Spiritual concert in the work of Ukrainian composers

The last decades in the post-Soviet space are characterized by spiritual searches, growing interest in spiritual heritage, in musical art – the blossoming of spiritual creativity, in music science – by increasing attention to genres of spiritual music. The relevance of the problem stated in the article is caused by the need to highlight the development of the genre of spiritual choir concert as an exceptionally important and illustrative for Ukrainian musical art. The purpose of the research is to reveal evolutional tendencies of the genre archetype throughout its history of presence in Ukrainian music art. The leading method of this investigation is a genre-style method, which provides detection of different levels of transformations of genre invariant, connected to historical and style conditions and peculiarities of individual styles of composers. The results of the study can be useful to researchers of choral art and choral conductors, can be used in the pedagogical process – in educational courses on music history, choral literature, music culturology.

Shattering the Glass Podium: Successes and Setbacks of Women in Collegiate Choral Conducting

The purpose of this study was to explore the status and experiences of women in collegiate choral conducting positions. Out of all collegiate choral conductors ( N = 992) at institutions accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music in the United States, 68.65% ( n = 681) were men and 31.35% ( n = 311) were women at the time of this study; I invited the women collegiate choral conductors to serve as study participants. Ninety-six respondents completed an online survey, resulting in a response rate of 30.86%. I collected data through a researcher-designed survey. First, I asked respondents to provide demographic information and respond to Likert-type and open-ended prompts related to three domains: gaining entry into the profession, navigating the profession, and issues surrounding gender. I analyzed data through descriptive statistics and qualitative methods of assigning codes, combining codes into themes, and displaying the data. I addressed general discrepancies in the self-reported attitudes of respondents. Although women reported an overall attitude of satisfaction as choral conductors in their Likert-type responses, many respondents detailed several instances of gender discrimination and other challenges in their open-ended responses. Implications for the music profession, including specific strategies to help empower women in collegiate choral conducting settings, are discussed.

The construction of leadership practice: Making sense of leader competencies

The notion of leadership competencies is a much-debated issue. In this article, we propose that how the leader makes sense of his or her competencies is key to leadership practice. Specifically, we look at how leaders reconcile discrepancies between the self-perceived proficiency of various competencies and their corresponding importance. Empirically, we study leaders within the music domain – how choral conductors make sense of their competencies in the shaping of their professional practice. We investigated how choral leaders in Scandinavia ( N = 638) made sense of their competencies in the face of demands in their working situations. A mixed methodology was used, comprising a quantitative survey with qualitative comments and in-depth interviews with a selection of the respondents. The results show that when choral leaders shape their practice, they frequently face competency gaps that compel them to act or adjust their identity. The key to this sensemaking process is how they move competency elements they master to the foreground and wanting elements to the background. The concept of ‘sensemaking affordance’ is introduced to account for how various leader competency categories are negotiated to safeguard overall efficacy.

Dilemmaer i skandinavisk korlederutdanning

Within higher education, programmes in choral conducting are offered of varying kinds and at different levels, from dedicated programmes to single courses that are embedded in other music programmes. The choral practice field is varied; choral leadership is partly a generic music competence and partly a profession. The variety and social reach of the choral movement suggest that the educational offering in choral conducting should be manifold in type and quantity in order to supply the practice field with qualified conductors. n this chapter we take a renewed look at material from three previous studies: (1) a mapping of Scandinavian choral leader education, based on document analysis and interviews with tutors and newly graduated conductors; (2) a quantitative survey on choral conducting competencies, where more than 600 conductors in Norway, Sweden, and Germany participated; and (3) an interview study of twenty Norwegian choral conductors on their professional careers. Although the findings from these studies were salient enough, the implications for choral conducting education were not equally clear. The point of departure for this chapter is that this is due to a series of difficult trade-offs, and we ask the question: What dilemmas do we face when educating choral conductors, and how might we understand these in light of the composite data? The material is analysed by drawing on established pedagogic categories, Wenger’s theory of communities of practice (1998), Jansson’s competence model for choral conductors (2018), and Varvarigou and Durrant’s discussion framework for choral conducting (2011).

Technology of development of future choir conductors’ professional competences: system-integrative approach

The article highlights the technology aimed at developing future choir conductors’ professional competences from the standpoint of the system-integrative approach in accordance with the requirements of new standards of higher education for bachelor students majoring in 025 "Musical Arts" in higher educational establishments. It determines the essence of the concepts "system" and "integration" in the context of higher school musical pedagogy as well as characterises the essence of implementation of the system-integrative approach in the process of conductorial-choral training by introducing into the educational process a specific pedagogical model which contains the components as follows: interdisciplinary-cognitive integration, methodical-operational integration, profession- and competence-based integration. It is established that the interdisciplinary-cognitive integration is a synthesis of knowledge units comprehended within special disciplines during the conductorial-choral training which form a new structural and substantive level of each separate discipline in the process of synthesis. It is noted that the methodological-operational integration acts at the intersection of a number of specific field methods dealing with the conductorial-choral disciplines and, as a result of polymodal accumulation of techniques, appears in the form of established professional methodological competences to be generalised, analysed and evaluated; they are based on their methodological knowledge and understanding of their further usage in the process of professional creativity. It is determined that the professional-competence integration is a strategic goal and the final result of the process of conductorial-choral training of the future bachelors: separate professional competences of the future choral conductors are integrated subsystems that jointly form a higher order system − the professional image of a choir conductor. The article systematises and organises professional competences of a future choir conductor, which are formed as a result of the proposed technology of their development on the basis of the system-integrative approach, and are considered as unconditional priorities of choral conductor's professionalism in the course of the polymorphic choir managerial and conductorial-pedagogical activities.

When are initial consonants articulated in choral performance? Cases studies of choral works sung in German

The process of rehearsing and performing a choral piece involves numerous decisions by the conductor. One part of this decision-making is related to the sung text and includes aspects of diction that are not indicated by Western musical notation, for instance the exact instant of articulation of initial consonants. Although choices related to diction have consequences for elements such as clearness of enunciation, rhythmic precision, or intonation, only a few writings on choral conducting are explicit about them. This paper aims to discuss conductors’ choices concerning the instant of articulation of initial consonants in choral performances of works sung in German. It compares conductors’ theoretical suggestions with analyses of six recordings of Johann Sebastian Bach’s movement Trotz dem alten Drachen, BWV 227/5, and four recordings of Franz Schubert’s part-song An die Sonne, D439. Methods include analyses of writings on choral conducting, interviews with conductors, and analyses of recordings using the software programme Sonic Visualiser. Similarities are observed between the theoretical suggestions of conductors and the analysed recordings, however there are some striking differences, including conductors’ underestimations of the actual duration of consonants. Analyses of the recordings reveal that initial consonants are nearly always anticipated (i.e., articulated ahead of the beat to which they are assigned). Exceptions to this concern the plosive [kʰ] and the second consonant of a cluster on occasion. Analyses of recordings also point to the impact on timing anticipation due to the consonant’s surroundings and from the ability or otherwise for the sound of a consonant to be lengthened (i.e., its “lengthenability”). Evidence from the recordings is discussed in relation to conductors’ varying theoretical suggestions on the articulation of consonants, flagging up inconsistencies as well as considering practicalities, and providing insights for choral conductors into the nuances of consonant articulation with ramifications for conducting pedagogy and future research.

THE EPISTOLARY SPIRITUAL DIMENSIONS OF THE UKRAINIAN DIASPORA ARTISTS

The purpose of the section is to outline the spiritual dimensions of the epistolary of the Ukrainian diaspora artists and, in particular, one of its leading representatives – Pavlo Matsenko (1897–1991), who with his various activities made a significant contribution to the development of Ukrainian musical culture. Pavlo Matsenko’s multi-vector activity covers a wide field of activity in various directions: teacher, conductor, musicologist, composer, organizer of the musical and cultural life of the Ukrainian community in exile, editor, publicist. From a wide range of its addressees (more than 200), correspondence with Metropolitan Hilarion (Ivan Ohienko), choral conductors Oleksandr Koshyts and Myroslav Antonovych, composer Stanislav Lyudkevych, and singer Yosyp Hoshuliak was chosen for analysis. These are close to Matsenko personalities in spirit, whose interests coincided with his own. The main area of interest in these letters is the study of Ukrainian church music, as well as choral performance, concert activities, work with bands. Another area of correspondence is a discussion of folk songs origin and its significance for church singing, as well as the peculiarities of performing folk songs. As a result of the study, taking into account the study of epistological materials as source material, three stages of the process are identified – contextual, attributive, actualization, as well as components of spiritual dimensions of Pavlo Matsenko’s epistolary: emotional-motivational, moral-ideological, cognitive-axiological, activity-creative. The rich epistolary heritage of the artist allows to better understand certain events of his life, to fill gaps in scientific research on communication with other artists and to characterize certain features of his personality. Letters are an integral aspect of source studies, on the basis of which the image of Pavlo Matsenko as a spiritual person is created.

The influences of facial expression and conducting gesture on college musicians' perceptions of choral conductor and ensemble expressivity

The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of facial expression and conducting gesture on perceptions of choral conductor and ensemble expressivity. College musicians ( N = 156) viewed excerpts of two choral conductors who had been recorded conducting with either an expressive conducting gesture and a neutral/static face or an expressive facial expression and a neutral/static conducting gesture. They then rated the expressivity of the conductor and of the ensemble. Results indicated no significant differences in participant ratings of choral conductor expressivity or ensemble expressivity ( p > .05) between conditions. Responses to open-ended questions revealed four themes that impacted perceptions of ensemble and conductor expressivity: facial expression, conducting gestures, musical elements, and conductor investment.

Art & Science in the Choral Rehearsal

In recent decades, cognitive neuroscience research has increased our understanding of how the brain learns, retains, and recalls information. At the same time, social psychology researchers have developed insights into group dynamics, exploring what motivates individuals in a group to give their full effort, or conversely, what might instead inspire them to become freeloaders. This book explores the idea that choral conductors who better understand how the brain learns, and how individuals within groups function, can lead more efficient, productive, and enjoyable rehearsals. Armed with this knowledge, conductors can create rehearsal techniques which take advantage of certain fundamental brain and social psychology principles. Through such approaches, singers will become increasingly engaged physically and mentally in the rehearsal process. This book draws from a range of scientific studies to suggest and encourage effective, evidence-based techniques, and can help serve to reset and inspire new approaches toward teaching. Each chapter outlines exercises and creative ideas for conductors and music teachers, including the importance of embedding problem solving into rehearsal, the use of multiple entry points for newly acquired information, techniques to encourage an emotional connection to the music, and ways to incorporate writing exercises into rehearsal. Additional topics include brain-compatible teaching strategies to complement thorough score study, the science behind motivation, the role imagination plays in teaching, the psychology of rehearsal, and conducting tips and advice. All of these brain-friendly strategies serve to encourage singers’ active participation in rehearsals, with the goal of motivating beautiful, inspired, and memorable performances.

Choral conducting education: The lifelong entanglement of competence, identity and meaning

Choral singing is one of the most widespread musical activities, and choral conductors work in a variety of social settings that involve every imaginable type of choir and musical genre. The conductor role draws on a number of skills and competencies that are partly acquired through education but, equally importantly, through experience. Choral conductors shape their practice in highly individual fashions as amalgamations of background, formal education, career development and working situation. The present qualitative study seeks to uncover how choral conductor practices arise and unfold, by using Etienne Wenger’s theory of communities of practice and situated learning as the key analytical framework. The study elucidates the choral conducting practice as an ongoing educational project and theorises the dimensions of variety in choral conductors’ trajectories. The study situates the conducting practice in a Western choral tradition, based on interviews with a diverse sample of 20 conductors in Norway. The theoretical framework proved to be highly appropriate; however, applying it to the choral conducting practice requires the explicit positioning with regard to the academic debates on the theory’s development following Wenger’s original conceptualisation. The study therefore contributes to knowledge development in three ways – (1) by shedding new light on the theory, (2) by proposing a sub-structure to the main theory for its application to choral conducting and (3) by tracing some initial implications for choral conducting education. One of the key findings is that a conductor’s background continues to impact competence and identity throughout a conductor’s work-life, while practice seems to be predominant over formal education.