Choral Conducting: Focus on Communication

Rating:
Summary: An excellent source for teachers and students of conducting.
Review: This text explores a wealth of information unique to the choral conductor. Outstanding for all levels of students and teachers of conducting, Decker & Kirk's text is well organized and presents its eclectic contents from the most basic information to the advanced in an easy-to-read format that also allows the conductor quick reference in the future. Musical examples can be found throughout the text with sample markings that emphasize the teachings of each chapter. Other highlights of the text include:

A prologue discussing the importance of communication in a conductor; The relationship of the conducting gesture to the expression of the music (Chapter 1); An in-depth chapter on preparing the score with careful consideration to the historical perspective and score analysis. This section also includes models for score analysis and sample marked scores (Chapter 2); An extensive section on the role of the conductor in rehearsal, the reasons for careful preparation and planning, how to plan for different levels, and the choral instrument -- the physiology (breathing, phonation, amplification), diction, expression, and developmental exercises (Chapters 3-5); A chapter focusing on the criteria and guidelines for selecting repertory and building a program with your singers and audience in mind.

An extensive section of appendices includes: projects for several of the text's chapters; a guide for teachers of conducting classes; a guide on capitalization of titles (in English, Latin, Italian, French, and German); a pronunciation guide that includes a Phonetics chart, and guides for Liturgical Latin, German, and French; an annotated listing of repertory for children's, adolescents', treble, and male choruses, and music for the church choir; a glossary of terms used in this text; a bibliography; and music for conducting practice and study that is organized by musical period. Also includes an alphabetical index of terms and composers that appear throughout the text.