Easy as 1-2-3?

Ryan's Rehearsal Recipe.

Since moving to California, I have been cooking up a storm in my kitchen. I suppose, then, it's not surprising that I often think about recipes when working with the Santa Clara Chorale. To organize the rehearsal process with the Chorale, I encourage them to think of rehearsing three separate sets of ideas: 1) Technical issues. I always think of this stuff as Choir 101. Pitches, rhythms, breath marks, final consonants –honoring the ink the composer put on the page, and the pencil marks we put on top of it. 2) Sound. Each individual needs to bring to the ensemble his or her most resonant, focused sound. The ensemble wants to hone specific vowels for specific syllables. What particular sound does the music demand? The singers need to develop a wide variety of options on their color palettes to serve the particular needs of each piece. 3) Communication. The singers should have a sense of the meaning and thrust of the texts. They then want to be sure that the way they deliver the text vocally clarifies and enhances this meaning. Which of the words in the text are most important? Which sounds make that word expressive?

My hope is always that the choir will master the technical issues right away so that we can move on to the fun stuff – the sound and the communication. Distinguishing the technical issues as “area 1” makes it easier to come back to them and focus on those details if, for instance, rhythms don’t sound accurate, or if cutoffs become ragged. Likewise, if the sound becomes dull, the Chorale can take a moment to focus specifically on “area 2” and brush off the dust and polish their sound until it rings again. But ultimately, I hope they realize that, as much fun as it is to execute a cutoff perfectly or sing a chord perfectly in tune, we focus on areas 1 and 2 for the sake of area 3. To communicate something more beautifully than one can through speech alone – that’s where the fun is in choral singing. That’s why I’m in the business, at least. Getting there can be as easy as 1-2-3.

RJB