Bay Choral Music eZine

On July 22, 2006 at the First Presbyterian Church in Palo Alto
the California Bach Society held its first Early Music Choral
Workshop. Under direction of the group’s former Artistic
Director, Dr. Suzanne Elder Wallace, the workshop offered
choral enthusiasts from all over the Bay Area a chance to
learn, rehearse, and polish several beautiful Renaissance
choral works alongside current members of the CBS. There
were about fifty participants, including CBS members.

The works chosen for the workshop were Jean Mouton’s
four-part Missa Alleluia (ed. Paul R. Marchesano, publ. 2004,
Choral Public Domain Library [CPDL]) and three motets by
Mouton’s contemporary, Josquin des Prez: Gaude virgo
mater Christi; Salve Regina; and Tu solus qui facis mirabilia
(ed. Ross W. Duffin, publ. 1999, Oxford University Press
[OUP]). For a $45 fee, singers received copies of the music,
lunch, snacks, and drinks for the day.

I was very impressed that all participants either were
excellent sight-readers or had taken the initiative to download
CPDL editions of both works (made available on the CBS
website ahead of time) and to learn their parts. Over the
course of the day, Dr. Elder Wallace consequently had to do
very little tidying up of wrong notes. The singers proved
themselves very musically flexible and responded well to
instructions from Dr. Elder Wallace.

The atmosphere of the workshop was convivial and
lighthearted throughout, and all took the music-making
seriously, focusing well during rehearsal. During break times,
participants enjoyed refreshments while meeting other Bay
Area choristers, mingling with current members of the CBS,
and receiving information about the CBS, its concerts, its
internship program for students, and its upcoming auditions.

For her part, Dr. Elder Wallace led the sessions gracefully and
amiably. Her love of conducting and for the music in general
came through clearly. She displayed a strong historical
knowledge of the composers whose works were sung that
day, providing numerous insights about the genesis and
cultural backdrop of the music. A formidable singer herself,
Dr. Elder Wallace gave solid technical instruction, offering
sound advice on regulating vowel color and negotiating
passages in high parts of the range. Her vocal
demonstrations were very helpful, and set a good musical
example for participants to follow.

Three of Dr. Elder Wallace’s modi operandi were particularly
laudable. First, she rehearsed singers all day without using a
piano or other keyboard instrument. This is a particularly
important facet of rehearsal of early music and of most other
choral music as well; the more that a choir can wean itself
from the harmonic and rhythmic support of a keyboard, the
more musically and freely it performs. In addition, Dr. Elder
Wallace, by not using a keyboard, adhered to a historically
informed performance practice; it is highly likely that choral
music of Josquin’s and Mouton’s era was originally
performed a cappella.

Second, Dr. Elder Wallace showed a willingness to tangle
with the rules of musica ficta as they apply to music of the
sixteenth century. Taking as her starting point a thorough
familiarity with the tenets of Renaissance counterpoint, she
was unafraid to alter accidentals, whether because she
believed an editor to be in error or for reasons of personal
taste. Though I did not necessarily agree with all of her
choices, I applaud her for making informed changes to the
musica ficta courageously and justly when she deemed it
necessary.

Third, she repeatedly called for expression of emotion in the
music. Though this may not sound like an extraordinary trait
in a conductor, one must bear in mind that it is dismayingly
unusual for conductors to demand real emotional
engagement from their choirs when performing early music.
People of the Renaissance, Dr. Elder Wallace reminded
participants, were emotional beings just like us. Therefore,
she asserted, they would not have performed their music with
the detached, dispassionate demeanor that modern choirs
espouse all too often when approaching early music. It was
refreshing to see Dr. Elder Wallace refusing to settle for such
an unemotional interpretation from participants.

The workshop was not faultless, from musical or logistical
perspectives. Rhythmic troubles plagued the assembled
singers all day. Regrettably, Dr. Elder Wallace tended to snap
on the beats, while conducting, if the rhythm lagged – a
practice that actually subverts an ensemble’s ability to
develop rhythmic unity. When choral singers hear an external
rhythmic pulse such as snapping, clapping, or instrumental
accompaniment, all but the most disciplined among them
lose impetus to watch the conductor. An external, non-visual
source of rhythm, especially in rehearsal of a cappella choral
music, is effectively a carte blanche to choristers to remain
buried in their parts. It causes most singers to think, “If I sing
with the pulse I hear, I must be in the right rhythm.” This
mentality leads choristers to the habit of not watching, even
when the conductor is not snapping, which in turn leads to
increasingly fragmented ensemble rhythm. Dr. Elder Wallace
would have done better not to snap and simply to insist that
participants watch her beat. Paradoxically, not providing
singers an auditory rhythmic crutch forces them to derive
their sense of rhythm by watching the conductor – and
always results in improved ensemble rhythm.

Moreover, Dr. Elder Wallace seemed to disregard the group’s
persistent inability to tune sonorities perfectly. The bass
section hardly achieved a perfect unison all day, and the altos
seemed consistently a quartertone flat, especially in their
higher register. This made it well nigh impossible for the rest
of the choir to find its harmonic moorings. To Dr. Elder
Wallace’s credit, she did talk briefly about the differences
between pure intonation and tempered tuning, and she did
tackle one or two patches of music that proved difficult to
tune by offering very helpful suggestions there for vowel
coloration. Her suggestions did improve intonation, but only
in those particular passages. Sadly, the singers seemed to let
their guard down as soon as they got through them, and
consequently, intonation was at best mediocre outside of
them.

Also working against Dr. Elder Wallace and the singers was
that there were essentially eight pieces of music to refine in
only one day’s work – five mass movements and three
motets. By the day’s end, the ensemble was well acquainted
with some of the chosen pieces, but had hardly rehearsed
others. The result was that the group had rehearsed no one
piece thoroughly. It would have been preferable to focus on
no more than two pieces and bring them up to near or
absolute concert-readiness – to have every consonant
perfectly placed, all breaths precisely coordinated, each
vowel carefully colored, all dynamics evenly realized, every
rhythm uniformly executed, and each sonority purely tuned.
This, I feel, would have given participants a much better
sense of what is necessary to properly rehearse and perform
early music.

The workshop was planned to last from 10:00 am until 5:00
pm. Due to the lamentable coincidence of a lack of air
conditioning in the rehearsal space and oppressively hot
weather, everyone present wisely agreed to adjourn at about
4:00 pm. (With the originally scheduled extra hour, the group
could undoubtedly have made more progress on the music.)
Fans helped cool participants off, but also made instructions
from Dr. Elder Wallace difficult to hear for those near fans or
in the rear of the choir.

The CBS asked participants to return their copies of the
Josquin motets at the end of the session, as the CBS had
secured OUP’s permission to give out photocopies of the
motets solely for the day. Though I agreed with some singers
who privately grumbled that the $45 registration fee should
have bought them copies of the music that they could keep, I
thought it highly commendable of the CBS to obtain formal
permission to make photocopies in the first place. Most
groups unfortunately do not take this cumbersome but
legally necessary step.

In future workshops, the CBS should consider focusing on
less music, polishing that music to a greater degree over the
course of the day (or perhaps two days), providing copies of
the music that participants can keep, and choosing, if
possible, a more comfortable venue. Overall, however, I very
much enjoyed myself at the CBS’s workshop, and took
pleasure in the chance to meet other Bay Area choral
aficionados and learn about the CBS. For detailed
information about the CBS, visit www.calbach.org.

Joseph Gregorio holds master's degrees from the San Francisco
Conservatory of Music and the Yale School of Music in
composition and choral conducting, respectively. He is currently
the interim conductor of the San Francisco Bach Choir.

Some have only recently graduated and are about to begin
the agony. Many have been at it long and hard and are all too
familiar with the process. No matter what your circumstances,
you have to earn a living, and that means working a day job.
For me, the business card reads, “Marketing Coordinator.” A
title I’m proud to have, sure, but I’d much rather my business
card read, “Alto. Tenor. Bass.” We all dream of not having to
work that 9-5 or, for some these days, the 8-6, but for most
classical musicians it’s just not practical to eliminate that
huge chunk of income that pays the rent, student loans,
transportation costs, and puts food on the table. Anything
extra you make from professional singing gigs only affords
most the ability to get out of the house a couple nights a
weeks, but only if there’s no rehearsal of course. Still, singing
can make you enormously happier than sitting in a cubicle
sipping coffee.

So if you’re stuck with the day job, how do you maximize the
work experience to keep you happy until your concert call
time rolls around? And how do you manage to keep your
boss happy and your conductor happy when you have
obligations at the office and music to perfect at the chapel?
Here are a few tips on how to manage your day job and your
passion for singing.

-Make it Clear Early
that you take singing seriously. “Oh you’re a singer? Is that
like a hobby, or are you kind of serious about it?” We’ve all
gotten that one. The only thing more annoying is trying to
make people understand why and how singing is not a
hobby but a passion, a necessity, and often a livelihood. For
most, going to the office is the extracurricular activity, and
singing in the career. So let your day job co-workers know of
your commitment to your music; just be sure not to belittle
your office responsibilities… at least not aloud.

-On Route Rehearsal
is key to preventing boredom while making the most of your
morning and evening commute. Take advantage of this time
to review your music, work on your composition, or simply
warm up. If you need quiet to concentrate, there are few
places as awkwardly quiet as public transportation. If you
need noise around you in order to work well, there are few
places as randomly loud as public transportation. And if you
drive, then you can set your own mood. Who cares if people
see you punching in notes in Finale or if people hear you
humming quietly? You probably won’t see them again, and if
you’re lucky, you may attract an intrigued cutie (hey, it’s
happened). After all, it’s efficient and will keep your mind off
the chaos and bad smell around you.

-Love Thy Planner
like you’re married to it. There is nothing as simple and as
helpful as being able to whip out your calendar book or PDA
when you need to decide between an office engagement and
a singing engagement. Bosses hardly remember your
concert or rehearsal dates, so you’ll often have to remind
them on the spot. Choir managers and conductors often have
last minute scheduling and need to know your choice
quickly. The same goes for musicians you network with who
may inquire about your auditioning or substituting
availability. Having your planner handy is especially helpful in
planning for fill-in positions, funerals, and the all-too often
rehearsal venue change. Treat your planner like your wallet
or purse, and you’ll never miss an opportunity or update and
will be able to foresee or remind everyone of conflicts.

-Keep it Real
as often as possible. An honest excuse is much more likely to
get you off the clock than a made up one which could easily
fall apart. I was once offered more money to sing at a faithful
music lover’s funeral than I would have made in an entire day
at work, so of course I took the gig. Now how to explain my
need to skip out in the morning… for the third time that
month? I simply told my colleagues, “I have to attend a
funeral.” Some I told, “I’ve been asked to sing at the funeral of
a member of my church’s community.” Both worked fine, and
I got few questions, but when I slipped once and said, “I have
to go to a friend’s funeral,” I got a few emails and comments
from co-workers apologizing for “my loss” and asking me if
the person was close. As you can imagine, it’s pretty
embarrassing to have to say, “Oh no, I don’t actually know
the person. I’m just getting paid to sing his requiem because
he loved early music.” For a funeral, you may get excused,
but for ducking out early to sing go home and change into
your concert black, you may get reprimanded. Just keep it
simple, and keep it accurate. If you’re singing a mid-day
concert, request a long lunch break, and offer to make up for
it at the end of the work day or perhaps the following day. If
you have an early dress rehearsal, explain why it’s mandatory
and necessary for an accurate performance.

-Befriend Your Boss
as you would your conductor, but don’t think for a second
that an HR Director is as kindly as your Choral Director.
Singing, especially outside of work hours, is very much a
social engagement. Your maestro is an extension of that, not
only acting as your professional artistic boss, but they
empathize with what you’re giving and getting personally –
they feel it, see it, and hear it regularly. The folks at work don’t
understand your musical commitment to that degree and are
usually not as big a part of your social life. Be aware of the
fragile line between being able to tell jokes and talk about
your weekend with your boss, and being able to repeatedly
ask for time off for singing functions. I went to my superior
with the request for two weeks off to go on tour, and he gave
me the old, “you have to do what you have to do,” speech,
but with the standard, “we could really use you around here,”
add-on for guilt. It was clear that I needed to show a little
compromise, so I offered to give up my already approved
week off in August (for a choir camp staff position) to offset
the two weeks that I would be out of the office in July, touring
with the same choir. My boss didn’t explicitly demand that I
do this, but you have to know when your day job
responsibilities demand priority in order to avoid being
passed over or worse.

-Act Like You Know When to Cut off
and when to cut out of that dreaded job. Sometime you have
to force yourself from in front of the computer and get in front
of a score. What really makes you more happy? An email on
tidying up the office kitchen and a Q4 prospectus or a read
through of a Palestrina motet with six-part polyphony? I’ll
take a Missa Brevis over a Purchase Order any day! Some
just need to learn when to get out of the office, and many
people need to follow their hearts and give up the day job
entirely. You can either find one more flexible for a singing
schedule or just pursue professional music performance full-
time. I’m not suggesting you throw the Bach Mass in B Minor
in your boss’ face and say, “This is more powerful than you’ll
ever be!” but you know what’s truly meaningful and what
you’re capable of. So if you can and want to, go for that
graduate degree in Musicology, or audition for those salaried
groups whose concerts you’ve been attending for years.
Know your talent. Set your priorities. Love your job, and
you’ll never work a day in your life.