefully to the main subject, whenever it is present in
the polyphonic setting.

2.3.3 Why to repeat and what to repeat

One of the main factors that help for a successful rehearsal is avoiding unnecessary
repetition of pieces or passages. The repetition, whenever it is done, has to have a
meaning. If the repetition does not fix an existing problem or does not add a new
musical idea, then it will only make the singers more tired. Thus, whenever the
conductor would like to repeat something, he/she should give a reasoning behind this
next take both to motivate the singers for a better performance and to concentrate the
musicians to a specific musical concept.

It may be theoretically possible to repeat a passage or a piece only for the sake of
improving the performance condition of a choir. This is then taken as one whole

17
performance and it is usually helpful in the last rehearsals to prepare the choir for the
concert setting. There, even if there is not a specific point to make better, the conductor
should still inform the choir about the reasoning of this repetition, so that the singers
can approach the next take consciously. It may be helpful not to interfere with these
performances unless a dramatic mistake happens, since its aim is to rehearse for the
fitness of the singers for the concert.

It is also dangerous to repeat extremely high passages many times, since each time the
quality of the sound will probably drop. The same is also valid for fortissimo phrases,
which will make the singers tired after a few repetitions. In such cases, the singer-
friendly approach is to give the directions once and make sure every singer understands
and notes it. After everybody is ready, there can be one or two extra takes to make sure
it functions. If the problem is with sight reading, taking the high part one octave down
can be a temporary solution, though not permanent, because the singers have to find
their own position in the actual high passage and adjust their fine intonation in the
written octave. Another possibility to work on the text of a fortissimo passage can be
to read the text in rhythm many times in a mp nuance, so that singers feel comfortable
with the text without getting too tired.

In any case, repetitions should be made very consciously and to-the-point. The
conductor has to have a clear idea from which bar to start the passage again. It is much
better to decide on these spots before the rehearsal rather than during the rehearsal.
The conductor can find spots where singers can start over easily, regarding the
harmony, text or phrasing, so that time is not lost while searching or trying out a bar
to start the passage again.

Another point that is made by Boonshaft (2006, p. 43) is the positive reinforcement in
the cycle of repetition. He claims that repetition should be made only whenever it is
necessary. Nevertheless, he also mentions that the conductor should use the repetition
as an opportunity to reinforce positive behavior by being generous to praise what is
good in the performance. It does not only add a flavor to the repetition by motivating
the singers for performing once more, it also makes sure that the right technique and
interpretation does not become a coincidence, but it stays with the choir’s performance
dynamics. It is also recommended by Rick Stamer (1999, pp. 26-27) that the most
effective motivational technique is to recognise the learning process of the singers,

18
encouraging with verbal comments and observable actions. Thus, the director would
create a nurturing enviroment by taking time to congratulate singers when deserved.

Conducting Technique

Beating technique is the instrument of the conductor. It is not simply a measure of

metronome, but rather the total representation of the flow of information that is to be
delivered to the ensemble. Many theories have been written on conducting technique
and it is one of the basic equipments of the conductor to reach out to the group of
musicians.

In the basic theory, the conductor uses one hand for beating the time and the other for
expression. If we assume that the right hand is used for time, the conductor’s right
hand beats the desired scheme of the bar to make sure that the musicians are at the
same place. The left hand will cover the information flow about the dynamics,
phrasing, articulation, entrances of different parts and many more other musical
factors. So, we talk about an independence of two hands as a starting point in the
conducting technique. According to Thomas (1991, p.159), since the muscle structure
of the human body is set upon symmetrical reactions, the usage of two hands
independently brings about its own difficulties and has to be studied. Nevertheless,
this distinction between the two hands does not always work so clear-cut as told above.
Many times the right hand picks up notions of expression and the left hand gives
instructions about the metronome too. The important factor here is not which hand
delivers what message at what time, but that the message is visible and understandable
by the ensemble. At the same time, the conductor should also react what he/she is
hearing from the group of musicians. Thus, conducting technique is not executed as a
one-way information flow. The conductor also receives a lot of input and includes this
in his/her next gestures to direct the shape of the music. So, as the Swedish choral
conductor Anders Eby (personal communication, September 2008) expresses, there
must be an invisible electric sparkle going between the conductor and the choir. Only
then, there could be a musical communication.

It should be taken under consideration that conducting technique is by itself a

subjective issue and every conductor has their own style of transmitting the relevant
information to the choir. Nevertheless, it is always useful to take as much as input
possible from trusted colleagues, since in this field it is almost impossible that one

19
judges himself/herself. Brödel (2014, p. 164) recommends the same by stating that
getting supervision and feedback by colleagues is very important for one’s personal
improvement. This is especially true when a conductor spends too much time with the
same choir. Although a particular conducting language is developed between the choir
and the conductor, it is useful to challenge this periodically to make sure that the
technique is universal and works with different kinds of ensembles.

2.4.1 The concept of gravity

It is always suggested to use a predictable technique to make it possible to be read

clearly by the singers, no matter from what country they come or which experience
level they have. It is important that everybody comprehends the first beat at the same
exact moment. In order to reach that, there is a very simple concept that can be utilised,
namely gravity. The journey of the conductor’s hand from one beat to another should
always be made in accordance with Newton’s gravity theory, in other words act like
an object that is falling freely. This necessitates the movement to go up and down with
a certain momentum in every moment. When an object is thrown to the air, the speed
of the movement decreases as the object goes up and at a certain point, the object stops
for one instance. Then it starts to fall and in a free fall, the speed of the object will
increase until it hits the ground. After that, it will jump again, depending on the
material of the object and fall again. The same principle applies to the hand of the
conductor. When the movement is going up, the speed must decrease until the stopping
point and then fall again with an increasing speed. The ground where the object hits is
the point where the conductor indicates the exact beat. When the concept of gravity is
utilised in the movement of the hand, the gestures become more natural and thus easier
to comprehend by the singers.

2.4.2 The shape of the hand

In choral conducting technique, the role of the hand is much more prominent than in
orchestral conducting. Since there is no baton used in choral music, the hand directly
interferes with the process of information flow to the singers. Therefore, the colour of
the sound can be altered with the shape of the hand. Usually a left hand with the palm
looking upwards points out to the carrying of the sound, supporting the intonation.
Especially the Scandinavian school of conducting prefers to benefit from using the
palm upwards to keep the support of the sound. The risk of upwards facing palm can

20
be that the timbre of the singers become too weak, lacking the support of the
diaphragm. In contrast, the palm facing downwards gives a message of calm and
smooth sound, but may effect the intonation to go down. Similarly, a hand facing the
conductor can give a message of a more closed production of vowels.

Not only the palm but also the fingers have a strong influence on the sound. Separated
fingers result in a weaker production of the voice. Keeping the fingers together,
however, holds the sound together. Similarly, joining the fingertips of the palm and
the forefinger usually delivers the message of a clear-cut beat and precise rhythmical
performance. Aside from that, the usage of the direction of the hand also has effects.
A vertical position of the hand is helpful for more rhythmical phrases whereas a
horizontal position helps with the phrasing of a legato line.

The usage of the hand directly influences the message delivered to the singers. It is
possible to lose much time of rehearsing simply because of a inaccurate shape of the
hand. For example, the conductor may ask for a legato and warm sound, with an
indication to keep the intonation clean. But if he/she positions the hands with the palms
facing down, this would immediately point to a lower intonation and the narrative and
the gesture of the conductor would conflict at that point. A conflicting message will
always result in a loss of time with the ensemble.

2.4.3 Click or no click

The click, or more theoretically, the ictus is the point where the beat starts exactly. In
conducting theory, the ictus comes exactly one beat after the proper Auftakt, where all
the information about the tempo, dynamics, sound and articulation should be included.
According to Kaplan (1985, p. 4) the preparation beat includes all this relevant
information. Harris (1966, p. 46) also states that if the conductor’s skills are developed,
it is totally unnecessary to beat out several silent beats before the start of a piece. But
it is a choice of the conductor whether to indicate the click or not, depending on the
character of the music. A musical phrase of a romantic composer, like Brahms, would
necessitate the flow of the sound, thus a hard click would ruin the soft legato of this
kind of music. Whereas in a modern work, where the change of the meter is very
apparent, the conductor should very clearly indicate the beat with a distinct click.

In the rehearsal, the usage of a click in the gesture of the conductor immediately effects
the learning process of the choir. It is important to keep the rehearsal conducting

21
technique as such as the conductor would preferably use it in the performance, to
enable the singers to get familiar with the gesture they will be subject to in the future.
To rehearse a Brahms lied phrase, as mentioned above, with a very distinct beating
click will eliminate the ability of the ensemble to bring its own phrasing to the
sentence. Some elements of the conducting technique should not be compromised just
because it is the rehearsal, not the performance.

2.4.4 The face and the mimics

One important feature of the face is the mouth and its ability to show the text to the
choir. At first sight, it may be thought that mouthing the words would help the choir
to remember, however the exact opposite is valid. Kaplan (1985, p. 92) labels
mouthing as a distraction to the choir. As Volker Hempfling (personal communication,
July 2009) suggests, when the conductor is mouthing the words, there are two different
sources of information delivered by the conductor, one with the hands and one with
the mouth. It is not clear for the singers which one to take, therefore to be on the clear
side, the flow of information should be restricted to one source.

Apart from the mouth, also raised eyebrows are a commonly seen gesture in
conducting the rehearsal, especially in the Auftakt. Similarly, some conductors find it
helpful to make a big inhaling sound to make sure that the choir sees their Auftakt, but
apparently it may destroy the character of the music which is about to unfold in the
next instance. It is very helpful to stick to one and only rule in that issue, which is the
notion of being able to control. In the rehearsal, the conductor should not be forbidden
to make any mimics as long as he/she can control it. That means, the conductor should
be able to show the necessary gesture without any mimic in his/her face theoretically.
If this is possible, then additional information can be delivered by the mimics. But if
the face is trying to magnify what the hands are doing, this is usually a non-economic
use of resources, since both parts of the body try to show the same information in
different ways. It is usually the case that the mimics try to make sure the conductor’s
intention unconsciously, simply because of a lack of trust that the original gesture with
the hands will not be enough to deliver the message. There, the conductor needs to use
his/her resources in the most economic way, so that no extra mimic should interfere
with the electricity between the choir and the conductor.

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This notion is especially important to keep in the rehearsal, because what happens in
rehearsal prepares the concert. There is no way that the concert happens in a totally
different way than the rehearsals have been building up. It is though possible to execute
a slight modification of technique in the rehearsal, as mentioned in the next section,
but this should not be too much. What the singer becomes familiar in the rehearsal
cannot be changed directly in the concert. Therefore, the conductor has to prepare also
his/her own technique the way he/she will apply in the end. With regards to the face
and the mimics, nothing extra is needed than a controlled expression. If the mimics
help to deliver extra meaningful information to the choir, then they are of good use.

2.4.5 Modification of technique in the rehearsal

The conductor may not prefer to use the exact same technique he/she is using for the
performance and the rehearsal. There are specifically different needs in these two
different occasions. In the performance, the focus point is to deliver the musical
interpretation to the choir, which will result in the desired musical narrative. In
contrast, there are many times where the rehearsal is serving to learn the music, so the
main focus would be then to teach the music. Therefore, the conductor may vary
his/her technique to come up with quicker results with the choir in the rehearsal.

There are many occassions, where the conductor’s beat is much more strict and clear
in the rehearsal than needed. This may serve for a clear understanding of the rhythmical
structure of the music, be it a legato phrase or a staccato one. It is sometimes even
possible that the conductor, apart from his/her gestures, snaps or claps to deliver the
exact speed of the tempo. This may be too much, but sometimes it is needed to be on
the same page with the ensemble. Of course, these helping tools should not be
overdone, because then the singers may get used to the rhythmical stimuli from the
conductor’s beat too much and expect the same input in the performance too. When
the music is learned by the ensemble, the conductor should immediately turn to a more
musically meaningful conducting gesture.

Human factors

The choir functions with a human material, thus human psychology is an intrinsic
subject to choral conducting. A rehearsal without the process of learning is not useful.
To be able to receive new information or repeat the choral work for maintaining good

23
conditions, the choir members should be open to the process of rehearsal in the first
place. Therefore, the motivation of the singers to be in the rehearsal room is very
important regardless of the choir’s type, be it amateur or professional.

In amateur choirs, the case is mostly so that the singers sign up for the choir and come
voluntarily to the rehearsals. This, nevertheless, does not mean that the singer will
return to the next rehearsal. There, the aim of the conductor should be that every singer
finishes the rehearsal with a positive feeling that will make him/her come back next
time. Similarly, a professional choir singer will also need the same feeling to maintain
a healthy singing life. In that sense, there is not much difference between the needs of
an amateur or a professional singer, rather it may vary how to approach them
separately.

The notion of human factors in rehearsal can be divided into three subcategories:
Motivation, communication, and discipline. Motivation refers to the willingness of the
singers to be actively singing in the rehearsal and also to take responsibility in the
choir’s organisational habitat. As the next section will indicate, this has a lot to do with
finding meaning. Communication is a subcategory that deals with the health of the
reciprocal interaction of information between the choir and the conductor, and among
the choir members themselves. There, openness and transparency are key factors that
keep a well-functioning communication in the choir. Also, as explained in the next
sections, the attitude of the conductor to the singers should not be forgotten to play an
important role in healthy communication. As a third factor, discipline refers to the the
sum of the willpower of the choir singers to keep in track throughout the rehearsal
period with the purpose that they have chosen in the beginning. This may mean one
rehearsal session or a whole rehearsal calendar, depending on the definition and the
aims of the choir. Unlike the old-school military-like approach to discipline, this is not
a concept that is imposed to the musician or student from a superior but rather a
willingness that is generated from inside. The factors that affect these notions will be
examined in the next sections.

2.5.1 Motivation

Usually the concept of motivation is associated with amateur singers, but maybe it
plays a more crucial role with professional singers. The willingness of the singer to be
part of the choir and to breathe as one with the ensemble is a determining factor of the

24
quality of the performance. Similarly, the motivation of the singer brings about a high
level of concentration in the rehearsal, which results in a quicker resulting process. It
must not be forgotten that, unlike instrumental music, here the instrument is the human
being itself. That is the reason why the factor of motivation effects the singer not only
psychologically, but also physically. To produce a refined sound, the singer should
have a strong will and imagination about the result.

It is quite common that professional choirs rehearse many works at the same time,
planning for the next concerts. In such occasions, the meaning behind the rehearsal
period may be lost by the singers. The choir members sometimes find themselves in
between bunch of works and in such cases it is easy to forget why the choir is doing
what. This can also be the case in amateur choirs which rehearse periodically
regardless of a concert programme. There, the singers voluntarily come to the choir to
have the experience and prepare for concerts. However, this is not a guarantee that
their motivation will be high enough to produce a healthy sound in the whole rehearsal
period.

To facilitate a solid team, it is a good idea to periodically remind the singers why they
are doing what. The existence of a purpose makes a rehearsal more concentrated. The
purpose can vary from case to case, from choir to choir. But still, there needs to be a
reason convincing the majority of the choir members to give effort for learning the
next bars or repeating the piece one more time to refine it. David Lawrance (2019,
personal communication) argues that the aim of the first rehearsal is to make sure
singers are motivated to come for the second rehearsal. That’s why he would prefer
sometimes not to go through all the piece at once but bring one part of it to such a level
that there is hunger for the next rehearsal to continue for the remaining part.

2.5.2 Communication

In order to provide a peaceful and motivated atmosphere, communication with the

singers is one of the key tools of a choral conductor. The communication with the
ensemble starts when the conductor enters the rehearsal room. The conductor’s first
message to the ensemble is one of recognition. The exact moment he/she enters the
rehearsal room, according to the words the conductor uses or his/her body language,
the singers get a message of recognition or a non-recognition. This is especially
important to build a healthy relationship with the choir, that there is a mutual

25
recognition of positions by the singers and the conductor. Therefore, the first instance
matters.

We have mentioned above that the key factors for a healthy communication are
openness and transparency. The reason behind this is that the more open a conductor
communicates with the choir, the less the singers have room to comment on issues
themselves. It is important to inform the choir about every operational process that is
happening, about the purpose of the rehearsals, and about information that they should
hear from the conductor. If there is a lack of openness by the conductor, this
immediately results in a need to comment on the missing information by the group.
Transparency facilitates dialogue and encourages singers to communicate directly
when needed. If the dialogue atmosphere is not facilitated, the singers may start to feel
distanced from the conductor or from their peers, so that it would not be easy to
generate the ensemble feeling within the choir. To be able to breathe as one entity, the
non-musical factors should not be omitted. As Halsey (2011, p. 229) suggests, a choir
sings at its best when all the people feel well. Therefore, individual recognition of
every singer must be visible in the room, starting from learning all the names of the
singers to holding periodical feedback talks where both the singer and the conductor
can share what could be better in each side.

In addition, the attitude of the conductor is also very crucial in terms of

communication. It is stated by Michael Gohl (2016, p. 240) that the word ‘no’ affects
the brain in such a way that it functions much slower than the word ‘yes’. Therefore,
as he argues in his article about methodological aspects of open singing, the rehearsal
works more efficiently when the conductor uses constructive phrases, rather than
destructive ones. It does not help the singer to state that they are singing flat, it is
important to offer the solution to it. Gohl gives interesting examples about constructive
communication:

Recognizing what is wrong does not actually mean identifying what is right.
One seldom achieves the desired result by avoiding the undesired. Learning
research has proved what attentive teachers have not failed to notice: It takes
an enormous amount of thought and control to avoid one behaviour (“Don't
shout!”) in order to achieve the desired behaviour (“Form an O with your
mouths!”). The rule for Open Singing is: “Show, don't tell!” and “Assist, don't

26
 correct!”. The participants are open for new things, they want to learn and love
humour, but they do not want to be reprimanded. Phrases such as "Who else
has already discovered the rest?" are better than “Please don't sing into the
rest!” and “Who can sing so quietly that their neighbour can barely hear them?"
beats “It's still too loud! ”

So, not only in open singing but also in actual rehearsal it is very important to keep
this level of attitude to the choir, in order to keep a healthy flow of communication.
With these constructive instructions it is quite possible to keep the singers highly active
in the rehearsal, thus creating a fruitful atmosphere to develop musically. This aspect
of learning has already been examined scientifically. According to Murray (1980, p.
12) in one study by Madsen in 1974, an ensemble is taught two musical scores of equal
difficulty and equal unfamiliarity, one by using only disapproval responses by the
conductor and one only by approval. The performance level took 33 minutes of
rehearsal time with disapproval and only 19 minutes with approval. On top of that,
Kirkland (1968) explores that a 50-50 percent of approval and disapproval brings the
most effective outcome, so it is not about choosing one or the other but about how to
balance.

Another factor that is relevant on the communication to the choir is the speaking
manners of the conductor. The volume of the speaking voice, as well as the words that
are chosen and the attitude of speech all affect the choir drastically. A professional
choir would not like to be addressed like a youth choir, similarly it is not possible to
talk to a children’s choir like adults. Sometimes conductors tend to speak louder, when
there is noise in the room. This is not a solution, but it only increases th problem.
According to Boonshaft (2006, p. 65), giant physical and verbal actions result in the
escalation of the volume frenzy, not remedying it. He does not only talk about a loud
voice, but also big gestures of conducting. If the conductor starts with large gestures
to get visual attention, he/she continues to use even larger gestures and this diffuses
the attention of the singers more. Instead, he recommends the conductor to get smaller
to focus the singers to a center. Once the conductor grabs the attention, then he/she can
use gestures as wished for different purposes. David Lawrance (2019, personal
communication) adds that directions and announcement should be given once. If one
starts to repeat the bar number the choir is supposed to sing over and over again, singers
tend to be more passive in listening, thus more people will ask where to start although

27
it is announced once. According to him, it is sometimes even better to leave some
guesswork to the choir, so that the singers become more active and carry more
responsibility in the course of the rehearsal.

2.5.3 Discipline

The concept of discipline can be understood in many ways. Some approaches perceive
this word in a negative sense, which expresses imposition and coercion. This
understanding suggests that to maintain a high standard of discipline, one must abide
by the rules and if not, there should be sanctions. Nevertheless, it is possible to look at
this concept from a different point of view, perhaps not from top to down, but from
within the singers and the ensemble.

Discipline in that context would mean the consistency to keep the same level of effort
for a long span of time. Usually choirs are ambitious to get results of high quality but
when it comes to the effort worth giving for that result, singers may tend to lean from
their purpose. Therefore, considering the human factors, the singers should know
exactly what is expected from them and how they can fulfill this expectation. Answers
to these two questions are crucial, because without the other, one is useless.

If we would consider a choir where singers are informed about what is expected but
don’t know how to fulfill this, there won’t be any musical improvement. One can
imagine that the singers are expected to come prepared to the rehearsals, learning their
parts to have a quicker reading session with all the singers. But many amateur singers
do not have the tools to make sure that they learned the part correctly. Rick Stamer
(1999, p. 29) also mentions that it is a very ineffective motivational behaviour to expect
the singers to learn their voice parts on their own without providing opportunities for
extra help to those who lack the ability. In such cases, singers may think that they know
their music, but apparently it may be the case that in the choir, they are unable to sing
with the accompaniment of the other voices. So, very clear tools should be offered to
the singers and their tasks should be clarified. This may necessitate extra help for the
singers who are not fluent in sight-reading, and more objective and measurable
outcomes like a recording of their part sent to a specific e-mail address or singing the
part in quartets before the rehearsal. If the outcome is left ambigously, the singers are
likely to have questionable results. Their learning of the parts will differ from one to

28
another and this will demotivate the ones who are well-prepared, while diminishing
the overall discipline of the choir’s work.

Alternatively, the choir may have technically correct tools but the singers may not be
informed about the exact expectations. If we take the same example, the singers may
be able to read the score, prepare with the help of an external file, or simply listen to a
recording and learn the piece. Although they have the tools, if the expectation about
learning their part is not being communicated to them clearly in the beginning of the
season, they cannot fulfill this need. Sometimes it may be the case that the choir has a
big potential to move forward, but simply because of lack of communication, resources
of time and human potential are wasted.

It helps the choir to keep their discipline to be able to talk about it openly in a platform.
Singers should be able to decide and comment on certain measures, so that they can
own the decisions and act accordingly. It makes a huge difference if a decision to start
a project with intensive rehearsals is imposed by the conductor directly or discussed
and agreed by the choir members. The way how things are offered to the choir is very
important in terms of the willingness of the singers to keep the purpose. It is not enough
that the conductor is very demanding artistically, the singers have to decide that they
want to prepare challenging music. Similarly, it won’t help if the conductor keeps
telling the singers that they have to be present at every rehearsal. The singers need to
take time to think about attendance, discuss the issue among themselves, and come to
a conclusion that will satisfy everybody in the choir. This is especially important
because every choir has different needs. In one choir, organically a more flexible
attendance procedure will create more efficient rehearsals, whereas in another a very
strict control of participation will increase the musical quality.

Thus, discipline in this approach would not mean to obey the rules that are set by
somebody else. In contrast, it would express the willingness of the singers to keep the
principles alive that they have agreed upon actively. Of course, to make sure that the
level of commitment is high, some measures should be taken, like preparing attendance
sheets, noting down who is late to the rehearsal, controlling if the singers have
prepared, and using other possible tools. Also, if needed, actions can be taken to the
singers who have not been following the mutually agreed principles. This is important,
because if there are no results of leaning from the principles, then they would be
meaningless for the whole team. Nevertheless, these actions should not feel as a

29
personal treatment to the singers. It should only be a follow-up of the procedure,
nothing more.

It is interesting that Boonshaft (2006, pp.22-23) associates motivation and discipline

with another term: Inspiration. According to him, motivation, discipline and
inspiration are not only related to each other but they are three facades of the same
thing. He believes that learning cannot exist in chaos and control in the classroom (or
the rehearsal room) is the key to progress. Boonshaft names this concept as a mix of
three words and calles it ‘motidispiration’. It is defined as progress or growth through
controlled training, then teaching, to inspire students to be more motivated. So, he
argues that actually motivation and discipline feed each other and produce a brand new
inspiration that motivates the ensemble to be more disciplined. With the backing of
communication skills, this multifaceted area should possess the core of human factors
in the rehearsal.

Warm-up

A strong rehearsal starts with a good warm-up. The first minutes of the rehearsal does
not only serve for offer some voice exercises to the choir members. Of course, it is an
important period to bring the voices to the singing position. But it possesses much
more opportunities to share with the choir.

The warm-up should not be considered separately from the rehearsal. It is a continuous
process. Therefore, the rehearsal and thus the learning process starts with the warm-
up. According to Kaplan (1985, p. 19), the whole rehearsal should be considered as a
long warm-up. First and foremost, the warm-up is the section where all the choir comes
together. The singers start to step towards an ensemble feeling. According to Ehmann
and Haasemann (1981, p. 74) one of the most important features of the warm-up is to
unify the vowels of the singers. Usually, especially in professional choirs, it is a
necessity to bring the choir to the same vowels that the relevant musical work
necessitates. For example, a Russian motet would need a more dark production of the
vowel ‘A’ whereas a Mediterranean folk composition would demand a more open and
bright one. It is a good idea to prepare the choir to the desired sound right in the first
minutes of the rehearsal. Therefore, the warm-up is more than a technical preparation
of the singers. According to Kurt Thomas (1991), it is absolutely necessary to spare
10-15 minutes for the warm-up before each rehearsal and concert. He also states that

30
it is important for the conductor to convince the singers about its necessity and
significance.

The conductor can also introduce the timbre quality that he/she desires in the warm-
up. Not only the characteristics of the vowels, but also the attack and release of the
phrases, the colour of the sound, the way to articulate the notes, and balance inbetween
different voice parts can be introduced to the choir right in the warm-up. This may be
considered as a way of ‘tuning’ the choir, not only temperament-wise, but also sound-
wise. Many problems that may come up during the rehearsal can be avoided through
a warm-up with a clear purpose. If we would consider for example the rehearsal of the
Bruckner motet Locus iste, there is good point in preparing a warm-up with a lot of
legato exercises. The conductor can offer his/her ideal way of producing a warm sound
produced mainly by the vowels ‘o’, ‘u’ and ‘i’, namely the main vowels of the motet.
The manner the conductor would like to prepare the B-part of the motet starting at bar
21 with the text irreprehensibilis est, can be introduced by a legato pianissimo warm-
up exercise to the whole choir. Not only the articulation, but also the range of the
dynamics can be introduced, as well as increased during the warm-up. The singers can
be demanded to produce a more subtle pianissimo and a more spacious fortissimo,
which will prepare them for the dynamic range they can perform in the rehearsal.

A very cricital role of the warm-up is the constitution of motivation for singing and
learning. In that sense, the German word ‘Einsingen’ gives a lot more insight to the
process of warm-up, being not only a selection of vocal exercises but an entrance to
the singing process itself. As Ehmann and Haasemann (1981, p. 10) suggest, even the
teaching of a new phrase should be a form of musicianship. The same is relevant for
the warm-up. Therefore, the level of musicianship should be set high right from the
start of the warm-up. Many different elements can be used to keep the musical
motivation of the singers up and similarly also non-musical or demotivating ways of
starting the rehearsal are also a possibility. In each exercise, the singers should feel
that they are making music. For that to happen, they have to have a clear musical aim
and also should do more than a mere exercise. Accompanying the warm-up exercises
with varying harmonic progressions is one of the ways of keeping the musical
perception alive. Even, the progression from one exercise to another can be supported
by the dominant of the upcoming tonality, so that the singers have a feeling of tonal
center while warming up their voices. Another possibility is to use the notion of images

31
when introducing a warm-up exercise, which activates the creative part of the brain
and encourages singing meaningfully. Guglhör (2008, p. 60) claims that imagionation
tips that affect the mood positively can stimulate the body tension and help the singers
to achieve the desired performance. It should also not be forgotten that sometimes,
even though he/she may not have the perfect voice, the conductor has to be a singing
model for the choir. In that sense, the motivation of the conductor in singing the
exercise or introducing it directly affects the output of the choir. By the end of the
warm-up, the singers should not be tired, but instead they have to be willing to sing.
Therefore, the warm-up does not only serve musically, but it also has a strong function
psychologically. This differentiates a choral warm-up from an exercise of an individual
singer. An individual singer prepares his/her voice technically by exercises but a choral
warm-up introduces the notion of ensemble singing to the members of the choir.

The warm-up can also be used to start rehearsing, especially if there are challenging
phrases in the relevant piece regarding the melody and text. Considering the melodic
structures, some recurring passages can be included in the warm-up as a quasi-leitmotif
of the rehearsal, starting to introduce the musical themes to the singers. This is
especially helpful to teach complex melodies, when the minds of the singers are fresh
and ready to learn. The introduced phrase will create a moment recognition in the
actual rehearsal, where it will be very easy to go over that specific melody, bringing
about a feeling of accomplishment to the musicians. Another field that is interesting to
offer in the warm-up is the text, which is helpful in two dimensions. Firstly, the choir
begins to learn the complex text well before the singers encounter it in the piece and
there is time to digest it. Secondly, the conductor finds the opportunity to work on the
colour of the vowels of the specific text within the period of the warm-up. Thus, the
singers know for sure how they should produce the sound with that specific language
and text. In introducing the textual elements in the warm-up, it is recommended to use
the same or at least a similar rhythmical structure to the actual musical work, so that
the singers get familiar with the way they sould recite the text. For example, if the
choir is working on Latin text in German pronunciation like Mozart’s Requiem, the
conductor can introduce phrases like luceat eis or Agnus dei in the warm-up with the
correct pronunciation. That saves rehearsal time and prepares the production of vowels
and consonants before starting the phrases. This is especially helpful when there is a
foreign language text to the singers, for example a German text for a Turkish choir. In

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rehearsing the first movement of Bach’s Matthäuspassion, it can be interesting to
include the phrase Kommt ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen in the warm-up exercises, since

A possible model for the order of the warm-up suggested by the author.

this sentence is sung by all parts repeated many times. Instead of taking time in the
rehearsal to study the text, the choir can prepare it in the warm-up with all its needs of
articulation regarding the language.

On top of this, the conductor can also offer his/her imagination of sound character
before the actual rehearsal time using the warm-up. Just like the example with Locus
iste, it is possible to introduce dynamics, articulation, phrases in the warm-up, but it is
not limited to those elements. The imagination of the musical character is very easy to
introduce when all choir is concentrated on producing high-quality sound in the warm-
up. The concentration in that period can well be more than the rehearsal itself, since it
is the time when all the singers participate in the same kind of activity, whereas in the
rehearsal they would be doing different tasks at different times. Thus, whether the
conductor would like to have a soft sound with high overtones or a direct and bright
voice production, he/she can prepare exercises that can process this specific character
and immediately move to the relevant musical work to keep the maximum effect in
the rehearsal.

A possible model of a warm-up session has been suggested in Figure 2.1 considering
different approaches that are utilised by conductors. The author has gathered this
model as one of the ways to lead a warm-up that is comfortable for the singers and

33
also helpful for the sound of the choir. The shape is consciously chosen as a pyramide,
suggesting that what is written in the bottom is actually a foundation for the next step.
The starting phase of the warm-up should feature an exercise that helps with the
resonance spaces with sounding consonants like m / n / ng. This may be followed by
legato exercises and vocal unification. Only after that melodies with staccato and
agility can be taken in a healthy way by amateur singers. It is crucial to consider
register transitions and at the very end going up and down to the extremes. It is
important to motivate the singers for using their instruments more carefully and in an
enjoyable way, so that with each exercise the Singfreude (joy of singing) is increasing.
Simultaneously, every step should have a transition to the next one with a gesture of
relaxation, so that the muscles are not too tense after some minutes. This suggested
model can be adapted to different occasions of warm-up.

A warm-up can be designed in many different ways, but there is a general

understanding of the order of the prospective exercises that make a healthy warm-up.
It is clear that warming up the body and starting to work with the breath come as first
steps before going into the voice. With regard to the usage of voice, many conductors
are keen to use a logical order that derives from the anatomics of production of the
sound. It is not possible to go into the details of vocal production here, however it
would be nice to suggest the given pyramid as a model for the warm-up order (See
Figure 2.1).

A similar procedure is being suggested by Guglhör (2006) in his book on voice training
in the choir. According to him, there are four phases to the warm-up that could be
followed: One, the training of the fundamental technique without a fixed tonality. Two,
starting with fixed tones and continuing with parlando exercises. Three, exercises for
mixing of registers and messa di voce. Four, coloratura exercises, high notes and depth
in the low notes. He proposes this order of warm-up for different sequences. However,
even though the aims can be different, this procedure helps for a healthier production
of the sound.

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 LOGISTICAL BACKGROUND OF EFFICIENT REHEARSING

As the techniques used in the rehearsal are of crucial significance, it’s a fact that the
topic should be considered as a whole with its logistical background. No rehearsal
technique can help to increase the performance level of the choir, if the circumstances
for a comfortable setting are not present. Many of these logistical details tend to be
forgotten or neglected, but they are an inseparable part of a efficient rehearsal. It is
very surprising how much the positioning of the chairs can change in the sound of the
choir or how significant the neighbourhood of the venue can affect the motivation of
the singers to show up in the rehearsal. These factors are eventually effective in any
kind of group activity, however there are specific details that play an important role in
choral music which will be addressed in this chapter.

Location

According to Halsey (2011, p. 23) the rehearsal should take place in a location where
the singers enjoy coming. It is not always easy to find an ideal rehearsal room for a
choir, but it matters a lot. In amateur choirs, one of the determining factors of new
singers being interested in joining a choir is where the choir meets every week. Singers
spend a lot of time to travel to the rehearsal and it encourages them a lot to have a
central location that is well-connected through different means of transportation.

It should not be forgotten that choral music is also a social activity where people come
together and create new bonds. It should be possible for a singer to meet other singers
before or after the rehearsal in a café or restaurant nearby. Although this looks as a
remote topic, it has tremendeous influence on the level of social integration of the
choir. Again, Halsey (2011, p. 20) summarises it very briefly: Whoever has friends in
the choir, will not only stay there, but also sing better!

It is always a positive aspect of the choir to have a common place for socialising. For
example, the restaurant nearby the Musikverein building in Vienna has already an

35
agreement with the board of Wiener Singverein. The singers are welcome and even
encouraged to meet there after every concert and this certainly has positive effects on
the integrity of the choir. To be able to meet, talk and get to know other singers in the
choir does increase the level of trust among fellow singers.

3.1.1 Venue

The rehearsal venue is home of the choir. It is where the members come every rehearsal
to meet, where all the musical and emotional intensity is experienced, and where the
intimate self of the choir’s identity flourishes. Thus, the venue has a tremendous effect
on the character of the choir. Its influence is in such a great extent that changes of the
venue have notable impact on the demographics of the choir with changing
membership.

The venue of the choir should be utilised very consciously, as it is a very strong tool
for communicating the desired messages to the choir members. From the comfort of
the chairs, to the quality of the printed announcements on the wall, the venue gives an
overall impression of the choir itself. Details within the venue should be taken care of
carefully and its logistical operation like cleaning, heat, and maintenance should not
be neglected.

3.1.1.1 Visibility and lighting

Weigle (1954, p. 6) states that the physical comfort of the choir member is important
and this starts with ventilation and lighting. Lighting in the rehearsal and in the concert
are two different and equally important topics for a successful performance of a choir.
A perfect rehearsal hall has a warm and balanced light, which makes it much easier to
read scores. Since the eyes of the singers change all the time from the score sheet to
the conductor and vice-versa, a weak lighting system makes the singers tired much
quicker. A light that is too bright and white is also a problem, as a light that is not
enough to see the score. If possible and applicable regarding the rehearsal timing,
being subject to daylight is the most healthy way to plan for the visibility. If the light
is coming through the windows, choir members should not face these windows since
then they would not see the conductor. Ideal lighting, which does not really exist in
many buildings, is the one that the rehearsal room of the Kunstuniversität Graz has:
Daylight from above through the ceiling.

36
Not only in the rehearsal venue, but also in the concert hall the lighting is a critical
concept. There can be a lot of minutes of the dress rehearsal wasted because of a
mistake of planning in the lighting system. If the choir members are not able to see the
scores due to a lack of light or they cannot see the conductor because of too much light,
both can affect the quality of the performance drastically. It also decreases the
individual performance of choral singers, if some spots of the choir are not lighted
well.

3.1.1.2 Acoustics of the room

The acoustics of the rehearsal room can easily destroy the concert, in the sense that it
influences the choir’s sound directly. Choirs that rehearse in a church know very well
that too much reverberation is a serious problem for the rehearsal. If the rehearsal
venue has a lot of reverb, it is not only hard to hear and detect the mistakes of the choir,
but also the choir can hardly hear the speaking voice of the conductor.

Some conductors would suggest that it is better to have a very dry room to rehearse,
so that the choir becomes really very careful about singing each note perfectly. A dry
room would maximise the audibility of the individual singers’ voices. Nevertheless, a
too dry room is also not healthy for a choir, since this kind of acoustics hinders the
resonance and blend among the singers. Thus, the singers become more individualistic
and have hard a time to create homogeneity within the choir.

In some cases, especially before a performance on a dry stage or a competition, it could

be useful to find a very dry room to practice. An alternative can be an open-air
rehearsal, where everybody more or less feels alone because of the lack of voice
reflection from the walls. This effects the self-confidence of the choir members
positively, because each and every singer gives a lot of effort to keep their own voices
in the highest quality. Nevertheless, it is not good to rehearse in these acoustics too
often to make sure the choir blends well.

3.1.1.3 Sitting order

A topic that may be ignored but that is also very important is the placement of the chair
in the rehearsal room. In a classroom order, the chairs would be organised in simple
straight rows as in a theater. This is actually not good for a choir to listen to each other.
Instead, a setting of a half-circle or at least an oval helps a lot to the singers to blend

37
their voices. It also supports the right and left extremes to hear the other parts much
easier, which is really hard in a straight order. It is also significant how many rows the
choir will sit. Sometimes, too few rows make the singers sit very tight with each other
so that they lose their own personal space. There should be enough room between the
singers, ideally a distance where another chair would fit. This not only helps the
singers’ ability to sing more confidently, but also allows for a space where they can
move more freely.

Another aspect is the order how the choir members sit in the room. As the placement
of the chairs, it also effects the sound how these chairs are used. There are many
theories about the positioning of a choir which are too detailed to go into here and
although they bring valuable information, every order can have its own advantages
and disadvantages. As Kurt Thomas (1991, pp. 152-155) specifies in his textbook,
different positionings are possible and effective for different results. The point here for
the conductor is to select the right position for the right piece. Even so, it is known that
a mixed position where different voice groups stand with each other is good for self-
confidence and following the other parts, whereas a Nordic position where tenor stands
behind the alto and bass stands behind the soprano helps a lot with intonation and
sound quality.

In orchestral projects, the preparation of the podiums and the chairs become much
more significant. Usually in orchestral concert halls the space for the choir is not very
flexible and the sitting order needs to be prepared very carefully. Even the lack of one
chair can result in a problem, which can grow bigger because this problem would take
time from the rehearsal of the orchestra and everybody would be waiting for the choir
to settle down. Although it seems very easy from outside, sitting on an orchestral
podium needs sensitive preparation both by informing the choir members and by
making sure that the logistics are taken care of. It may not seem to be an artistic
responsibility of the choral conductor, but it is his/her job to make sure everything runs
smoothly. In addition, if there is a sitting problem in the concert, the responsible would
not be anybody but the choral conductor.

3.1.1.4 Accompanying instruments

If the choir is not especially working on the pieces a capella, most rehearsal rooms
possess an accompanying instrument like a piano, keyboard, organ, harpsichord or

38
others. The positioning of this instrument may differ from project to project. If there
is an accompanist, it is usual that the piano is placed to the right or left side of the room
with the pianist facing the conductor. But sometimes the conductor is alone and needs
to reach the instrument for demonstrating a passage, giving the pitch or playing along
with the choir. In such cases, two options are the most feasible. Either the piano should
be on the right or left side of the conductor within a specific distance that could be
reached without walking, or it should (if it is not an upright piano) be in front of
him/her. The ease of reaching the keyboard of the instrument without effort is critical,
because if the conductor needs to walk some steps every time he/she needs to play a
tone, much time is spent only because of the positioning of the piano. On top of that,
every time the conductor leaves his/her own stand, the center of the room is shifted
towards where he/she walks. The ideal case is when the conductor can give instructions
without leaving his/her central position.

3.1.1.5 Printed announcements

Choirs usually have a big information flow between the conductor, the board, and the
members. These should be given in an organised manner, not to confuse anybody and
to keep a good reference on the details. For example, if a rehearsal calendar is hung on
the wall and there have been changes afterwards, it is not enough to reprint the new
version and put it there. The exact changes should be marked by a coloured pen
explicitly to make sure that everybody gets this message.

A tool that could be used to utilise the walls could be to hang pictures of composers,
texts and translations of the works or the principles of the choir. In every rehearsal,
there will be a break time and some singers will be free to go and read the information
written on these papers. This not only gives the singers a chance to use their break time
in a beneficial way, but also allows the board or the conductor to pass on information
or remind the singers on specific topics regularly.

3.1.2 Neighbourhood

Many choir members know that the neighbourhood of where the rehearsal takes place
is of critical importance for their daily schedule. If an amateur choir comes together in
the evening, where members join the rehearsal arriving from their work or school, they
probably use various transportation techniques and would be happy if it is an easy
place to reach. Halsey (2011, p. 23) mentions about this aspect as the following: The

39
rehearsal venue should be in a location where the singers enjoy coming. Although he
claims, it is very well known to him that there is a scarcity on the rehearsal rooms in
every city, he believes it is worth giving effort for a good one.

Naturally, not only the ease of transportation but also the overall quality of the
neighbourhood plays a significat role. If the rehearsal room is in a part of the city where
the crime rate is higher and if people have doubts about getting back home in the dark,
this will probably decrease the willingness of singers to join this choir. Even if that
seems like an unrelated factor to the choir’s projects, conductor’s experience, and all
the other artistical features, factors about the neighbourhood can directly affect the
well-being of a choir’s rehearsal.

Timing

Every organisation that consists of groups of people must use the concept of time very
carefully. If the concept of time is not taken care of sensitively enough, this may cause
major problems in the long run. It should not be forgotten that the value of every
minute spent should be multiplied by the number of the singers. So, if there are 60
singers in a choir, a lost minute is worth one hour, respectively one minute of every
singer’s time. Singers are happy to work with conductors to whom they can rely on
regarding the time and schedule. At the end of the day, they are giving away their time
consciously to the hand of a conductor and they would like to make sure it is used
effectively. In the next sections, some elaboration on the concept of timing will be
made with regard to the choir’s rehearsal habits.

3.2.1 Punctuality of the beginning and the end

An exact time frame in which the work will be done is very crucial for building a
strong team. The meeting time of each rehearsal is a contract between all the
performers in the hall. Singers are responsible to all other fellow singers and the
conductor, as the conductor is responsible to all the singers about keeping the promised
time frame as it is agreed upon. This agreement builds a very fundamental but effective
hidden contract in the choir and it influences the course of a rehearsal period
immensely. It is the first promise of every performer to meet at an exact time and if
this promise is broken from the start, there cannot be a high expectation of rehearsal
commitment.

40
Thomas and Wagner (1991, p. 125) indicate that the conductor should be on time
without exception to be able to demand punctuality from his/her singers. They also
suggest that singers who are continuously late or absent should be excluded from the
rest of the work. According to them, a small choir with dependable singers are much
better than a larger choir with late-coming problems, which prevents all the choir to
function well. Nicholson (1932) supports this idea by claiming that the rehearsal
should begin promptly even if there are a few present. For him, it is necessary to start
promptly since the time of the rehearsal should be utilised without losing time. It also
helps for the consistency of the statements of the conductor to be on time. If the
conductor waits for the latecomers, the dilemma is that the latecomers do not realise
that they are late. For the reference of the starting time to be present, the action should
roll in the first minute of the rehearsal.

An important principle for the conductor is that it is always beneficial not only to start
exactly at the right time, but also end the rehearsal punctually. It is sometimes the case
that the conductor may tend to prolong the rehearsal time because of a reason that
he/she thinks is exceptionally important, like working on a passage or giving some
more directions to the choir. Nevertheless, it is very critical to keep the contract that
has been made by the singers, be it amateur or professional, to start and end on time.
Nothing can be more important than the time of the singers and it should not be taken
unwillingly from them. Although the conductor may ask the choir to prolong the
rehearsal for 5-10 minutes, it is not acceptable even if the majority is fine with this.
There can always be somebody who does not dare to speak but still does not feel
comfortable with the time change. If the conductor expects the singers to be on time,
he/she also must finish on time. It is a sign to keep the promise in the hidden contract
between the singers and the conductor. The extra 5-10 minutes or more can never be
as effective as the real rehearsal time.

Halsey (2011, p. 115) expresses that there is no question about the optimum starting
point of the rehearsal. It is always as planned. Since the same principle applies for the
end, he claims that the rehearsal period should be planned generously and then some
minutes may be donated when the content has been covered in the session. He also
indicates that the breaks are holy and it is a sign of respect to keep them as planned. It
is the responsibility of the conductor to control the time cautiously. The utilisation of

41
the break time is not only important for the singers, but also for the conductor to refresh
and reconsider his/her priorities before the next session.

3.2.2 Practicing the exact schedule

A consistency between the given plan and the executed reality is also very crucial to
gain the trust of the singers. Any diversion from the schedule will create an image of
lack of preparation which in turn will loosen the bonds of the singers to the schedule.
Naturally, there may be cases which necessitate a change in the plans, but all of this
should be informed well in advance. An enemy of the commitment of the singers to
the choir is the last minute cancelled rehearsal or last minute additions of extra
rehearsals. If possible, the conductor should be able to foresee what rehearsal plan
she/he is needing, considering all the factors that may also effect the process in the run
of the rehearsals.

This being said, it is never possible to plan a rehearsal schedule 100% exactly as it will
turn out. Brödel (2014, p. 162) mentions that even the best rehearsal plan becomes
obsolete when different factors disturb the continuity by reasons like inconsistent
attendance, sickness, cancellation of a rehearsal, etc. So, in the planning there should
always be a reserve and flexibility foreseen. Since, the conductor also possesses the
information that there will be a need for flexibility, the plan should be done
accordingly.

Just like the concept of punctuality, keeping the track of the choir in the long run
schedule is a key element for sustainability in the choir. Every singer is an individual
who has a private life and personal schedule, regardless of being professional or
amateur. So, every minute of the singers should be respected, as their right to plan for
the next few months of their life. This understanding may vary a little bit in the case
of full-time professional singers, who in theory must be present at work when
requested in the given working hours. Nevertheless, even for a full-time professional
choir it is of great help to have a long-term plan and to practice this plan as full as
possible. This will give the singers the feeling that they are in good hands and the
overall improvement of the choir is well taken care of.

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3.2.3 Daily schedule

Even though it may seem straightforward that a daily rehearsal schedule will be made
according to the musical needs of the choir, the reality is in fact quite on the contrary
that it should be prepared with regard to the human needs of the members to get the
most out of it. Singers are the main element in a choir and if they are not treated well,
quality cannot be maintained. This being said, it does not mean that the choir is a social
platform for the members to meet and have a good time. Musical necessities and
personal needs should be balanced in a good level and this level depends on the vision
the choir, which differs from ensemble to ensemble.

Conductors are usually very keen on thinking about the rehearsal time and how to
fulfill the rehearsal hours. However, fewer conductors really think about another very
important detail, which is the quality break time. If the intervals of a rehearsal are not
of a good quality in terms of timing, content, and facilities, the overall focus of the
choir will be decreasing throughout the rehearsal, especially after the break.

Human beings have a limited capacity for concentration. It is impossible for any singer
to focus 100% on a rehearsal for 3 hours. Breaks should be made whenever needed
and it should be guaranteed that the breaks really serve for a good rest. Many cultures
have a different approach on how long a rehearsal session should last, but according
to Jan Schumacher (personal communication, March 2019) 90 minutes would be an
ideal timing for a session. It is enough time to get the singers into the flow, work on
details and wrap up what has been practiced. Equally important to this is how long the
breaks last and what are the facilities where singers can spend their break time.
Whereas a 120 minutes rehearsal would necessitate a short break, a 180 minutes
rehearsal needs a longer break. Short and long can be defined on the needs of the choir
and also on the number of the singers. The more the number is, the longer it takes to
settle back again. If a 10 minute break is scheduled for 100 singers, this period will not
even allow them to go to the canteen. In the break times, the logistical needs should be
calculated carefully. If the singers would like to take a hot drink, how long does it take
to purchase one? Does it take longer if many singers go to the line? Are there stairs to
go up or down? How many doors to the rehearsal room do they have to walk in or out?
If the singers should go out of the building in a longer break, how long does it take to
walk to the nearest facility? All these factors are important to determine the exact
length of a break, thus coming up with a more realistic schedule.

43
Another preparation that could be made to raise the quality level of the breaks is about
food and drinks. If the rehearsal venue has facilities that offer these options, it is ideal.
If not, it may be a good idea to organise the singers to bring their own food or also
even food to share. The second option especially helps for the social time of the
singers, where they do not only share food but also some conversation. At the same
time it is very important to make sure that it is not always the same ones that bring the
food or that the preparation process is distributed evenly among the singers. In the
Istanbul European Choir, which is an amateur symphonic choir with almost half a
century history, singers have a tradition of organising groups of singers who will take
care about the food for longer rehearsal sessions. Every month, another group of 10
singers deal with the food either by preparing it themselves or by buying it. In that
way, it is made sure that within the calendar year, everybody contributes to that once.
It is not a surprise that this choir has a very low turnover rate, with choir members
staying really long years within this friendly atmosphere. Sharing logistical details may
well be one of the factors that influence this rate.

3.2.4 Timing of the dress rehearsal

Not only the daily plan effects the performance of a rehearsal, but also the timing of
the dress rehearsal. The dress rehearsal is perceived as a last review of the concert
performance and usually it is done in a standing position. That means, the singers stand
and sing the concert repertoire or parts of it just before the concert to make sure
everything is working.

As it is obvious that the dress rehearsal should not be too long, to be able to keep the
energy of the singers for the concert, it is also important when it is scheduled. Some
choirs prefer to rehearse just before the concert. This has positive effects to keep the
concentration of the choir together in the hours leading to the concert. Still, the choir
would need at least one hour time to dress and prepare for the concert. If the singers
need to eat, which should not be done too much before a performance, then the time
before the concert should be increased. A problem occurs if the schedule leaves too
much time between the dress rehearsal and the concert. Waiting too much in the
backstage can make the singers tired before the performance, especially if there are no
facilities to sit comfortably and have something warm to drink.

44
An alternative to that, which is also possible, is to make the dress rehearsal in the
morning and go home before the performance. This gives a much more relaxed space
to the length of the dress rehearsal and it also allows the choir to work more on details,
as much as it could be done in the last day. If the singers are mature enough to rest
before the concert, this method helps a lot for a fresh performance. Nevertheless, when
the singers arrive to the concert hall again in the evening, it is helpful to gather the
choir for a few exercises that blend the sound and focus the singers to the performance.

Transportation

Choirs which travel for festivals, competitions, and guest appearances know very well
that the transportation of the choir is a topic that has its own dynamics and is also very
influential on the performance of a choir. No conductor can lead an effective rehearsal
with singers who are tired or sleepless. The point of organising a travel schedule is to
keep control on the well-being of the singers, who are using their voice every day in
the tour and also need a healthy rest to be able to perform in full capacity.

3.3.1 When to travel

Travel time in itself is a factor in logistical organisation that needs care by the ensemble
leaders. If the destination is within some hours of transportation, it will be easier to
operate this. The only detail that should be kept in mind will be that there should be a
generous buffer time after the transportation has finished and before the next event
starts. People need time to check-in, go into their rooms, have a coffee, or they may
have other necessities that prevent them from going into a rehearsal right after the
travel time.

It is also possible to have quite long travel hours if the group is driving to another
country by bus or flying by plane. At those occasions, the timing of the departure is of
great importance, since it probably effects the choir’s first minutes of a festival
experience, or whether they will miss dinner or not. Usually when choirs travel, it is
always advantageous to travel as a group. This saves a lot of time that can be lost when
individuals are travelling. It also gives so many easier options, for example the choir
can connect to a bus after a plane to reach its final destination, whereas if people travel
individually they have to find their ways individually, which takes more time and also
needs more energy to organise.

45
Sometimes it may seem wise to travel at night to reach a festival or a concert venue in
the morning. Although this looks like it saves time, one should never forget that the
group needs as much resting time as they would need to travel when they reach the
destination. A choir cannot be expected to perform right after a night bus or a train. In
taking such options, relevant resting periods should be also organised and people
should be able to get into their rooms in the morning.

3.3.2 How to travel

Most choirs in the world travel by bus or by train for short distances. A bus is probably
the cheapest and the most practical solution for the travel of the choir, since it stays
with the choir during the tour and can be used also for travelling between the hotel and
the concert hall. Busses keep the choir in one group and make sure that they stick
together. Trains on the other side are also practical if all the choir can fit into one ride.
However, in public transportation forms, the choir has to be very clear on the meeting
times and places, so that nobody gets lost or misses the timetable.

The same practicality with the meeting times and places are also valid for flights. The
organisation team must be cautious to be in the airport early enough, because moving
with a group takes a lot more time than travelling individually. So, for example, in
calculating transfer times of the choir, one should not think about the passport queue
for one person but add the times up for every member of the choir. The extra waiting
times for all the members can sometimes be frustrating, so it is a positive point when
the singers are informed about this possibility beforehand.

In every travel form there is a steady background noise, be it a bus, a train, or a plane.
Thus, people tend to talk louder in public transportation than in a hotel room. Singers
should be very careful about protecting their voices especially when they travel as a
group. Sometimes, a ride in the bus may be accompanied by chatter or games by small
groups in the choir. Too much noise can be not only tiring for the ones who are
speaking a lot, but also for the ones who are silent but are subject to the noise level. It
may be offensive to intervene people on the journey, so the best option is to take 10
minutes of the last rehearsal to talk about the principles of travelling together, so that
everybody starts the journey being on the same page. It is better to be proactive in
these topics than being frustrated afterwards.

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3.3.3 Utilising the transfer time

The transfer time is a serious resource that can be used benefically by the choir.
Options that help the singers’ performance are to rest as much as possible on the
transfer or to have useful social time without getting too loud or tired. It should not be
forgotten that the aim is the concert, not the tour itself. It is for sure that short
sightseeing opportunities, symbolic visits, or enjoying local food can be boosting
motivation on a concert tour. Nevertheless, the actual goal of the travel should always
be on the agenda of the singers.

It is also possible for the conductor to prepare resources like playlists to listen or
written notes to read throughout the travel time, especially if it takes longer than some
hours. It is recommended by the Music Educators Journal (1983, pp. 55-56) to be
tactful, patient, and flexible when travelling overseas, if one would like to get out more
from the concert tour. The tour can contain lots of surprises and the logistics should be
planned carefully beforehand so that these unexpected incidents can still be under
control of the group leader. Gilbert (2005, p. 84) mentions that things can happen from
bus breakdowns to medical emergencies during travel time and it is crucial to have a
back-up plan and a strategy to deal with the unexpected.

Subsistence

It should not be forgotten that the material of singing is a healthy body. In order to
keep the singers in good condition, a high-quality subsistence plan is a must. Although
it may be taken for granted, the effects of a sufficient meal organisation are crucial for
the concentration and energy of the singers. In concert tours, usually the group moves
together and acts together. This brings about the consequence that the meal plans
should also be organised not individually, but with the group dynamics in
consideration.

3.4.1 Meal schedule

The priority of a choir is its rehearsals and performances. So, the first step in preparing
the schedule is to see when the rehearsals are set and when it is better to have lunch or
dinner. It is ideal to leave one hour of time after the meal is finished. For example, if
the lunch is planned for 1PM, the ideal start for the earliest rehearsal time is 3PM. It
does not only help to calculate how much a lunch period would last and start the

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rehearsal right after it is finished, both for health and also logistical reasons. It would
be nice to give a certain amount of time for digestion of the food for the singers.
Sandage and Emerich (2002) state that it is not healthy to sing after eating, therefore
the schedule should not be very tight. This also helps logistically, because people need
to move from the lunch area to the rehearsal room, they may want to visit their rooms
shortly or have a short relaxed time with their fellow singers before work.

After setting the boundaries between the end of the meals and the rehearsals, the next
step should be planning the end of the rehearsals before the meals. For example, if a
meal is set to start at 1PM, the rehearsal should latest end at 12.30. People will need to
go out of the rehearsal room, walk to the lunch area, settle down there, take the food
or wait for the food to be brought. All of this takes time and it should not be neglected.
Otherwise, with a late end of a rehearsal, all the daily schedule can be ruined.

Breakfast should not be taken too late before the rehearsal, otherwise it effects the first
hours of the singing negatively. As it is suggested to keep at least one hour between
lunch and the next session, it is also important to use this principle in the breakfast.
So, if the rehearsal is set to start at 10AM, the ideal breakfast time is 8AM. It is
probable that some singers would like to sleep longer and they should be encouraged
to do so by sleeping earlier the night before. It should not be forgotten that the daily
schedule starts with the breakfast, not with the first rehearsal.

It is crucial here to realise that free time and meal schedule is as important as the
rehearsal time. It is not just a time to rest or recover in between the rehearsals, but also
a period to comprehend and internalise the musical content of the sessions.

3.4.2 Utilising meal time for the group

Meal times are also periods where the singers have the chance to socialise and talk to
each other. The meals should not be seen merely as a logistical operational detail on
the schedule, but should be carefully designed to make sure the singers have contact
with each other, have time to get to know themselves and create a closer bond with
their peers. In order for that to happen, the location of the lunch, dinner and coffee
breaks are of high importance. In some choirs or choral tours, the lunch break would
be in a location where there are many different restaurants to choose from and the
singers would pick one for themselves for the time period. In those cases, singers
usually tend to hangout with a group of singers which they feel more attached to. In

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other cases, a common lunch can be organised by the team. Here, the singers are in an
environment where they inevitably meet with the remotest singers for them in the
choir. Although the first option also helps for socialisation and relaxation, an ensemble
leader should always aim for bringing the whole group together, where people who
don’t know each other very well get the chance to meet by sitting next to each other
or lining up next at lunch.

Resources

The management of a choir can utilise many resources of different kinds which help
the day-to-day operations of a choral ensemble and also support the singers, the
management, and the conductor in their daily work. The resources should be prepared
in advance, so that there is no confusion of what tools the choir is using at what stage
and ideally they should be introduced to all choir members, so that everyone can be
familiar with them. The most important aspect of the resources and the tools are that
all the members are motivated to use them. If only a part of the choir is willing to
commit to a specific tool, it is destined to collapse in a few months. Therefore, the
reasons and the benefits of using specific tools must be explained to the singers very
openly before starting with them.

3.5.1 Scores

Scores are the ultimate resource of music making. If we are not talking about a
minority of improvisation based choirs, the majority of ensembles rely on written notes
to realise music. The very existence of scores necessitate an organisation in itself,
where there are different stages. First stage is the decision on the repertoire. This is
usually done by the conductor or a committee that works together with the artistic
director. Second stage is to provide the scores, whether online or by purchasing them
through music stores. Then comes the third stage where they are distributed to the
singers. This can be done on a rental basis, where the singers get the chance to use the
score for a certain time and give them back to the library. Alternatively, they can get
legal copies of the scores or buy themselves. All in all, there is a certain operational
work to get the sheet music into the hands of the singers which needs careful
preparation before the season.

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Some online tools are helpful in terms of obtaining sheet music like International
Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) or Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL)
which include a lot of editions of copyright-free scores online. Databases like
Musicanet can also assist the conductors to find more information about the pieces, to
learn about the pronunciation, to see live recordings or to search similar scores. There
can be many other online resources to find scores. But new apps like NKODA bring
these resources to another level, where the ensemble can see through scores of a very
large selection by the publishers, create playlists and even take notes on their online
scores. Although it is really important to see the value of printed music, in this digital
age the practicality of online tools cannot be neglected. Even if the choir does not use
online databases or score libraries, it is really easy to upload all the scores to an internal
online cloud where all the singers can reach scores of a relevant concert. This not only
works as an archive for the future, but also helps the singers locate their scores easily.
Of course, in such procedures, the legal permission to share the scores should be
examined carefully.

3.5.2 Attendance

The choir is a group of individuals meeting periodically. It is very well known that
attendance to rehearsals are crucial for the success of a choir. The conductor may
prepare an ideal rehearsal plan with a fantastic repertoire, but it does not work if the
relevant people are not in the room to sing. Therefore, continuity in attending the
rehearsal is an important concept and should be communicated openly with the singers.

There are many ways to keep the attendance, where the most basic formula is to use
signed papers in the rehearsal room. This avoids all kinds of misunderstanding and
gives also a clear message that attendance is taken seriously by the management of the
choir. Of course, it does not help by itself that there are hundreds of papers in the
archive where everybody has signed in one season. All these documentation should be
transferred ideally to an excel sheet, where it is possible to see in one look who is
missing how many times and what percentage. Upon that information, the conductor
and the management can decide on how the singers can compensate for a certain
number of missed rehearsals.

Naturally it is not enough to take the attendance on the spot, because this does not give
any information about the number of singers for the upcoming rehearsal. The singers

50
should be encouraged to inform the board when they will miss a rehearsal. The timing
of this information can vary from choir to choir, but ideally it should not be a last
minute call. If the choir is acting in a planned schedule, so should the singers. On the
other hand, if the singers are expected to inform the choir in advance, the management
should also schedule the rehearsals and the concerts well before and with a
comprehensive plan.

In order to keep track on who is missing and who will be missing, human resources
applications can be very useful. An example is a start-up called KolayİK, which is
used by the choir Rezonans for many years to organise their attendance planning.
These apps can be helpful to see who is missing the next rehearsal or to get reports at
the end of the season. But still, these online tools only work if the members are directed
to use it again and again. If one person does not use it, the system fails. So, even though
online tools can be helpful in attendance, it should be decided carefully and informed
well to the singers.

3.5.3 Management

The organisation and governance of a choir will be discussed in the following chapters.
Whether or not the choir is electing a board, is governed by a number of volunteers or
is a profesionally run organisation, it will need some tools for communication. One
may think that the most widely used communication tool of our day is e-mail and that
may be true for some parts of corporate businesses, but maybe not for rather loosely
organised non-profit groups. Since many choirs are run on a voluntary basis, it is not
easy to set up a professional management system that everyone can work with. People
may not have the time, the know-how, or simply the will to use structured systems
when working voluntarily. Nevertheless, there is a great advantage of keeping
everything at one place for management teams. Therefore, in addition to e-mails,
organisations can use online project management tools like Basecamp, Teamwork or
Asana where they can follow up their progress on each project, the upcoming to-do
items, and the deadlines for the next steps. Alternatively, a management team can
prefer a communication tool like Slack, which easily can replace WhatsApp for a team
and bring all the conversation to a very organised level through tags and channels used
for different topics. These applications are ideal for a committed team, but it should be
mentioned again that they only function if everybody uses it.

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One should not forget that in addition to online management tools, traditional
resources like preparing meeting agendas, taking and approving minutes, informing
the choir on the decisions, and keeping all of this information in an organised folder
are always helpful for a board to function. There may be a long further reading on the
governance of non-profits and as the Little Book of Boards by Hanberg suggests, one
can always develop working tools and methods for any board, which will result in a
more effective outcome. In organising agendas, notes, or proposal documents, Google
Documents or any other collaborative platform can be ideal for members of the team
to share thoughts and work on drafts together. This avoids a lot of unnecessary e-mail
accumulation and motivates the group to work closely together.

3.5.4 Communication

An inevitable consequence of a choir is the need for a communication tool among all
members. Traditionally there have been many methods to reach the membership, but
today e-mail groups are a widely used tool for choirs to communicate. Nevertheless,
they are not the only tool. One disadvantage of an e-mail group is that it only can
provide a slow communication speed, where the recipients can get their e-mails
whenever they get online, if they have no notifications set in their smart phones. For
those cases, WhatsApp groups have come into play, where instant messaging is much
more easier. Still, since WhatsApp is subject to a very quick message flow, many
important information can get lost in between the messages in instant messaging.
Therefore, a combination with an e-mail group where important information is sent in
an organised way can be an ideal solution.

It is visible that some choirs connect through Facebook groups, although this seems to
lose its significance in time, because it is nearly impossible to get everyone’s attention
on Facebook and it depends a lot on the user, whether they would like to receive
notification or not. On top of that, the concept of posting a message and commenting
on it are not always ideal for groups to communicate.

One should not forget the really traditional way of a telephone call, which sometimes
is necessary to use by a management to distribute urgent news or changes in the daily
programme. Furthermore, the importance of physical announcements should never be
neglected. People tend to get the most information when they are subject to it
physically. It is very easy to skip an e-mail or a message, but one would never skip a

52
physical announcement done just before the rehearsal where all the singers are in the
room. This also brings the necessity of using printed paper announcements when
needed, because people respond more to physical objects around them and they are
more attentive in the rehearsal day than any other day to matters about the choir. At
the end of the day, whatever online tool is used by the choir, really important topics
should be addressed physically and communicated very clearly with the singers.

3.5.5 Archive

A well functioning choir will start to accumulate a series of sound and video recordings
after some years, which are accompanied by databases of given concerts, contacted
institutions, and past and present members. That brings about a need to collect all of
this valuable information in an archive. Since technology is changing every day, so are
the methods of archive keeping responding. DVD’s and CD’s have already lost their
significance and printed documentation leaves its legacy to online databases. In such
an age, it would be wise to create an online cloud storage account for the choir like
Dropbox or Google Drive. The reason that a hard disk may not be sufficient comes
from the fact that boards and members of a choir may change too quickly and online
access can become an important issue, rather than physical handover of documents or
hard disks. For a functioning archival system, the first crucial rule is to start as early
as possible. Whenever there are too many items to be archived after some years, it will
become harder to organise them. The management of the choir should be aware that
archive is not a luxury but a must, and it should be handled as a separate topic in the
workflow of the choir.

People

The choir does not consist of only singers and a conductor. It is a small organisation,
a mini-community which has its own internal dynamics. So, although on stage we
usually see the members as performers, they are all people who have the right to self-
determine their course of administrative and artistic vision, depending on the format
of the choir. Almost in all cases, getting organised within the choir’s demographics
give positive outcomes, if managed in the right direction.

There may be many formats of organising people in the choir that are impossible to be
discussed here comprehensively. However, there is a well-established approach that

53
consist of a board, sometimes accompanied by an executive board, a general assembly,
and working groups, if the choir supports a participatory working habitat. It should not
be forgotten that mental participation of the choir members helps a lot to the well-
being of the choral environment. As Freytag (2011, p. 111) suggests, whoever goes
alone, also reaches the goal alone. The choir consists of living and humanistic
instruments with their own personal will and it necessitates to move together as a
group. Furthermore, one should not forget that a successful delegation of tasks and
distribution of responsibility is not only motivating for the choir, but also healthy for
the decision-making processes. A conductor will be able to act much more effectively,
if he/she does not have every small detail on his/her table. Of course it is important to
have a general overview of the workflow of the choir, but that does not mean that every
decision should be made by the conductor. On the contrary, as Oncken Jr. and Wass
(1974) state in their prominent article about delegation of tasks, it is really important
for a manager to give the initiative to decide on things and take responsibility on those
matters to the relevant people. According to their analogy, if the leader has all the
monkeys (a decision to be made or a problem to be solved) in his/her shoulder, there
will be no discretionary time left for the leader, which results in lack of strategic
thinking and creativity. Trying to accomplish all the daily work of a choir will canalise
the conductor’s energy to a wrong direction. Considering this analogy, it is the best
option to distribute all the monkeys to the relevant mechanisms and people and make
sure that they remain on their place.

3.6.1 General assembly

The general assembly is the meeting point of all the singers of a choir to discuss a set
agenda and make decisions on the future of the institution. It may be the case that a
yearly general assembly also works as a platform, where singers can express their
thoughts and feelings openly, discuss issues and come up with proposals. Therefore,
the general assembly should never be considered as merely a talk between the singers,
but it should be prepared carefully to bring out the maximum possible mental
participation of the members. This may necessitate some surveys to the singers to get
some basic facts, a look over the budget, a discussion on the projects, possibly an
election of the future board and a platform to brainstorm.

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Being open to feedback is one of the most constructive mechanisms for a conductor.
This being said, it does not mean to execute word by word what has been told to
him/her by a member of the choir or a group within the choir. This would be an act of
giving away the power and responsibility of the conductor to another person or
persons, which would be inappropriate and lead in conflict of interests. However, from
time to time choir members, be it professional or amateur, would have criticisms about
different topics in the choir. Even though it may not be directly related with the music,
the choral conductor should be open to listening to everybody up to a certain extent.
Listening, understanding, and even taking a note of the criticism are very important
tools to gain the trust of the singers, since they would be happy that their opinions do
not go to a trash bin, but are taken care of. It may not be possible to address every
criticism, but the prominent ones should be brought to the agenda of the general
assembly, where they can be discussed thoroughly with the participation of every
member. Even if some decisions seem straightforward, sometimes it is really
beneficial to put them on the table, discuss and decide altogether. One example can be
a policy about the latecomers in the choir. It looks straight-forward that everybody
should be on time and coming late is not good. But, if a conductor or a board applies
a policy about latency, it may be received offensively or too harsh by some members.
However, if this decision about the very principle of punctuality is given by the general
assembly with the presence of all members after a discussion, then the actions to avoid
the problem of latecoming are justified.

The significance of the general assembly is huge and just like a healthy non-profit
organisation, a healthy choir should be able to communicate within its mechanisms
and use their shared wisdom to get better.

3.6.2 Board

Every non-profit organisation has a board, who takes over the executive
responsilibities of a general assembly for a certain period of time. If we see the choir
as a non-profit organisation, the board is an essential part of a healthy choral
environment. It is also a very important body to avoid a choir from being a conductor’s
project only. If this is a conscious choice by the conductor and the singers, it may be
understandable. However, if the choir is looking for methods for a sustainable system
that does not depend on specific persons, members should consider getting organised

55
as a board and representing their positions within this body. According to Jachim
(2013, p. 50) a board needs to provide the mission and the vision of the organisation
together with the different bodies and membership and aims to reach the short-term,
mid-term, and long-term goals of the choir by executing them as a body or makes sure
it operates through other mechanisms.

A board usually consists of an odd number of people like 5 or 7. This is to make sure
that in the case of a vote, there is always a majority. It is important that the board is
organised within itself effectively that all the members function in their most
productive positions. A board in a choir can possess a chair, possible vice-chairs, a
treasurer, a secretary, a project manager, a communication manager, a fundraiser, and
also other positions according to the needs. It is very important that the roles and the
tasks are determined very clearly before starting to work, because if two people focus
on the same area without knowing about it, this may be frustrating and also it is a loss
of resources.

It is important to set who is the leader of the management of the choir. In some cases
it is the chair of the board, in other cases it may be a professional manager. As Jachim
(2013, p. 68) suggests, especially when there is a professional manager, the
relationship with the conductor and the manager should be clarified from the start. She
sees three basic options: First, the artistic director is responsible for the overall
administration and the manager works under his/her direction. Second, the
professional manager is responsible for management and the conductor is hired under
the executive branch. Third and the ideal option, the artistic director and the
professional manager work as partners and agree on decisions, they have their own
fields under their control. Jachim states that this third option functions the best,
because only then each person can concentrate on their field of expertise and they also
support each other by seeing the cases from different points of views.

If we assume that the members of the choir is the general assembly, the board is their
representative and also the executive body for the overall workflow. However,
sometimes choirs may come up with smaller number of people as an executive board
or on the contrary, a larger number of people as a representation mechanism between
the board and the general assembly. The latter is used by the choir Rezonans to make
sure that the board can consult a bigger and more representative body in more
important decisions without having the need to go to the general assembly for practical

56
purposes. Rezonans calls this body ‘the house’, derived from the House of
Representatives in the US political system. The house eventually consists of
representatives of different working groups in the choir, so that they can have their
own voices within an organised body. Working groups are small groups where people
gather to concentrate on specific topics like fundraising, repertoire, concert design,
dresses, communication, etc. This topic is yet to be covered in the next section, but it
is important to note that both the house or the board should consist of people who are
active in the working groups or vice-versa, people representing the choir should
become active in the execution of the projects within the working groups. This strongly
eliminates the mistake of recruiting wrong people to the board who cannot really
dedicate their time and energy to the management of the choir.

The very existence of the house helps the choir to have a much more direct
representation system, where important decisions have to go through one more layer
before they are approved. It also enables the singers to contribute to the functioning of
the choir even though it may be too much for some to join the board. The house gives
an opportunity to the board to delegate more easily and on a more stable and reliable
manner. The following figures give an insight on the governance models of the Turkish
State Choir, a professional body of 65 full-time singers and Rezonans, a semi-
professional choir with 45 singers. The big circle represents the general assembly,
whereas the small red circle stands for the board. Other circles with different colours
are there for the working groups and their sizes match to their actual number of
members. The intersection areas between the circles also represent the real number of
common members between the governance bodies and the working groups. As seen in
Figure 3.1 since the house plays a role of an intermediary body, the working groups
can consist of a more diverse area of the singers. Whereas, in Figure 3.2, where there
is no house system, it is notable that the working groups are consciously spread out to
the members of the choir who are not in the board, so that the decrease in the
representation level can be compensated through the groups. Both are established
governance bodies, but it can be said that a well-functioning intermediary body like
the house helps the operation a lot.

57
Figure 3.1 : The governance model of the Turkish State Choir as in 2019.

Figure 3.2 : The governance model of Rezonans as in 2019.

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3.6.2.1 Tools of representation

To establish a system that is reliable in representation, there are specific methods that
should be used for a healthy environment. Elections are one of the tools of the modern
history that help with the ideal representation of groups of people. Although they are
not perfect in reflecting everybody’s exact opinion, elections still are helpful to gather
the general approach of a group. At certain times, it is healthy for the board of a choir
to renew itself. This period should be determined before the mandate of the board. If
the board members know they that will be subject to a change in one year, they would
work towards their goals in a certain time period, helping the productivity of the board.
Election for a new board can be a very open way to determine the next board members.
Among many different forms of an election, one that fits the choir’s demographics can
be chosen. Nevertheless, it is not always a perfect choice to elect the board members
of a choir, especially if the choir is very young or is very small in number of singers.
In new choirs, people who are enthusiastic to work usually take up the loads of work
onto their shoulders themselves. This being a positive aspect, the manner to distribute
workload and responsibility should be organised latest in a few months after the
foundation of the choir.

It is also the case that sometimes individuals do not prefer to come up to run for
elections in a choir environment. Since being on a board is also voluntary, it may be
dissappointing for an enthusiastic member not to be elected for the board and thus the
choir loses one of its potential human resources by a result of an election. Cases like
this can even lead to people leaving the choir because of their dissappointment. If a
choir has no history of elections and is willing to hold one, the board should be very
careful in this transition process that everything runs very smoothly. According to Erik
Hanberg (2015) in very small organisations, elections should be approached carefully,
since it may result in losing the actual people who are willing to work for the choir.

Sometimes it is also possible that a group of people comes forward with a wish to take
over responsibility as a board. In such cases, it is also possible to run for elections as
a group. This helps the workflow of a possible board, but it should be noted that this
also decreases representation of the singers. If there are individual candidates as much
as the number of available seats or if there is only one group of singers who are
interested in doing board work, then the election can also be made in the form of a
ratification or confirmation by the vote of the majority. Members can vote if they agree

59
with the board candidates as a group or not. This is an easier confirmation strategy but
this also decreases representation rate in turn.

Another tool of representation are surveys. Nowadays, it is really very easy to get the
opinion of a group of people via online tools like Google Forms, Doodle or many other.
Although it takes a little bit of time to think about how to formulate the questions,
surveys are very useful in collecting data and getting information from the group. The
board desperately needs this data, because surveys give them the ability to act faster
and stronger, since it is done with the public support. Of course it is needless to say
that the objectivity of the surveys should be provable when needed. A choir that uses
surveys a lot is Rezonans, where the board asks the choir their opinion about many
different details from the colour of the new dress to singers’ favourite work on the
repertoire to record in the next recording. An important annual poll of Rezonans is
about their upcoming Turkish guest conductor for the next season. Singers are
presented with information about the possible guest conductors and they give a
weighted vote for their first, second, and third preferences. These weighted votes come
together and determine whom the board should contact first for the next season. This
method not only increases the level of representation in the choir, but it also provides
a sense of belonging to the upcoming projects for the singers.

3.6.2.2 Flow of communication

It is critical for a board to keep an ongoing communication with the membership. There
are cases where people who lead the operations do not use periodical communicative
channels to the choir singers, thus resulting in a more isolated governance. On one
side, it is important to answer the needs of the choir members, on the other side the
singers should be informed about the efforts of the board. Periodical e-mails by the
chair or a representative of the board about its actions, decisions, and recent
improvements can be very beneficial to include the singers in the loop. Singers should
also know who is the contact person for which topic in advance, so that their queries
or questions do not get lost in e-mail chains.

At certain times it is also very critical to get a communication from the conductor to
the singers outside the rehearsal room. An e-mail about the last concert, a projection
about the new repertoire or an evaluation of a competition performance is always very
interesting to read from a singer’s point of view. In these e-mails, it is of great help if

60
the conductor is using an honest but constructive language. It should never be forgetten
that e-mail is a form of communication where a big number of misunderstanding
happen.

Feeding the choir with processed information and constructive analysis not only will
motivate the singers, but it will also give them the opportunity to think about the choir
in their daily life for some minutes. This is very helpful for the choir to accumulate
some organised thoughts which will eventually come up in the meetings or the general
assembly. Also, it will give a direction to the mindset of the singers. However, as
always, a flood of a series of e-mails should always be avoided due to respect of the
personal time of the singers. Only the necessary information is to be delivered, not
more.

3.6.3 Working groups

Many different topics are present on the agenda of the management of a choir. Some
of them can be dealt by the board, some of them are taken care by individual
volunteers. Nevertheless, it is not possible for the board to keep up with every specific
detail. Sometimes, some topics are way too important or possess a lot of subcategories
that they have to be considered separately. In those cases, it may be a practical idea to
set up some working groups that will concentrate on each topic and dedicate some time
to that specific agenda point.

Working groups can be designed to be effective on two levels. Firstly, they can execute
an existing workflow according to their own agenda given by the board. The board has
limited resources of time and energy, thus they won’t be able to deal with each and
every detail. Some topics need more elaboration than the other. In those areas, working
groups step in to the workflow to concentrate more thoroughly on each topic. For
example, a working group on the dresses of the choir can dedicate much more time to
discuss alternatives, go and see fabrics, ask the choir for their opinion and prepare a
budget according to different price ranges. Even though the time period that the board
can spare for the dresses may be at maximum 20 minutes in a meeting, the working
group on dresses will take hours to gather information and execute the purchase with
the consent of the board. That will multiply the time that is given to a specific topic by
adding temporary people on board.

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Secondly, they can come up with concrete proposals for the board on their own
concrete ideas. It is critical that the working groups do not only function as a group for
delegation of tasks who works for the board. Instead, they have to have a certain
freedom to create new ideas in their own fields. It may not be possible for the board
only to see the needs of the choir with regard to every specific topic within the
workflow of the management. Working groups in that sense become the continuation
of the board, who are able to receive the opinion of the general assembly more
sensitively and bring it up to the table of the board. This adds up much value to the
participation of the choir to its management processes and also increases
representation.

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 CASE STUDY: WIENER SINGVEREIN AND JOHANNES PRINZ

Amateur and professional choirs prepare demanding season programmes and

implement it through careful planning and execution of the rehearsal calendar. Be it a
regional youth choir or a full-time professional choir, some elements like a detailed
calendar, organised score library, clear attendance system, and stable logistics are
indispensable for a successful implementation. On top of them comes the efficiency of
rehearsals and the quality of the artistic content produced.

Although many choirs achieve this artistic diversity and condensed season programme,
Wiener Singverein has a unique position among all, since this choir prepares a full
season with renowned orchestras like Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Symphoniker,
Staatskapelle Berlin, Orchestra de Paris, etc. The choir manages to work with world
famous conductors like Daniel Barenboim, Semyon Bychkov, Ricardo Muti, Philippe
Jordan, Christian Thielemann, Mariss Jansons and many more with a selection of
amateur singers. It takes not only a series of efficient rehearsals, but also a thorough
planning and preparation. We will try to understand the details of the working process
of the Wiener Singverein through a case study, a six-day period of its rehearsals and
concluding concerts of a project.

This case study has been taken from the Mahler 2nd Symphony rehearsal of Wiener
Singverein from 22.11.18 to 27.11.18 including two concerts in the Musikverein with
the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Semyon Bychkov. Prior to
the hospitated rehearsal, there has been a reading rehearsal on 5.11.18, mainly for
introduction purposes.

This chapter will demonstrate how a series of gigantic musical works are prepared by
an amateur choir and what factors are possibly playing role in this process. Apart from
the analyses of rehearsals, three interviews will be featured to get into the deeper levels
of understanding, what actions are taken why and what may be the planned and
unforeseen effects of them. Interviews are made with Prof. Johannes Prinz, the
principal conductor of the choir, Rita Beer a singer in the choir and the vice-president
of the board, and Gabriele Reichelt, another long-term singer and a board member.

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 Observations

To be able to comment on the functioning of the Wiener Singverein, a short summary

of the daily observations will be made. This will help to set the basis for analysis why
the choir and the conductor are using some strategies to keep the rehearsal process as
efficient as possible.

Before going on to the observations, there should be one note mentioned about the
process. During the observation procedure, the author has consciously taken different
positions in the rehearsal room, including performing as a singer in the choir. This was
especially crucial to get a deeper understanding of what processes are initially
happening in the rehearsal. In that way, it was also easier to get an impression of how
the concentration and the motivation of the fellow singers were altering with regard to
the different phases of the rehearsal. Thus, the process was not only an observation
from outside, but a participatory observation by itself.

It is also to be noted that while writing down the observations of the rehearsals, the
analysis has been made from a choral conducting point of view. That is the reason why
the acts of the orchestral conductor have not been taken into consideration. The
rehearsal of the choral conductor and thereafter, his interference with the ensemble
within the orchestra rehearsal is within our scope of interest. The reason for this focus
is to remain in one page, not to go into the analysis of methodology of different
conductors. Furthermore, the presence and influence of the choral conductor to the
rehearsal of the orchestra conductor should not be taken for granted, it has its effects
of speeding up the result even with another conductor when the right interventions are
done in the right moments.

4.1.1 Day 1: Choir rehearsal with Prinz

For the first rehearsal of the choir, the planned timing was 18.00 – 20.00 on 22.11.18.
Some days before the rehearsal, the singers were informed that the rehearsal was taken
to 17.30 and will have to end at 18.55. This shift in the time apparently came from a
room scheduling conflict within the Musikverein, where the rehearsal room ‘Glass
Hall’ of the Singverein was to be used in a concert at the same night. This, to be begin
with, meant about half an hour less rehearsal time for the choir in a very stressful
situation, since the orchestra conductor was to be expected on the next day. Practically
this was the only 1 hour and 25 minutes to prepare the work.

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From 17.15 onwards the singers started to take their places in the hall. The chairs were
all very well-organised and the singers had a clear idea where to sit. Exactly at 17.29
Johannes Prinz started the rehearsal directly by playing a warm-up exercise at the
piano and all the singers already knew what to sing. There was no announcement, no
call for attention, and no explanation. The rehearsal process immediately started with
music. The exercise, actually deriving from the melodic structure of the 2nd movement
of the Dvorak New World Symphony, was a commonly used one by Prinz, so probably
it was a very clear message for the singers that the warm-up has begun.

After repeating the same exercise three times with different vowels, Johannes Prinz
left the piano and started to talk to the choir about some practicalities. At that moment,
everybody’s attention was already fully there and every announcement was perceived
very carefully. He explained why the rehearsal time has been changed and what is
needed to be done in this rehearsal in short but clear sentences. Then, the warm-up
continued without any pause.

In the warm-up phase, Prinz mainly used a call and response method, delivering the
choir basically three different levels of information: The vowel, the pitch and the
character of the next exercise. So, there was always singing and rarely talking. Even
the switch to another exercise was done without any pause, only by the conductor
singing the melody once for the choir and the choir by repeating it. It was very
productive that the comments of the conductor for the quality of the next exercise were
also given inbetween two exercises and with the pitch of the next one. For example, if
Prinz thought that the notion of singing technique was lacking in the sound of the choir,
he announced ‘with technique’ but rather than speaking, he did this with a singing
voice preparing for the next tonality. Therefore, the singers got to understand many
different layers of information at the same time, including what they can do better in
the next exercise. Characteristic images given by the conductor apparently helped the
singers to understand what he means more easily. Instead of commenting on the sound,
Prinz only announced ‘like a singing teacher’ and made gestures of an almost
caricaturised singing teacher. When the choir responded to this almost exaggerated
image, there was already an inevitable difference in the sound.

The piano was hardly used in the process, since all the information delivered was
produced mainly by the human voice. This made it easier for the singers to listen to
themselves and also imitate the conductor directly. When the conductor asked for body

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movements to support the sound, it was visible within the choir that the singers were
used to do this. The singers were very much engaged in moving their hands and arms
when needed and they seemed to be happy about this. In total, the warm-up phase
lasted 7 minutes and functioned like a well-installed machine.

After the warm-up, practicalities of Mahler 2nd Symphony , followed. Prinz openly
stated that he would not start a rehearsal with these arrangements unless it is very
crucial, because a rehearsal had to start with singing. Nevertheless, he pointed out this
was needed in these circumstances. What he has done in the first minutes of the
rehearsal was to arrange the voice distribution between Tenor 1, Tenor 2, Bass 1 and
Bass 2 immediately, to make sure that everybody rehearses the right notes in the first
rehearsal. He also modified some bars for Bass 1 for them to sing with the Tenor 2.
Prinz announced all the relevant modified bars and made the singers mark it in their
scores with their pencils. After that, Prinz distributed a very simple divisi of two bars
within the Bass 1. There, he used a very straightforward method: Whoever has a
surname between A-M sings the upper note, N-Z the lower. It was approximately the
same number, so this worked out very quickly and clearly. This distribution lasted in
total 6 minutes.

Then, Prinz started the actual musical rehearsal by directly singing through the first
section of the piece, namely rehearsal number 31 to 33 (Figure 4.1). This was done in
parallel with the principle that the choir should start with singing without an
interruption before to get warm to the piece. After the first take, he immediately
returned to the beginning again to repeat it and only then gave his first directions about
this section.

Here, Prinz had only one priority and that was the molto legatissimo. In every cut, he
gave only one direction at a time, not more. In fact, to make it clearer, he assisted the
singers by delivering them the technical help how to obtain a molto legatissimo, rather
than telling them that it should be legato. His method was to let the singers sing the
vowels very long and the consonants extremely short. So, in the word Auferstehen, the
f, r and st should be pronounced very quickly, leaving the time to Au and e.

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 Figure 4.1 : The molto legatissimo entrance of the choir (Rehearsal number 31).

It was significant that he was taking a much more faster tempo than written, to win
some time to sing the piece through a few times. An overly slow tempo was at that
stage not necessary, because it was always possible to do it later. He also skipped the
orchestral parts very quickly, with the help of his very adaptive accompanist in the
rehearsal. The point for him was to sing through the choral parts and make as much
singing as possible in the specific time he had on the first day.

Prinz stopped the choir on some spots to make sure that the harmonies work fine in
terms on intonation. At some spots, he gave some directions for fine-tuning the balance
of the relevant harmony. This, he has not done by telling everybody different points,
but he tried to generalise it by associating the different rehearsal numbers to different
priority tones. For example, the rehearsal number 31 was the F-place. Then came the
rehearsal number 32, which was the E-place. After that, number 35 was again F-place
and 36 E-place. This continued similarly with a few C-places. Being an F-place did
not mean that the tonic of that specific section was F. Instead, the tonic in an F-place
was Gb. Being an F-place meant that the tone F was the most crucial note of that
section to be produced very carefully. It was the most dangerous tone to tune, so the
singers had to be alert on that note every time one part has an F. In such a way, he
made a quick but efficient announcement for everybody to take care about the
intonation in their own parts.

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For the balance of the harmonies, Prinz did not simply say ‘Tenor 2 sings more,
Soprano sings less’, etc. He gave clearer images like ‘This is the solo part of tenor 2’,
although it was just a long note in the harmony. But still, the image of having a virtual
solo made the tenor produce these tones more carefully and forward. That, in return,
changed the balance of the harmony. An example of this ‘tenor 2 solo’ is shown in
Figure 4.2, bar 517-518, where suddenly the Cb gives the dominant seventh of the
chord and is very significant of the harmony after the unison. Another spot he worked
with was the high Eb in bar 491 (Figure 4.3), which is supposed to be sung pppp. A
trick to achieve this extreme piano was to ask the soprano 2 not to sing this note,
leaving it only to soprano 1 voices. This immediately changed the balance of this spot,
without having much to explain to the singers.

Figure 4.2 : Bars 517-518, where tenor 2 should be audible.

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 Figure 4.3 : Bar 491, where only soprano 1 sings to achieve the pppp.

For realising audible entrances to the fugal part in rehearsal number 46, Prinz made
some modifications in the voicing of these bars. 4 second tenors that have a higher
range were supposed to support the first tenors in their entrance. Likely, again 4 first
basses had to support the entrance of the second tenors after a few bars. An interesting
point was that the second sopranos were told to hum the theme of first tenors in their
entrance, which created a depth of sound without making the tenors sing too much.
This won much time in the rehearsal practically, without having to tell too many
directions to the individual parts, he gained the balance he wanted. He also worked on
the shape and the characteristic of the main theme unison, by making everybody sing
the bass part. In such a way, he could deliver the necessary information about the
phrasing in one part and everybody was supposed to implement it in their own voice
group.

A last but very vital part of the rehearsal was the introduction of the ppp in the
beginning of the piece. Suddenly, in the middle of the last section, Prinz stopped the
choir and told them ‘Guten Abend’, meaning ‘good evening’, and asked the choir to
repeat. After the choir repeated the words ‘Guten Abend’, he then made a totally nasal
version of this sound, practically producing a ‘ng’ sound but still pronouncing ‘Guten
Abend’ with his lips. The choir repeated this version too. This call and response
method continued until he changed the words to ‘Auferstehen’, where everybody sang

69
it unison and with a totally nasal sound. What Prinz then made was to mix percentages
of the speaking voice and nasal sound, resulting in various experiments. For example,
he asked the choir a %50 speaking and %50 nasal sound. Then he modified it to %30
- %70, then to %80-%20, etc. At the end, he came to the point where they had to speak
%20 and make the nasal sound %80. When the choir came to this point, he told the
pianist to play one bar before and the choir sung the first section with this mix of sound,
which resulted in an extreme piano, but still very sounding. For that piano exercise,
Prinz used 4 minutes and he reached his goal.

In total, the first rehearsal was fast and with a lot of repetitions. Concentrating only on
some aspects, the choir worked on legato and pppp in the first rehearsal mainly. Maybe
the most important point was that the choir was able to sing through the movement at
least 5 times, which helped the singers a lot to memorise it because the concert was
supposed to be done from memory. A faster tempo with clear directions helped to
repeat the piece a lot. The rehearsal was very helpful to get an overview of the piece,
without losing much time in the unnecessary details in the first day.

4.1.2 Day 2: Choir rehearsal with Prinz and Bychkov

The first modification to the second day’s schedule was that Prinz gained back the lost
half an hour of the first day by asking the orchestra conductor to come at 19.30 instead
of 19.00. Thus he had 30 minutes more to prepare the choir as he wanted and to make
sure that everything runs smoothly before Bychkov arrives.

Prinz started the rehearsal with a simple tapping on his knees where everybody
imitated him as a body warm-up. This was certainly a method to create the
concentration for singing, along with making the body awake. But on the other hand,
it helped to let go of the stress towards the rehearsal with the orchestra conductor. As
Prinz acts very naturally and takes his time to make a body warm-up, it certainly
relaxes the singers. Consider a conductor who would start the rehearsal by talking
about how important today should be, because they will meet a world-famous
orchestra conductor and warns the singers that they have to be careful. It is clear, how
tense the situation would be in such circumstances. To the opposite, Prinz’s start of
the warm-up almost makes the singers forget that they will meet Bychkov in one hour,
which in turn results in a relaxed psychology and unrestrained voices that can show
the choir’s real potential.

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The choir took its time for the warm-up, did it in a relaxed manner and longer than the
day before. It lasted 15 minutes and it not only included voice exercises, but exercises
that are made specifically for the newcomers of the choir to make them known to the
choir. So, it was not only a body and voice warm-up, but also a psychological team-
building for the choir members. It should also be added that there was a lot of laughter
in this process.

The conductor immediately started to rehearse from rehearsal number 46 with the
basses. He worked on the colour of the basses with the help of quasi-caricaturistic
images of being a bass but still having wings and flying. The humor was actually
technically effective because the smiling of the basses changed their colour of singing.
He then applied the same characteristic images to all the voice groups. It is to be noted
that when Prinz tries out himself what he wants from the choir, the singers are
encouraged more to experiment with their own voice. When the choir members see the
challenge taken by their own conductor, they are more willing to make an effort.

After that, the choir worked on the phrasing of the text ‘Mit Flügen, die ich mir
errungen, werde ich entschweben!’ and especially not to emphasise too much the last
syllable of the word ‘errungen’. As seen in Figure 4.4, the last syllable of this word
comes on a weak beat, both musically and language-wise, so it should be taken back.
The next point Prinz worked on was the power of the consonant ‘L’ in the word
‘Leben’. The final outcome he wanted was to emphasise the ‘L’ more. But instead of
saying that directly, he made the choir sing this word first with two ‘L’s, then with
three, then with four. This rising number of consonants subconsciously forced the choir
to sing the ‘L’ really audible to its limits.

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 Figure 4.4 : The musical phrasing of the sentence ‘Mit Flügeln’.

A characteristic cut of Prinz is that he jumps to his next step in the rehearsal without
losing time. That is also what he has done here. He went back to the very beginning of
the choral part without a big announcement, only by telling the pianist to play one
before rehearsal number 31. These sudden shifts in rehearsal sections give a so-called
positive stress to the rehearsal tension, thus there is always a feeling of achieving
something new every moment. That helps keeping the singers awake and concentrated.

When rehearsing the first part, Prinz has given reference to the concept of nasal sound
and mixing certain percentages of singing voice and nasal voice, that he has been
talking about the day before. He tried out again possibilities with 50% - 50%, 20% -
80%, 0% - 100% and 100% - 0% with the choir. These experiments made it possible
for the choir to see their extreme points. Also, using the same concept as yesterday
helped the singers a lot to connect with the rehearsal of the day before, thus bringing
content that has been already rehearsed. Prinz even used the same concept with the
rehearsal number 35, this time changing the percentages in such a way that the nasal
sound does not dominate but still exists. As seen in Figure 4.5, this section still
necessitates a ppp but is more present than the beginning, since there is also an
accompaniment in the orchestra. To use the same concept here, he also established a
consistency in communication with the choir.

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Figure 4.5 : Rehearsal number 35 and another mix of singing voice and nasal sound.

Mostly there is help to go back to a primitive stage of musical expression to make sure
everybody is on the same page. That is what has been done to specify the exact spots
of the consonants, for example in the word ‘wirst du gesät’ as seen in Figure 4.6. The
last ‘t’ is supposed to be produced by the basses, supported by the sopranos, and not
produced by the tenors and the altos in bar 523. Therefore, the conductor made the
basses speak very openly the syllable ‘-sät’ by counting two and a half beats, putting
the ‘t’ exactly to the end of the eighth note after the second beat. Although it may seem
obvious, taking some seconds in the rehearsal to count this syllable in an audible way
makes it clear for everybody where to produce the ‘t’.

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 Figure 4.6 : The exact spot of the consontant ‘t’.

Another concept Prinz utilised often was to give reference to non-musical images,
which result in a specific colour of the sound. When approaching the rehearsal number
42, he prepared the singers to be on a Hitchcock suspense. Although this image has no
direct musical outcome, it is so clear and almost caricaturised, so that all the basses
and tenors approach the passage with a certain unified character and it has a
tremendous common effect. Exaggerated expressions like adding 17 or 18 n’s to the
end of the word beben also had a more clear effect than telling the choir simply to hold
a longer n. It is not that the latter is not understandable, but that the former is so clear
and demanding in expression that it cannot be avoided. It is eventually clear that no
singer can know what it means to add 17 or 18 n letters to the end of a word, because
it is a vague quantity. But on the other hand it is a very clear expression of what the
outcome should sound like. Furthermore, the humor factor in adding 17 or 18 n’s, not
less or not more keeps the choir concentrated in laughing, so that nobody misses the
direction to sing a longer n.

A similar statement has been made by Prinz for the word ‘Gott’ when it comes in the
ending section at rehearsal number 49, as seen in Figure 4.7. Here, the desired outcome
is that every ‘Gott’ is more emphasised and expressive than the one before. Rather
than talking about the possible outcome, the conductor asked the singers to sing the

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first one with 2 G’s, second with 3 and third with four G letters before the word. He
then rehearsed with the choir with call and response method how it would sound to
have the word, for example, with 1 G or with 7 G’s. Without telling the outcome, this
method helps the singers achieve the result actually by telling them a very simple
means to produce the desired sound. The way Prinz demonstrates these variations of
the word ‘Gott’ and how it could sound, totally effects the singers and connects them
to the desired musical expression. These demonstrations of the conductor always help
the choir to have a clear image on what he really wants. Furthermore, Prinz’s statement
that he will now try out one performance and will give his best, results in the best
engagement of everybody because they are then also convinced to give their best.

Figure 4.7 : Three repetitions of the word ‘Gott’, all produced differently.

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 Figure 4.7 (continued): Three repetitions of the word ‘Gott’, all produced
differently.

A negative example is also very effective to show the choir how it should not sound.
Prinz used this method in reminding the singers that the breathing noise inbetween the
phrases should not be too loud, not to destroy the effect of pianissimo and the
atmosphere of the beginning. There, he made the choir take a really noisy breath and
let everybody make fun of it. This made sure that everybody remembered this moment
and avoided it in the performance.

It is clear that in his method, demonstration is much more effective than

announcement. On the second day Prinz actually did almost no announcements, which
is very interesting for a conductor. Usually conductors lose at least 10-15 seconds by
announcing to which bar he is jumping or what is coming next. On the contrary, Prinz
succeeds very well by making no announcements and simply starting with the next
passage by singing the soprano solo before the choir’s entrance or the violin part that
is characteristic to understand which bar he is in at that moment. That, of course,
necessitates a very responsive and recipient pianist as in the case of the Singverein.
But when this level is achieved, the fluency of the rehearsal is guaranteed, since every
announcement is like a brake slowing down the velocity of the vehicle of the rehearsal.
A certain fluency is only achieved if the conductor takes one step ahead at the right
moment.

Two points are to be made for the part where Semyon Bychkov joined the rehearsal at
19.30. When the orchestra conductor demanded a more intense pianissimo, Prinz,

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sitting next to him on the corner in the front, quietly pointed out to his nose. This was
to remind the singers the nasal sound they have worked on for the beginning of the
choral section and it had an immediate effect because the singers then made the
connection of what the orchestra conductor demanded, and how they can produce this
outcome technically. Eventually when the orchestral conductor asked for more
pianissimo, Prinz told the choir 90-10, which made no sense for the orchestral
conductor but the choir knew already that it meant producing 90% nasal sound and
10% text. Again, it was very effective to stick with the same terminology on the span
of choral rehearsals. A second and last point to mention was that Prinz asked the choir
to stand up with a gesture while they were performing the last fortissimo part of
‘Auferstehen’ in rehearsal number 48. This was maybe not a must, but it helped a lot
to save time, because standing up made possible in this rather high and forte section to
show the potential of the choir immediately. If the choir was to remain seated, there
may have been points that the orchestral conductor could demand and rehearse
possibly for an extra five minutes. By standing up, the choir focused and gave their
best, so that there was no need for another repetition and the orchestral conductor was
convinced from the first moment.

4.1.3 Day 3: Warm-up and orchestra rehearsal

The day 3 is the daytime rehearsal with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under the
direction of Semyon Bychkov. So, it may be thought that there is not much to do for
the choral conductor on that day. On the contrary, Prinz prepared a very effective
warm-up and preparation period for the choir just before they met with the orchestra,
to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Also his key interventions in the orchestra
rehearsal are worth mentioning here.

The warm-up started at 12.15, since the choir had to start with the orchestra at 13.00.
That gave Prinz around half an hour to prepare the necessary details. He started the
rehearsal with a sudden transition to the warm-up, gathering the concentration of the
singers. The method he used was to make all the singers give a huge applause to
themselves, to the ones who were there on time which was both an energiser but also
a reward at the same time. The first body warm-up was in that sense also a connection
to the context. The start of the warm-up was totally silent with movements that are
mirrored by the choir.

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A similar connection to the context has also been made with regard to Prinz’s
preparations on the seating plan above in the concert hall. Apparently, some seating
positions had been changed after he prepared the concert seating plan. Obviously after
this change he had to prepare everything again. This info by itself may not be very
interesting for the choir, but then he connected it to specific feelings with a sense of
humor and made the choir repeat them. This was in one sense funny, causing much
laughter, and in another sense it was a warm-up for the body and the mind.

It is also to be noted that Prinz is doing his practical announcements always in a normal
speaking voice, consciously speaking not too loud. That helps the singers control their
own noise and forces everybody to be silent and to listen carefully. This is to be seen
by the automatic reaction of the choir, if there is speaking inbetween the singers. The
members seem to be very self-conscious about this.

Prinz used two different methods in his first exercise. The first is that to make the choir
sing like ‘world-stars’. This is an image that helps the singers give out their best,
although it may be a very simple exercise like breathing out with the letter ‘s’. A
contrasting method is to tell the choir to sing as a bad example. This is done
consciously to show everybody how it should not sound. Prinz gives this direction by
saying ‘sing like a half-hearted choir singer’. After making the singers produce a really
not focused sound, then he turns 180 degrees asking them to sing the exact contrast.
The sound world suddenly changes to much higher quality and working with the
extremes gives the choir a consciousness of what is possible.

Another feature of the warm-up was to remind the singer about the nasal sound they
are supposed to use in the beginning of the choral section. Prinz brought this info to
the warm-up with a very simple unison exercise by letting the choir sing a mix of
speaking voice and nasal sound. The warm-up lasted 19 minutes before the orchestra
rehearsal, probably because it was earlier in the day, as mentioned before. In the noon
time, people may need more time to prepare their voices for a rehearsal. An important
part in the warm-up was to also remind the singers where to stand up exactly before
the choral part starts. He made sure that everybody knew the spot by making the
singers repeat the orchestral fragment by singing it.

After the warm-up Prinz had 12 more minutes to repeat the necessary key points and
he did so especially by focusing on the transition points and the entrances of the choir.

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How Prinz ended this short rehearsal and did the transition to the orchestra rehearsal
was also notable. While the choir was singing the last part of the symphony, he already
took his notebook and immediately when the choir stopped singing, he started to read
out who was supposed to sit in which row from his seating list. The order of the name
reading was apparently considered cleverly that he started with the sopranos, followed
by altos, basses and tenors. This order was to help the choir sit easily in the Golden
Hall of the Musikverein, because the ones who heard their names could leave and go
to the hall. He consciously left the tenors as the last ones to go to the hall, because
basses had to sit before to the corner so that tenors could find their place. The same
applied for the sopranos and the altos. Thus, time was saved even by the order of
reading out who was sitting in which row.

The orchestra rehearsal started exactly at 13.00 and the choir was already sitting in
their chairs five minutes before the start. This helped the singers to settle, to see the
logistics of the stage and to meet with whom they are standing in the concert. The
orchestra rehearsal included the fourth and the fifth movements. This chapter will not
go into the details of the acts of the orchestral conductor, but will only point out some
factors that are relevant from a choral conductor’s perspective. First of all, the choir
was very flexible in adapting to the tempi of the orchestral conductor and a probable
reason for this is that the passages had been rehearsed in many different tempi with the
piano before. Secondly, possible demands of the orchestral conductor had been already
introduced to the choir in the choral rehearsals, so every singer was comfortable in
executing the musical requests of the conductor. Thirdly, whenever needed, the choral
conductor stepped in and informed the orchestral conductor about the possibilities of
the choral instrument and its relationship with the orchestral sound in this certain
acoustics. For example in certain passages where the orchestra conductor asked for a
pp in the choir and the brass instruments, the pp of the choir was so silent that the
volumes of the two parts were unbalanced. There, Johannes Prinz asked the conductor
to let the choir sing mp rather than pp, so that the text is audible and is not covered by
the brass.

A last remark of the dress rehearsal is that the choral conductor did not forget to make
the announcement about in which order the choir will walk into the stage just before
the end of the rehearsal. Practically, this was the last time that Prinz saw all the choir

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members and it was the right time to think about these small details, which make a big
difference on the concert day.

4.1.4 Day 4: Warm-up and concert

The warm-up of the concert day is categorically different than the rehearsal days. The
goal of the warm-up before the concert is to prepare the singers to a performance, thus
it should be more motivating and focusing than a normal day, also keeping the stamina
ready for an orchestral concert.

An interesting start to the rehearsal was to greet the new singers by applauding them
for their first performance. It is a method not only to gain concentration of the singers,
but also to motivate the new singers to create bonds with the choir for a better
performance. The warm-up then continued with applauses, now for tapping the body
and making it ready for singing. It is notable that on the concert day, more time for
body warm-up has been spared than normal, which was approximately 5 minutes only
for body. The exercises thereafter aimed at bringing the choir to a homogeneous sound.
The number of exercises and the total duration of the warm-up was eventually longer
than a normal rehearsal day, namely it took 22 minutes.

The preparation was followed by reminding the choir about some crucial points about
the performance. It is mentioned how to keep the posture of the body for singing from
memory and other practical details. After that, the last 15 minutes were devoted to
repeat the transition points of the movement. Prinz brought the concept of mixing the
nasal sound with the speech sound in certain percentages again, which helped the
singers a lot in the starting pp. The intonation of bar 487 was refreshed. In the next
section Prinz worked on the tension of the tenor & bass entrance at rehearsal number
35 and continued by making sure that the choir sings subito ppp at bar 525. The
dynamics of the start of rehearsal number 42 was adjusted to be in balance with the
orchestra. In rehearsal number 43, whenever the ff ‘Bereite dich’ was introduced, Prinz
reminded the choir that Bychkov takes these bars faster than they have been used to.
Right after this tempo marking, the character of rehearsal number 46 was mentioned
for all the singers to bring their voices to a more happy sound than the sections before.
As a last technical point, Prinz directed the singers to sing rehearsal number 47 as
though they are singing teachers. These are all metaphors that have been used in the
previous rehearsals and they immediately make the singers recall a memory from the

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last days, so they function very well. The crucial point for rehearsal number 48 was
for Prinz to speak the text extraordinarily clear. Therefore he made the choir speak the
text once and thereafter sing it in the real ff that will come in a few hours in the concert.
All in all, these points all helped the choir to go over the critical spots of the
performance before the concert. These 15 minutes may have not changed any
interpretational aspect, but this short rehearsal made sure that everybody was on the
same track with the demanding parts of the movement. It also helped the singers
psychologically by making them confident that every critical spot is covered and it
will work out well in the performance too.

4.1.5 Day 5: Warm-up and concert

The warm-up of the day 5 started right away with a classical exercise of the Singverein
and after three repetitions, Prinz spoke to congratulate the choir about the performance
yesterday, so that everybody applauded for the success of the day before. This is an
interesting technique to gather attention very naturally by starting a very well-known
exercise and cutting it in the middle to make a totally different announcement. It
clearly works much better than trying to start the rehearsal by speaking only.

The applause organically evolved into a body warm-up. It is a technique by Prinz to

give the choir different images when working with the body and these images are
sometimes consciously theatrical and sometimes funny. It almost turns the first
moments of the rehearsal partly to a game that also motivates the singers to act
together. In that period there is also a lot of laughter, which is technically very
important for a singer’s muscles. This period is followed by a legato exercise, helping
the choir to bring their positions to the same spot. The next exercise was staccato and
covered different vowels. Even here, Prinz works with images so that the colour of the
warm-up exercise is affected by the words he chooses the choir to sing. Examples can
be words like ‘Bravo’, ‘Jauchzen’ (to cheer), ‘Mahler’, ‘Du bist dran’ (it’s your turn),
‘Ich bin dran’ (it’s my turn), ‘Vertikal’ (vertical), ‘Ist ganz leicht’ (it’s very easy), etc.

It may not be a coincidence that the warm-up melodies chosen by the conductor were
all excerpts from orchestral music like Dvorak’s New World Symphony, Mozart’s
Eine kleine Nachtmusik and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. These exercises not only
prepare the voice, but also prepare the singers mentally to sing with the orchestral
sound. In this warm-up Prinz especially concentrated on the overtones produced by

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the singers and how to make a melody musically interesting for the audience. Although
this may be a standard approach, it also may be a need felt by the conductor from the
concert the day before.

Again, as day 4, the warm-up lasted around 20 minutes and was a satisfactory exercise
period for the singers. Before the rehearsal, Prinz read the choir critiques from the
concert yesterday, which created an immediate connection between the singers and the
audience. It was an important motivation for the second day’s concert to see that what
the choir performs has actual effects on the listener.

Important points for this rehearsal were to make sure where exactly to cut the first
sentence, not to get too loose with the release of the vowels. The conductor again was
very sensitive about the intonation of the bar 487, holding the higher voices’ entrance
for a few times for the singers to hear the harmonies clearly. It is interesting that
whenever Prinz thinks that a crucial spot has been rehearsed, he always takes the rest
of the phrase very quickly to save time for the other critical places. Again, the rehearsal
number 35 was rehearsed for emphasising the mysterious characteristics of the phrase
with the tension within the voice. In the rehearsal number 42, the direction was to
balance the dynamics with regard to the phrases before. It is notable that Prinz was
satisfied to take the beginning of each section, probably because this led to a more
decent performance of the rest of the phrase. He abstained from singing the whole
movement to keep the energy of the singers for the concert.

It is interesting to see that what he rehearsed in the two very short rehearsals before
the concert were in total cohesion. The rehearsal of day 5 was in principle in the same
direction of day 4. The same points were made, not much new was added and this
created a consistency in the performance. The point of these two rehearsals was to
keep the choir on track and to make sure that singers are focused for the performance.
To end the last rehearsal, he reminded the choir what has been sung in the last month,
namely Berlioz, Britten, Mahler and announced his excitement for the next Händel
project. This created a mental continuity in the choir’s identity and allowed the singers
to have a long-term look just before the concert.

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 Interviews

To get a deeper understanding about the rehearsal processes of Wiener Singverein,

three interviews have been conducted with people in three different functions within
the choir. The first interview is with Johannes Prinz, the conductor of the choir for the
last 25 years. He is the architect behind the structure, thus will be able to give important
insight about how the work is done efficiently and what are the most relevant factors
behind it. He also would be an invaluable source of information on the rehearsal design
and motivation management of the singers. Secondly, an interview has been conducted
with Thomas Künne, one of the four singing pedagogues of the Singverein. His area
of interest will show what role the singing technique plays at the institution and how
the development of the voice affects the overall performance of the choir. Thirdly,
there will be an interview with two singers of the choir, to have a look at the concept
of efficiency from the singers’ point of view. Singers Rita Beer and Gabriele Reichelt
are especially chosen for this interview, since they have been singing with the choir
for the last 30 years and they are also members of the board. That will bring us
arguments deriving from a long experience as a singer and also allow as to concentrate
on the managerial aspect of the efficiency.

4.2.1 Choirmaster: Johannes Prinz

Prinz has been interviewed in the process of the rehearsal period of Mahler’s 2nd
Symphony. Although his remarks may be generalised to his working methods as a
whole, it should also be noted that specific questions regarding the rehearsals
mentioned above also came up during the interview. Nevertheless, the point of these
notes about the specific rehearsals is to see what methods are used to serve what ends
and how the understanding of efficiency effects the rehearsal procedure.

The first thing Prinz has been asked is his definition of efficiency. His reply is not
much different than what this paper has been discussing in the first chapters, but it
adds up a new dimension. He claims that efficiency in a rehearsal is to come from
point A to point B within the fastest possible way. His definition features two points,
where hypothetically point B is more ‘advanced’, ‘musical’, or simply ‘better’ than
point A. The essential characteristics of this understanding is what Prinz tells right
after formulating his answer. He notes that, what this point B is, that is what he has to
define before every rehearsal. So, in that sense efficiency becomes suddenly

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subjective, although it may be an objective measure. The reason is, the conductor
himself or herself defines where the next point of achievement is. Therefore, every
rehearsal can be measured by itself if it is efficient or not, since the aim always
changes. If a conductor defines point B theoretically much nearer to point A than
another conductor, this will not mean he is more efficient when this defined point B is
reached. Therefore, it is quite impossible to compare different conductors and different
rehearsals with each other with regard to efficiency. However, this does not mean that
the concept does not exist. But every case is independent and should be judged by
itself.

An example by Prinz for the so-called point B, namely the aim of the first rehearsals
may be to make sure the singers fill as much notes as they can to their heads. Another
aim can be how to reach the choir timbre as fast as possible. He points out that on the
way to the performance, there may be different goals. The general efficiency, of
course, means to come to the end result as fast as possible starting from the first
rehearsal. But there may be partly different goals within the process and these are the
factors that are relevant to the efficiency of every other rehearsal.

Prinz believes strongly that the speed of the rehearsal is a very important factor in the
field of choral conducting. That is what he connects to the concept of ‘positive stress’
that a rehearsal should possess. The ‘positive stress’ gives an inner feeling to the singer
that there are things to achieve and it hinders being totally satisfied by the result too
early. A problem of a choir that sings so much repertoire like the Wiener Singverein,
that works together for a long time and that is conducted by the same conductor for
decades is that it is very hard to keep the fundamental tension of the rehearsal. For
example, many people in the choir have possibly sung Mahler’s 2nd Symphony for at
least 15 times. But Prinz believes that he should lead the rehearsal as though it is the
first time that the choir is singing it, at least he has to consciously act like this. It is
very important to keep the new singers in the loop, but also not to make it too boring
for the old ones. What he does for that is to search for a new touch in every piece, so
that it does not look exactly the same as before. To talk about the Mahler 2nd, he
believes this is very hard to find because the problem is mostly the intonation of the
2nd tenors and that’s it. So, he claims one has to rehearse accordingly.

Prinz referenced his first rehearsal on Mahler 2nd, where he totally neglected the
dynamics consciously for a long time and he took much faster tempi than written. With

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faster tempi, he had the chance to go through the piece at least four times. This, he
needed to do because the concert was supposed to be sung from memory. He had
known this before and planned for that exact tempi to gain time in the approximately
one hour he had. In that moment Prinz also showed his paper where he had prepared
the day 1 rehearsal and it is written: ‘Schnell proben ohne Dynamik!’ which means
‘Rehearse fast without dynamics!’.

He notes that almost all the time he prepares a concept for the rehearsal, which in turn
becomes the general idea behind that specific time period and what determines the
focus points for the choir and the conductor on that day. This concept sets the
characteristics of the rehearsal. Prinz indicated that he always thinks about the tension
curve of a rehearsal. In that sense, it is important for him, for instance in an oratorio,
with which movement to start the rehearsal. Questions he asks to himself are the
following: What piece is the best to create the flow into the rehearsal? When to
rehearse the hard part? How to create the passion for the work? In general, Prinz argues
that it is good to start with the joy of singing, letting the singers enjoy the opportunity
to sing at first. He would not launch the rehearsal by trying out complicated passages.
When -as he says- the ‘engine is warm’ after 15-20 minutes, then he would prefer to
take the hard parts to rehearse. He could go into the end of the first half very focused
and hard-working. Maybe then after the intermission he chooses to sing through the
pieces, to concentrate on the form of the music in macro-level. There, he acts more
tolerant and lets the singers understand the transitions and the traffic, thus have a
general idea about the work. This is the period, he says, where one does not need the
whole brain to work hard.

A method Prinz has used in the first rehearsal was to sing through the first section of
Mahler 2nd Finale once, then repeating it immediately and giving maximum 2-3
indications at one time. These were that the vowels should be sung longer and
consonants should come later than expected, and the whole phrase should be sung
molto legatissimo. That was all the information and he claimed that it was more than
enough to digest at one time.

For Prinz, the flow of the rehearsal is very important and his definition of the flow is
the following: There is a flow, if the choir develops a positive musicianship energy out
of the joy of singing. If there is a good atmosphere that comes out of the musical work,
then the singer is ready to cooperate with the conductor. He claims that this is not easy,

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because here we talk about a mass, consisting of so many different personalities. It
may be the hardest achievement to rehearse with such a big group of approximately
120 people to rehearse two hours on the same piece. Another kind of flow that Prinz
talks about is the flow of the conductor. He would advocate the conductor is in a flow
when he/she feels that the rehearsal functions and there is a certain speed in the
continuation of the acts of the conductor. Prinz argues especially that he is feeling the
flow when he has spontaneous ideas that really fit well into the needs of the choir.
There he explains, whenever there is a flow, he does not need to think much before he
has a good idea. The interesting thing is, when he does not have this flow, as he
suggests, it is not really understandable from the singer’s point of view. This is an
experience he had with his own wife, whenever they talked about the rehearsal
afterwards. According to him, they don’t have the same impression as the conductor
himself.

When he is asked if he has a strategy when things don’t go very well, he answers
positively. Prinz claims that in such times, he has a strategy against himself, to make
sure that he finds something in the music that makes him excited, which lights his inner
musical fire again. He believes that the solution is always and always in the
conductor’s side. Even if the energy of the rehearsal goes down from the side of the
singers, as they are tired, bored, or unfocused, it is always the conductor who is
responsible. He argues that there is no group in the world, who can create an
excitement or a shared feeling about something by itself. It may function with 4 people,
maximum with 16 maybe, but certainly not with 120 people. Therefore, the conductor
is responsible for the energy flow and can never expect this from the singers. If he/she
cannot find any solution to keep the rehearsal flow in track, it is always possible to
make a radical change to the theme. As a technique, the conductor can switch to a
radically different movement as a new start.

According to Prinz, warm-up is one of the key elements of a good rehearsal, but he
also believes that it is a very hard subject to study. He claims that the warm-up always
stands between the conductor and the music, that’s why it’s not a straight-forward
topic. It costs 15 minutes for a rehearsal to spend without music. Nevertheless,
whenever the warm-up functions very well, Prinz is very keen on doing it. He works
very sensitively on the exercises. It is quite interesting that he has promised the choir
that he will find out at least one new exercise for each rehearsal. Considering that he

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has 160 rehearsal in a year, it is a lot to produce. This, in turn, helps the singers to pay
more attention to the warm-up, because they listen more carefully even if there is one
or two new tones in an exercise.

Prinz also notes that he had many occasions where he rehearsed without a warm-up
and almost all the time he regretted it. In those cases, he had to continue with a bad
sounding choir for 2 hours, even if he had won the first 15 minutes. Actually, the choir
demands the warm-up. Of course, in every choir there are people who think it may not
be necessary, but eventually the majority expressed that they need it. He does not take
a long time for the warm-up, if it is not the concert. When normally he would go for a
12-minute warm-up, before a concert -especially afternoon- he would easily do a 20-
minute version of it. In the warm-up, Prinz says, he concentrates on many different
things, not only the technique but also the character, colour and the motivation. He is
also very careful to have a concept of warm-up for every rehearsal. But at the same
time, he also points out that it is very rare that he keeps exactly the exercises that are
on paper within a warm-up period. For him, the exercises on the paper are just a
starting point to get the flow.

He adds that the warm-up is one of the hardest assignments for a conductor. There are
two reasons for that. First, it takes a lot of time to prepare a good warm-up that connects
to the content of the rehearsal. Second, it costs a lot of energy for the conductor,
whereas when he rehearses the music it costs almost no energy at all. According to
Prinz, when rehearsing the music, the energy between the choir and the conductor
functions by itself, since the essence of the composition already posseses the
information to lead the process. This is not the case with the warm-up. There, the
conductor should invent something creative to a mass of people, who are expecting
that the conductor will make something out of the total sound of the choir.

An interesting point he makes is that the conductor should always motivate the choir
during the warm-up. It is almost always the case that when he leaves the choir alone
with the exercises, the technique and the mood does not come to the desired level. It
is the job of the conductor to make sure that singers are focused and triggered to sing
a very high-level exercise. The motivation of the choir does not come by itself. The
conductor has to find ways to persuade and inspire. For that, Prinz suggests, images
help a lot. An example he uses is to sing like a ‘singing teacher’, which brings about a
totally different result immediately. It is also possible to create social integration

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through pointing out different people in the choir within the warm-up. What he does
is definitely to mention the new singers in the choir for everybody to get to know them.
It is both a singing exercise and a way of greeting the new person, both tasks
accomplished.

Prinz believes that there are also non-musical factors that influence the efficiency of a
rehearsal. The first point he talks about is the edition of the scores, which affect the
course of the studying immensely. An example is from the rehearsals of Mahler’s 2nd
Symphony, which has two different editions present in the choir. In one of the editions,
the tenor voice is written in the tenor clef, which is not so common for a choir singer.
Although all the new tenors had the new edition in the treble clef, it was the case that
Prinz asked four basses to help tenors in specific sections. This was possible for them
of course, but in their old editions the scores were in tenor clef, which was not easy to
read instantly. This caused a problem for the four bass singers and naturally brought
down the speed of the rehearsal.

Another important factor for him is the sitting order of the choir, especially in the
Musikverein. He notes that he always writes on small yellow post-its which part should
sit in which chairs before the rehearsal, because this order has an effect on the total
outcome of the sound. For instance, there is a balcony on the stage, which -according
to Prinz- takes away the sound. So, he tries not to put too many people under the
balcony, so that the choir does not lose timbre. Also details like the lighting and the
acoustics should not be neglected.

He has a special emphasis on the punctuality of the choir. It is very crucial that the
rehearsal starts on time and there is this very norm of being there before the rehearsal.
He claims that people who are late to the rehearsal are usually not late to an important
appointment, so it has nothing to do with the conditions of the singers. It is simply a
character that should be worked with carefully. For Prinz, the most important element
to fight latency is to start on time exactly, even though the choir may not be totally
complete. This is especially important, because only then the ones who are late
recognise that they are late. A funny method he is using to point out about the latency
problem is to include the name of the latecomer in the warm-up in a friendly way. This
is a very subtle issue and it should not be received in a negative way. Also, there are
people who really have to come out of their work at 6 pm and are thus a few minutes
late beyond their control. One should be very careful to judge these situations.

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When Prinz is asked if he always has a plan-B on paper, he responds yes, but for him
the main factor is the flow, not the plan. Sometimes, sticking too much to the plan
works agains the flow. One should be sensitive to try to figure out what the exact need
of the choir is at that moment. Nevertheless, he never does that without a plan-B he
has prepared before the rehearsal. Even though he will not use it in that situation, it is
safe to have it at hand. In pieces that are challenging, he usually has a more detailed
plan where to start, which page to introduce the work, with which group to study first,
etc. There, he has a clear street to follow. If the conductor follows a certain rehearsal
strategy for the specific work, then it is better to stick with the plan and not to go only
with the flow.

About the motivation of singers, Prinz lists many different musical factors that are
effective. For example, the fortissimo ending of the Mahler 2nd is a motivating passage
for the singers, to be in this huge sound and to be able to sing out. Special colours can
be motivating, as well as starting the rehearsal with a more cantabile section where
everybody can enjoy. To talk about the meaning of the music and how the composer
has built the piece are also important factors to keep the attention of the singers. In
general, everything which transforms a normal state of being to an extraordinary
condition is motivating. There is a specific ‘normal’ good for the choir and whatever
lifts it up to a higher level falls into this definition. This can be the finesse of the
pronunciation of the choir or a spectacular pianissimo dynamic. According to Prinz,
we always look for moments where we create something extraordinary. All in all, this
is the key point of the work of a conductor.

4.2.2 Board Members: Rita Beer and Gabriele Reichelt

Rita Beer and Gabriele Reichelt are singers in the Wiener Singverein, who have been
active for decades and they possess a very significant experience with the choir. Other
than their singing duties, both of them are board members and have also management
tasks within the structure. In that sense, they are two singers who have a deep insight
into the processes that run the choir and the dynamics of the rehearsals.

When they are asked about how they would define the efficiency of a rehearsal, first
response they would come up with is that efficiency comes from the conductor. They
believe that the set-up of Johannes Prinz for the rehearsals is the main factor behind
the efficiency. This especially includes the planning for the rehearsal. Rita states that

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whereas sometimes it is useful to divide the choir into sections and have group
rehearsals, sometimes it is better to let the choir sing, so that the singers find out
themselves how to put it together. Apart from that, a special emphasis is made on the
start of the rehearsal. Because all the singers come from different jobs, they need a
time to concentrate and get the body moving before the actual singing starts. This is
also important to make sure that everybody is present, which in turn effects the pace
of the rehearsal.

Afterwards, they are asked when they think the start of a rehearsal is not efficient.
There may be many different factors that hinder a healthy start of a rehearsal. Gabriele
points out that a start for her is not efficient when there are too many people being late.
Sometimes it is a problem that it is always the same people coming late. This is very
disturbing for them, because the conductor is building up an energy for the group from
the start and when there are people coming late, they are not part of this aura. It is also
disturbing the energy.

To cope with this, of course they have some mechanisms. For example, if the same
person comes late too often, either the conductor or somebody from the board talks
with him/her. Rita says it is always a personal talk. They ask questions to see if this is
a problem that comes from the conditions of the job of the latecomer or something
else. Gabriele adds that they have this registration system where all the singers sign up
for the concerts before the seasons. Depending on the needs of the concert, the
conductor prepares a line-up of singers. She points out that if a singer says he/she is
committed to join this project, they should also write which dates they cannot make it.
This is a good start to take the attendance under control, before the season starts.

The Wiener Singverein has 250 active members. For each project they have a certain
date where the singers have to sign up for the upcoming concerts. Before the conductor
chooses the cast, it is possible for him to see who is missing at what date and this also
helps with the selection naturally. This brings an initial commitment. At the same time
it is mentioned by the two board members that they prefer to work manually about the
attendance, not computerised. For them, with so many people it is better to have
written lists where everybody writes their own situation. So, they work with physical
signatures but also add that then they look around to see if there are missing signatures,
to see the complete list of attendance. To categorise the missing singer, they have some
options. If the missing date is written while registration, they have a special sign to

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show this already known date. Another possibility of missing is ‘excused’ or ‘not
informed’. When a singer is excused, the board is informed about the situation but this
is not the case with the latter. Therefore the latter is not a favourite, but whenever it
happens the board contacts the singer immediately to see if they are still in the project.
After the first rehearsal, the conductor checks the attendance lists and if needed asks
for some people to be contacted for the future of the project. It is very interesting that
the board is very actively working on the attendance issue and it is part of their daily
routine.

It should be mentioned here that the board of the Wiener Singverein works voluntarily,
as a non-profit association, and there is also no secretary who does this work as a job.
There is a lot of work done by voluntary people. According to Rita, the attendance lists
and the concert line-ups are the most time consuming tasks of all workflow. Although
this takes a lot of time, there are a lot of advantages to run these tasks rather through a
voluntary elected board than a professional management to keep the amateur
environment of the choir safe.

Within the rehearsal, they think the most important factor to keep the efficiency is that
nobody is bored in the rehearsal. This is especially very important because people
come tired from a long day of work. Still, most of the time everybody leaves the
rehearsal really happily. They believe this aim is achieved very clearly by the skills of
Johannes Prinz. Of course, it is the music itself that brings the singers to such a high
level of concentration and happiness. Therefore, also with guest conductors they
experience positive feelings. Nevertheless, the role of the chief conductor cannot be
undermined. According to them, Prinz has a special way of getting people outside of
their own boxes and motivate them to take part. At the same time, it is also clear that
the majority of the singers come here for this challenge and they are very willing to try
new things, move while singing, and train themselves to sing better.

Rita, as a 40-year old member, recalls the times before Johannes Prinz. She remembers
very well that there was no warm-ups before the concerts and clearly no body
movement of the singers at that time. They first asked in the late 80s for body
movements and the conductor at that time did not really want to concentrate on that
area. Still, they could manage to get a person who could do this for the choir. Back
then, the older members were not keen about this but the younger ones wanted to
experiment with their body and so they did. When Johannes Prinz came to the choir in

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1991, the first thing he introduced was to move. Although in the beginning the older
members were not willing to join, in time the choir has trained itself that this actually
works and helps the singing.

Rita believes that Prinz is very smart in building up the rehearsals. He always plans
very carefully with which part he should start and which difficult part he should save
for later. Also he knows very well how to work with a large group. Group dynamics
are very important and they constitute the key to a successful rehearsal. Gabirele adds
that it is also very important that Prinz is a voice teacher at the same time. This helps
a lot, because he can demonstrate very clearly what he is demanding. If the conductor
only tells the choir to do certain things but does not explain how to do it, then of course
some time will be lost figuring out the technique.

After thinking some time about what in the rehearsal is a factor that decreases
efficiency, they eventually come to an interesting conclusion that efficiency also
depends on the enjoyment of the singers themselves. When the singer is motivated and
willing to perform at his/her best, the efficiency level increases drastically. In that
sense, a choral conductor should not only work on his/her conducting to change results,
but also on the willingness and participation of the singers. This can happen only if the
conductor is also a singer himself/herself and can look at the picture from the singer’s
point of view.

Although they enjoy every second of the rehearsal, there is another topic which
decreases motivation from a singer’s perspective and that is to wait for other singers.
As they comment, sometimes the conductor has to explaining some details more than
once because a part of the choir needs it, but if the singer is already doing that, it can
start to feel like a loss of time. They feel that this is a personal thing, but still it’s a fact.
Since it is a choir which operates with different singer line-ups on different projects, it
may be possible that there is somebody who sings the Mahler 2nd for the tenth time
and somebody who just saw the score. So, there will always be different experience
levels within the choir and this issue should be handled with care. For Rita, it is very
interesting to see how much nuance the conductor can bring to the same piece,
although it is performed again and again. An example is the Beethoven 9th that has
been performed at least 5 times in the season before with different conductors, but each
time Prinz had in mind tiny details he knows the relevant orchestral conductor thinks

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is very important. This of course brings a new flavour to the rehearsal, even if it is the
same piece over and over again.

Gabriele points out a very critical factor in the success of the Wiener Singverein: That
the choir is laughing a lot in the rehearsals. For her, this is something that other good
choirs may not have, but certainly it helps this choir to maintain its quality. It is actually
a large portion of the rehearsal where people are laughing together and this has some
impacts. First, this is very positive for the motivation of the singers. Second, it helps
their concentration to be present at the moment. Third and maybe the most important,
this is bringing people together. As Gabriele says, if people are laughing together in a
group of young and old singers, it feels like there is no difference between them. That
shows the binding factor of positive atmosphere in a rehearsal. On top of that, as Rita
adds, laughing is good for the body and the muscles as well.

It is also possible that some conductors can bring down the energy with too much
talking. This sometimes happens with orchestral conductors that they explain some
musical aspects too long and the concentration level decreases within the choir.
Another factor that brings the efficiency down is when a conductor gets angry or talks
gross with the singers. This really has a negative effect and according to Rita, in such
cases the rehearsal does not run at all. People become more hesitant to sing and it even
gets worse when they start to oppose the conductor. That’s why the manner of
communication has a vital role in the rehearsal process.

To sum up, experienced singers and board members of Wiener Singverein believe
strongly that the positive atmosphere in the rehearsal is feeding the choir and
increasing its quality. They also think that planning for the rehearsals, preparing the
exact line-ups, following attendance, and being active daily on the management issues
are crucial for the well-being of a choir.

4.2.3 Singing Pedagogue: Thomas Künne

Thomas Künne has been working with the Wiener Singverein for many years as a
singing pedagogue. He has periodical sessions with the choir singers to strengthen their
technique and improve their understanding about the human voice. According to
Künne, the very existence of the singing lessons have a great deal of influence on the
efficiency of the rehearsals. Although it may seem that there is no direct link between
the singer’s individual session and the tutti rehearsal, the background work done in the

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lessons are enabling the conductor to achieve the desired results much quicker than
normal.

First of all, the singers have a greater control over their instruments. As a result of that,
they are more capable of performing what is demanded by the conductor, which
decreases the rehearsal time used for that specific musical detail. Secondly, they can
work on hard phrases or problematic areas individually with a teacher. Although the
conductor’s directions may help everyone, it may not solve every individual problem
in the group. At those times, an individual care can be very helpful for the singer to
work on a specific problem. Thirdly, the singing lessons automatically create a natural
environment for the singers to concentrate on their performance outside of the
rehearsal room. So, they eventually spend more time on singing every week and their
performance level rises. In turn, the time invested for a singing lesson actually saves
time from the rehearsal. Not only the singers can point out problems, but also the
conductor. It helps the choir a lot when the conductor passes a certain technical
problem to the singing teacher to deal with it individually. So, in the next rehearsal the
conductor will not have to spend the same amount of time to try to solve this technical
problem.

Every year Wiener Singverein is organising a Klassenabend, a so-called class evening,

where all the singers who took lessons perform one soloistic piece to an audience. As
Künne expresses, the opportunity to sing for each other creates a great potential for
improvement. They engage on a musical activity that is not directly related to the
choir’s repertoire and are able to present the results of their work to their peers. This
not only motivates the singers, but also educates them in terms of stage performance
and solo singing. It also helps build a community of singers where the majority has the
experience of singing as a soloist, which may not be true in many choirs.

In the system of the Wiener Singverein, four singing pedagogues within the institution
have each a specific number of students for a year and they work with the same singers
for a long time. This brings continuity and consistency. The ones who are subject to
singing lessons are selected by the conductor or they can also volunteer. There may be
some singers who are already taking professional singing lessons privately or within
their university education, so it is not a must for everybody to be a part of this system.
However, the majority of the choir takes part and this makes a big change in the overall
sound of the choir. Furthermore, the starters in the choir have to take singing lessons

94
at least for three years, to make sure that they come to the same level as the ones who
have been in the choir for a longer time.

Another interesting method in the choir is that there is a kind of an audition every 1 or
2 years for everybody. This does not mean that they will be kicked out from the choir
if they fail, but it helps the singers to keep in shape and work towards the audition.
According to Künne, this audition, where they have to sing alone, covers also one part
of the singing lesson. People are interested in preparing to this event properly and they
are motivated to do so with a singing teacher. He associates this audition with the TUV
certification, which is a certificafe for a product’s quality done every 2-3 years. Since
it is an established culture in the choir, it only encourages singers to prepare better.
This also may help some singers to realise that it may be time to give a break or leave
the choir, if their voices are not in total shape.

All in all, Thomas Künne believes that the possibility to have a singing pedagogue
helps the rehearsal efficiency of Wiener Singverein to a great extent because of the
factors named above. So, although it may need some effort to set up such a programme
for the singers in a choir, it is certainly worth doing it. It is clear that singing
pedagogues, in long-term plan, help the choir become more professional in sound and
more agile in learning.

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96
 CONCLUSIONS

Throughout this study, the notion of efficiency in a choral rehearsal has been
questioned and factors that lead to an efficient rehearsal have been examined.
Considering the outcomes from the literature and the case study, it is visible that the
term efficiency can be approached from many different perspectives and the level of
efficiency can always be improved. All in all, this study helps to see some aspects that
have solid effects on the quality of the rehearsal time, but it is never comprehensive.
There will be other factors that will be discovered during the journey and all of them
are worth taking into consideration. However, if there should be some results deriving
from what has been discussed above, it could be summarized under the following five
subcategories.

Plan for Different Scenarios

The rehearsal consists of many dynamic elements and factors that are effecting each
other. The psychology of the singers, the timetable, the programme, the methods the
conductor utilises, the venue, and many other factors mentioned above have influence
on the course of a rehearsal. Therefore one can almost never know for sure what is
awaiting the conductor on that specific occasion. Still, this does not mean that this
period is not controllable. The conductor must be ready with his/her planning for many
different scenarios, be it musical or logistical, and adapt to them if needed.

The subject of this study, Johannes Prinz, still has a rehearsal plan on a sheet of paper
for every rehearsal, after conducting the Wiener Singverein for 25 years. This must
give the conductors an insight on how planning is crucial for a well-functioning
rehearsal. As he states in the interview, he tries to have little room for improvisation,
instead he prefers to be confident about his A-plan, B-plan, and C-plan. This does not
mean that he is not improvising at all. He explains this situation as the flow, where the
conductor finds creative solutions to problems without thinking about it. When there
is a flow, then it is possible to leave the plan in the background and be more flexible

97
according to the needs of the choir. However, to be able to go in the flow, one must
have a plan.

It is another fact that after thousands of rehearsal preparations, experienced conductors

may come up with creative strategies that emerge by itself. The brain has worked on
similar problems for years and has a shortcut for solving them, without having to
prepare for too long. That’s why the main practice of the conductor is to have a
rehearsal with the choir. This practice can easily be seen parallel to an instrumental
practice of a player. This is how the conductor refines his craft. After thousand
rehearsals, the conductor would be able to figure out easily what action brings what
reaction, how to solve any specific problem, and how to respond to certain situations.

By planning for different scenarios, the conductor prepares his/her toolbox for the
rehearsal. When the choir has arrived and the first note is sung, the plan begins to
unfold. There is no room for going back and revising the actions one has made, at that
moment the conductor is in irreversable action. Thus, being able to see the options
before everything starts, and planning several routes to the destination is a key element
towards efficiency.

Prepare Musically

It is quite possible that the conductor becomes so busy with organisation and planning,
that there is almost no time left for the core duty of the artistic leader, a decent musical
preparation. As Peter Broadbent (2019, personal communication) states, the time
dedicated to administration and artistic work should always be in balance. It is
observed very clearly that a conductor who is not prepared, is the primary source of
inefficient time loss in the rehearsal. If the choral leader is aiming towards a high
quality musical result, one must be able to execute this level of quality before he/she
meets the choir. Without reading the parts fluently, ability to transmit musical
information by an understandable conducting technique, having a clear idea of stylistic
interpretation, and decision on the colour of the sound, a successful rehearsal is
impossible.

There may be times when a conductor is on tour, on a very busy schedule, or subject
to many concerts with different ensembles within a short time. Regardless of the
number of engagements he/she has, if the aim is to maintain the same quality

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throughout all productions, there is no excuse to be musically unprepared. In such
cases, the conductor should make a study plan for himself/herself and be well aware
that it should be taken into consideration early enough to make sure there is a buffer
time between the musical preparation and the actual rehearsal.

It is also straightforward that there is no such thing as being too prepared. Every look
at a musical piece, every article written about it, and every study on the full score will
inspire a new idea and this will result in creative solutions within the rehearsal. That’s
why experienced conductors, who know a certain musical work for more than 40 years
can improvise so well in the rehearsal, and new graduates should spare a serious
amount of time for preparation thoroughly. The only risk of too much preparation can
be if the preparation is aimed towards the dynamics of the rehearsal. It will not be ideal
to plan every single step in the rehearsal before hearing the actual sound of the choir.
Thus, the musical preparation should be directed towards the depth of the musical work
itself, not to writing a script for a rehearsal performance. Any idea, inspiration, and
information absorbed before the rehearsal will certainly have a strong effect on how
the conductor responds to certain situations regardless of planning every single detail.

Communicate towards a Positive Environment

It may always be an asset to have a comprehensive planning and a thorough

preparation, but this is never enough without the existence of the relevant
communication skills. The conductor is expected to be a talented musician and a good
organiser, although these are only the starting points for leading a successful rehearsal.
If the conductor is not able to transmit his/her musical insight to the ensemble,
regardless of how strong the ideas are, they are useless. The choir is a social
phenomenon and its material consists of human beings. So, it is a must for the
conductor to be aware of the communication skills that are needed to address a certain
group of people with respect, openness, and sincerity.

It has been mentioned many times in the study that a positive direction is always
preferred towards a negative one. The singers would like to know how they can do
better, not what they are doing wrong. The conductor is not a jury, nor a teacher. It is
not expected by him/her to evaluate the performance of the choir, comment on the
level, and give marks to his/her students. Yes, this may be a necessity in a school

99
environment, but it is not part of the rehearsal. In the rehearsal time, the choral leader
should concentrate on how he/she can help the ensemble to reach the next level.

This does not mean that the conductor should carry all the weight on his/her own
shoulders only. A positive environment also contains a positive stress as mentioned by
Johannes Prinz (2009, personal communication). The choir singers should be able to
feel a certain amount of urge and responsibility to achieve a musical aim. Being too
relaxed in a rehearsal results in lack of energy and tension. The term positive stress on
the other hand implies that this urge should be transmitted in an encouraging way, not
as a form of anxiety. Recalling what Lawrance has mentioned about communication
in the rehearsal room, the conductor should leave a kind of guesswork to the singers,
so that they are awake and responsible. This fine balance between carrying the
responsibility and giving it away to the singers is one of the main challenges of a
conductor regarding the notion of communication.

Build a Strong and Sustainable Team

It is clear that nobody can achieve any serious result only by working alone.
Preparation is very important, planning is crucial, but teamwork is the execution.
Without a strong team, results cannot be maintained for a long period. If we would
look for a fundamental driving force of the organisation behind the Wiener Singverein,
it would be the coordination of the singer pool and the management of the concert line-
ups. This would be impossible to organise without a sustainable team that is devoted
to work towards a successful membership.

Similar outcomes can also be seen in choirs that are good in self-governance. If a choir
wants to survive at least more than some decades, it should be able to govern itself
with certain structures. Being bound to a conductor for each and every decision makes
the progress slow and decreases the sense of belonging of the singers. Even though the
responsibility for many aspects are on the shoulders of the conductor, it should be
distributed carefully and delegated to the management team whether they are amateur
or professional. This does not mean that these topics should not be supervised later. It
rather means that the responsibility, as the authority to decide on issues, can be
distributed and this is by itself not a loss of power. In a system that works well, this
will make the conductor work more healthy and the choir to function more efficiently.

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Therefore, building structures within a choir and defining them clearly helps a lot.
Many choirs have annual elections for their board members. Sometimes, choirs also
hire professionals to help with some aspects of the organisation. There may be
assistants or section leaders contributing musically. Structures like the general
assembly and voting systems are indispensable for a healthy process. It is usually
mentioned by musicians that choirs and orchestras are not democratic on the musical
level and that is true. If a conductor is appointed to make musical decisions, that is
his/her job and this task should be fulfilled only by the conductor. Nevertheless, this
does not mean that organisationally these institutions cannot be democratical. On the
contrary, the more the singers have a chance to work for the choir and change its course
according to their own ideas, the more they feel connected to the ensemble and this
stabilises the sustainability of the institution. It is clever to remember that the potential
of a single human being is limited but when people come together, they are capable of
building structures that can survive for centuries.

Support the Choir Outside the Rehearsal Room

The rehearsal, as we understand, is only the physical encounter of the singers and the
conductor. However, learning and developing musicianship does not stop when the
singers leave the rehearsal room. On the contrary, being musically active before the
next rehearsal is crucial for a singer to improve. Therefore, the preparation for the next
rehearsal starts the minute the choir leaves the last one.

As Thomas Künne mentioned in the interview with the Wiener Singverein, singing
lessons constitute the most important supporting element of a choir’s musical
development. The majority of the individual problems that arise in the rehearsal in a
decent choir do derive from technical difficulties. If it is assumed that the singers come
prepared, have a satisfactory level of motivation, and are healthy, the main issue that
can be improved becomes automatically the singing technique and the ability of the
singer to produce certain colours. Therefore, it is of great importance to support the
singers with -preferably free or compensated- singing lessons between the rehearsals
for them to be able to address the questions they have in mind to a professional singer
and adapt for the next rehearsal. In that sense, it should not be forgotten that the
conductor should choose a singing pedagogue who has a similar musical and technical
view to avoid clashes between the lesson and the rehearsal. Therefore, it is important

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that the conductor and the singing pedagogue meet periodically to discuss problems
and solutions regarding the choral singers.

Many choir singers enjoy reading or watching extra material about the musical content
of the programme. Some recommended articles or interviews with renowned
musicians will certainly attract some of the singers outside the rehearsal room. It is
impossible to expect all the singers to give the same amount of dedication to extra
material, but it is already a positive step even if one part of the choir takes some time
to deal with the music in their free time. Each working hour the singers dedicate to the
repertoire will improve the musical consciousness of the choir in general. It is also
possible that those singers, who are improving their knowledge through extra material,
will bring those points up in a coffee break and raise awareness that there is interesting
information available for other singers too. This kind of extra material can cover a
range from Youtube videos to Spotify playlists or from composer documentaries to
background reading in an online library.

The availability of the resources is very valuable for a healthy flow of the choir’s
operation. A choir member should be able to find the scores, the complementary
documents, the rehearsal calendar, the concert repertoires and other information easily.
If this information is online, the links to the relevant files should be handy and if it is
hard copy, all documentation should be prepared clearly. A singer who is motivated to
practice outside the rehearsal room should not lose much time for finding resources. If
this convenience is not provided, resource management will become an obstacle for
the singers and in time, the productivity of the choir will decrease.

It should also not be forgotten that the conductor is the primary source of information
and direction in the choir. Therefore, it is crucial that the conductor has availability to
be contacted by the singers outside the rehearsal room. This does not mean that the
conductor should dedicate his/her free time for helping individual singers, but it simply
implies that the singer should know that if needed, the conductor is there. The
communication flow can be regulated through appointments or e-mails. The time right
before and right after the rehearsal is usually not a good time for a conductor to deal
with individual issues, since there are many other dynamics about the group that
concern him/her at those times. It is also very clear that the private telephone of the
conductor should not be dialled at any time. Nevertheless, the leader of the ensemble

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should secure a feeling in the members that when needed, he/she will be available to
assist and guide on the issues regarding the choir.

Lastly, it should be mentioned that the duty of the conductor is not only to run a
successful rehearsal, but create a vision and develop projects for the ensemble
according to this path. A conductor should know his/her priorities, decide on the
specific musical vision for the choir, set up strategical aims, and execute an action plan
that is realistic for this ensemble. A choir may be having very successful rehearsals
and concerts, but its continuity depends on the existence of new projects curated by
the musical director. Without new aims, a choir will not only lose energy and
motivation, but will also have a hard time in recruiting new singers. Thus, future
projects should always be in the agenda of the conductor and should be communicated
to the board of the choir early enough, so that they can be managed properly.

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104
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APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: The rehearsal plan of Wiener Singverein for 2018-2019 1st half

APPENDIX B: The rehearsal plan of Rezonans for 2019-2020 season

APPENDIX C: The rehearsal plan of Turkish State Choir for 2019-2020 season

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108
 APPENDIX A: The rehearsal plan of Wiener Singverein for 2018-2019 1st half

Table A.1: List of engagements and application categories

Probenplan 2018/2019 -1

Tschaikowskij: Ouvertüre solennelle Das Jahr

So 30. Sept, MV, Tschaikowskij-Symphony-Orchester / Vladimir Fedosejev
Anmeldeschluss: 18. Juni
Schostakowitsch: Symphonie Nr. 13, Babi Jar (Männerchor, viele Bässe, aber auch Tenöre)
Mo 8. und Di 9. Okt, MV, Sa 13. Okt, Essen, Do 18. Okt, Luxemburg,
Petersburger Philharmoniker / Juri Temirkanov
Anmeldeschluss: 18. Juni
Berlioz: Lelio
Sa 10. und So 11. Nov, MV, Wiener Symphoniker / Philippe Jordan
Anmeldeschluss: 18. Juni
Britten: War-Requiem
So 18. und Mo 19. Nov, MV, Wiener Symphoniker / Philippe Jordan
Achtung: nur für jene, die im Juni mitgeprobt haben!
Anmeldeschluss: bereits vorbei
Mahler: Symphonie Nr. 2
Mo 26. und Di 27. Nov, MV, Tschechische Philharmonie / Semyon Bychkov
Anmeldeschluss: 3. September
Händel: Ode for St. Cecilia´s Day
So 2. Dez, 11:00 MV, So 16. Dez 11:00 Linz, Wiener Akademie / Martin Haselböck
Anmeldeschluss: 18. Juni

Vorschau

Mozart: Requiem, Sa 2. Feb, 19.30, Salzburg, Wiener Philharmoniker / Orozco-Estrada

Prokofjew: Alexander Newskij, Mi 27., Do 28. Feb und Fr 1. März, MV, Wiener Symphoniker / Altinoglu
Mendelssohn: Sommernachtstraum (Frauenchor), Klassik Hits, Sa 2. März, 15.30, MV, Wiener Symphoniker / Karabits
Kantscheli: Styx, Do 14. März, MV, RSO / Borejko
Mahler: Symphonie Nr. 3 (Frauenchor), Sa 16. März, MV, Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester / Nott
Dvořak: Stabat mater (Klavierfassung) und Motetten, Fr. 5.+ Sa. 6. April, Schlosstheater Laxenburg, Prinz
Mahler: Symphonie Nr. 8, Sa 11. Mai, 15.30 und So 12. Mai, 19.30, KH, Wiener Philharmoniker / Welser-Möst / Singakademie
Berlioz: Requiem, So 26. und Mo 27. Mai, MV, Wiener Symphoniker / Jordan
Borodin: Polowetzer Tänze, Rachmaninow: Der Frühling, So 16. Juni, MV, Orchestre National du Capitol de Toulouse / Sokhiev

Anmeldung
Anmeldungen über das Online-Anmeldesystem im Mitgliederbereich der Singvereins-Homepage.
Wir bitten dringendst, zur Erleichterung der Organisation auch allfällige Nein-Meldungen sowie schon
voraussehbare Fehlproben einzutragen.
ja = ich bin dabei / bei Bedarf = ich hätte Zeit / will aber nicht unbedingt / notfalls = bei
Besetzungsnotstand könnte ich es mir einrichten / nein = ich kann/will nicht mitmachen
Es ist auch möglich, Prioritäten zu nennen „ . Wahl“ „ . Wahl“ bzw. „entweder – oder“

Die Besetzungslisten
zu den genannten Projekten sind spätestens drei Wochen nach Anmeldeschluss im
Mitgliederbereich unserer Homepage zu finden.

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Table A.2: Daily schedule of the Wiener Singverein

Wiener Singverein Probenplan 2018 / 2019 - 1

Tschaikowskij: 1812 Händel: Cecilia's day Schostakowitsch: Symph. Nr 13
Sept Mo 3 18.00 alle
Do 6 18.00 alle
Mo 10 18.00 Herren
Di 11 18.00 Damen
Do 13 19.15-21.00 Herren 17.30-19.00 alle
Mo 17 17.30-19.00 Damen
19.15-21.00 alle
Di 18 18.00 alle
Do 20 17.30-19.00 alle 19.15-21.00 alle
Di 25 19.30-21.00 alle 17.30-19.15 alle
Do 27 18.00 alle
Sa 29 vormittag OP
So 30 19.30 Konzert
Berlioz: Lelio Britten: War-Requiem
Okt Mo 1 17.30-19.15 alle 19.30-21.15 alle
Do 4 18.00 alle
Fr 5 18.00 Probe und KP
So 7 14.30-16.00 OP
17.30-20.00 GP
Mo 8 19.30 Konzert (im 2.Teil)
Di 9 19.30 Konzert (im 2.Teil)
Do 11 18.00 Damen + Tenor
Sa 13 früh Flug nach Essen
nachm OP
20.00 Konzert Essen
So 14 nachm. Rückflug
Mo 15 18.00 alle (Bass bis 19.30)
Do 18 vorm. Flug n. Luxemburg
nach Ansage Stellprobe
20.00 Konzert Luxemburg
Fr 19 vormittag Rückflug
Mo 22 18.00 alle (Bass bis 19.30)
Mi 24 18.00 alle (Bass bis 19.30)
Mo 29 18.00 open alle
Mahler: Symphonie Nr. 2
Nov Mo 5 18.30-21.00 alle 17.00-18.15 Neustudierer
Mi 7 18.00-21.00 Probe und KP
Do 8 19.00-21.30 OP
Fr 9 19.00-21.30 OP + Aufnahme
Sa 10 10.00-13.00 GP + Aufnahme
19.30 Konzert (im 2.Teil)
So 11 19.30 Konzert (im 2.Teil)
!!! siehe unten Nachaufnahme !!!
Mo 12 18.00 open Probe und KP
Fr 16 19.00-21.30 OP
Sa 17 9.30-12.00 OP
14.30-17.30 GP
So 18 19.30 Konzert
Mo 19 19.30 Konzert
Do 22 18.00 alle
Fr 23 18.00 Probe und KP
So 25 13.00-16.00 OP
Mo 26 19.30 Konzert
Di 27 19.30 Konzert
Händel: Cecilia's Day (Fortsetzung)
Do 29 17.30 alle
19.30 KP
Dez Sa 1 14.30-17.30 OP
So 2 9.30-10.30 Anspielprobe
11.00 Konzert
So 16 ca. 7:00 Abfahrt
10.00 Anspielprobe
11.00 Konzert Linz
Mo 17 16.45-18.00 Nachaufnahme

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APPENDIX B: The rehearsal plan of Rezonans for 2019-2020 season as it is in
August 2019

Table B.1: Daily schedule and rehearsal plan or Rezonans

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Table B.1 (continued): Daily schedule and rehearsal plan of Rezonans

112
APPENDIX C: The rehearsal plan of Turkish State Choir for 2019-2020 season as it is in August 2019

Table C.1: Daily schedule and rehearsal plan of Turkish State Choir

113
Table C.1 (continued): Daily schedule and rehearsal plan of Turkish State Choir

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Table C.1 (continued): Daily schedule and rehearsal plan of Turkish State Choir

115
Table C.1 (continued): Daily schedule and rehearsal plan of Turkish State Choir

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Table C.1 (continued): Daily schedule and rehearsal plan of Turkish State Choir

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CURRICULUM VITAE

Name Surname : Burak Onur Erdem

Place and Date of Birth : Istanbul, 27.04.1986

E-Mail : burakonurerdem@gmail.com

EDUCATION :

• B.Sc. : 2009, Boğaziçi University, Faculty of Economics and

Administrative Sciences, Department of Political
Science and International Relations
• M.A. : 2012, Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Social
Sciences, Department of Music

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• 2018 – present Board Member of International Federation of Choral Music

• 2017 – present Principal Conductor of Turkish State Choir
• 2013 – 2017 Assistant Conductor of Turkish State Choir
• 2013 – 2016 Principal Conductor of Istanbul European Choir
• 2015 – present Music Commission Member of European Choral Association
• 2015 – present Board Member of European Choral Association
• 2012 – present Chair of Choral Culture Association
• 2012 – 2015 Youth Committee Member of European Choral Association
• 2010 – present Principal Conductor of Rezonans Choir
• 2006 – 2010 Conductor of Boğaziçi University Classical Music Choir

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