The Choral Contrarians

Richard and Eric take a look at perfection within the context of our choral experiences.  What actually is perfection as it relates to choral rehearsal and performance?  Is it an attainable goal, or is it actually a shadowy, distant mountain in which the closer we get to it, the farther away it becomes?  How do our individual contexts play a role in our conception of perfection?  Can we be driven so hard by the idea of perfection that it finally becomes either a harm or absurdity?

Richard and Eric make a grand (well, not-so-grand) return to the airwaves after a long hiatus!  They once again, effortlessly, reach the pinnacles of podcasting mediocrity as they catch up a bit and discuss some of the challenges and victories of making music this fall.

With churchwarden pipe in hand, Richard joins Eric in the library by a tended fire to discuss the year and perhaps what the future may hold for those in the choral profession.

Eric and Richard are like or as a couple of professors talking about using words in a way that is like or as similes and metaphors are used.  How can a conductor use similes and metaphors in the context of a rehearsal setting?  Is it useful?  What are potential issues that can arise if used incorrectly or too much?  Join the guys deep in the mine and go spelunking for ways metaphors can be used in ways that are like or as useful ideas are used.

Richard and Eric discuss the slippery subject of transcendence through music and art.  Often referenced throughout their discussions, they take the time to dive more deeply into this difficult concept, deciding if it is something one can grasp for or merely receive.  Is it attainable in our day-to-day lives, or only reserved for special moments?  ...and what is it exactly, anyway?

Lewis, C. S. (2001). The Weight of Glory (1st ed.). HarperOne.

Richard and Eric tackle a juicy quote about Herbert Howells from a 1950s Musical Times article composed by Gerald Finzi.  “To some the idiom will appear ‘dated,’ and poorer critical minds attach much greater significance to this word than it deserves.  ‘All only constant is in constant change,’ but too often the generations see only the change and overlook the constancy.  We are, after all, only a link in a chain and each link must, of necessity, lie the opposite way to its predecessor.”  Where are we at today with some of the notions Finzi presents?


Finzi, G. (1954). Herbert Howells. The Musical Times, 95(1334), 180-183. doi:10.2307/934754

Richard and Eric are joined by returning guest Dr. Jeremiah Cawley to discuss a special and controversial quote from Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Notes from Underground."  The thought process of the examined quote is guided by a YouTuber "Thoughts on Thinking," and the road leads to some broad and substantial questions about a human's relationship to process, purpose, goals, accomplishment, and despair.  Is  what you think you want not what you want at all?  Is the process of completion a hidden key for satisfaction or a trap?  Does this topic relate somehow to music making?


https://www.thoughtsonthinking.org
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC2SfbWrgFA

Irish composer Michael McGlynn once again joins Eric on the podcast, this time to wander deep into all things composing.  Having an extensive international career as a celebrated choral composer, Michael shares stories and thoughts on the composer's voice,  distillation, the current landscape of composition, and the rich wide ocean of song we all swim in.  

Pieces by Michael McGlynn (sung by Anúna) included:
"Salve Rex Gloriae"
"O pia virgo"
"Midnight"
"Victimae"

www.michaelmcglynn.com
www.anuna.ie

Richard and Eric take a look at a 2017 Australian research paper that correlates openness to experience and binocular rivalry.  The researchers found some very interesting perceptual outcomes, including a connection to inattentional blindness (made famous by the 'Invisible Gorilla' experiment), but does anything found have anything to do with our musical practice (especially for conductors)?  It is seen to be true that openness to experience, wonder, and awe are linked to perceptual awareness — how does this play out in teaching and the ensemble experience?  Will we miss the guy in the gorilla suit?

Antinori, A., Carter, O. L., & Smillie, L. D. (2017). Seeing it both ways: Openness to experience and binocular rivalry suppression. Journal of Research in Personality, 68, 15–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2017.03.005

Goldhill, O. (2017, June 6). Being open-minded literally changes the way you see the world. Quartz. https://qz.com/997679/open-minded-people-have-a-different-visual-perception-of-reality/

Smillie, L., & Smillie, L. (2017, August 15). Openness to Experience: The Gates of the Mind. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/openness-to-experience-the-gates-of-the-mind/

Richard and Eric venture out to tip over a most beautiful sacred cow: choral blend.  What are people actually talking about when they ask for "blend?"  Though being slightly more ambiguous than conductors would like to admit, it remains a top priority for many.  We all want the choirs we hear to sound good, but what could we all be missing if we focus on "blend" too much, or put it above other aspects of the music-making experience.  Are there potential alternatives or perhaps different ways of getting at what "blend" is, perhaps even creating a more vibrant, unified musical experience?  

https://blog.chrisrowbury.com/2018/04/the-7-elements-of-vocal-blend-and-how.html
http://www.markdavinobenza.com/2012/07/choral-blend-better-way-to-get-it-with.html
https://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/07/27/weston-noble-the-legacy-of-an-american-choral-giant