The organist was already having trouble before the conductor joined in. When the conductor took over, she exaggerated the 4/4 time by heavily articulating each beat in her beat pattern. Maybe she felt that she needed to "help" the organist play more accurately. (But she really made the organist more nervous and self-conscious.) The audience did their best to stay interested in the singing, unfortunately, I noticed some people around me breaking ranks and dropping out. As the four verses progressed, the music dragged slower and slower. It was a blessed relief to come to the last cadence.
Conducting or playing with an IMPULSE on each beat can be exhausting!
Conducting or playing with an IMPULSE on each beat can be exhausting!
Once on a very enjoyable TED talk by Benjamin Zander, he explained about IMPULSE playing. He demonstrated first how a young beginning student plays the piano. (He played a Mozart piece giving the same hesitant, heavy accents on EACH NOTE.) Then he said that the child would sound like this the next year. (He demonstrated playing the same piece giving the impulses on EVERY OTHER BEAT.) Next he said that if that same student practices for about two more years he would sound "something like this." (He played the piece again giving one IMPULSE ONCE PER MEASURE.) Then he said that unfortunately at that point, the child would most likely decide to give up on lessons altogether. "But had he stuck to the lessons, eventually he would have sounded like this." (He demonstrated playing the same piece with ONE IMPULSE PER PHRASE.)
The goal -- whether conducting, playing or singing music -- should always be IMPULSE BY PHRASES. Find the arc in the musical line that defines the dynamic and articulation. It is NOT that hard. We naturally do that when we speak. Why not look ahead in the lyrics or notice the shape of the melody to find where the natural impulses should be? While there are some hymns that do not "paint the words" very well, most do. The marriage of engaging melody and powerful lyrics should be celebrated and sung or played accordingly.
Consider, for example, the woeful plight of the hymn "How Great Thou Art." Sung with IMPULSES ON EACH NOTE (the way I have most often heard congregations murder it) makes the hymn feel like a funeral dirge dragging slower and slower to its final phrase demise. However, if it is sung up tempo with through-phrasing and fluid lyric arcs, this hymn is powerful and wonderful to sing.
"Hope of Israel" can be a joyful hymn to sing, but not when it is marched with IMPULSES ON EACH NOTE. Singing with gusto and trying to accent each beat can be exhausting and feel like slogging through the mud. But, if conducted by phrase, giving dynamic impulses where they belong on just the important words and notes, the singers can have the stamina to march with power all the way to the end!
Conductors -- give the congregation a treat -- don't just conduct by IMPULSES, use impulses to CONDUCT by PHRASES!
The goal -- whether conducting, playing or singing music -- should always be IMPULSE BY PHRASES. Find the arc in the musical line that defines the dynamic and articulation. It is NOT that hard. We naturally do that when we speak. Why not look ahead in the lyrics or notice the shape of the melody to find where the natural impulses should be? While there are some hymns that do not "paint the words" very well, most do. The marriage of engaging melody and powerful lyrics should be celebrated and sung or played accordingly.
Consider, for example, the woeful plight of the hymn "How Great Thou Art." Sung with IMPULSES ON EACH NOTE (the way I have most often heard congregations murder it) makes the hymn feel like a funeral dirge dragging slower and slower to its final phrase demise. However, if it is sung up tempo with through-phrasing and fluid lyric arcs, this hymn is powerful and wonderful to sing.
"Hope of Israel" can be a joyful hymn to sing, but not when it is marched with IMPULSES ON EACH NOTE. Singing with gusto and trying to accent each beat can be exhausting and feel like slogging through the mud. But, if conducted by phrase, giving dynamic impulses where they belong on just the important words and notes, the singers can have the stamina to march with power all the way to the end!
Conductors -- give the congregation a treat -- don't just conduct by IMPULSES, use impulses to CONDUCT by PHRASES!
RSS Feed