Many school bands and choirs and orchestras, as well as Community and Church choirs are starting up again after the summer hiatus. Directors are planning ahead to concerts down the road. Even Primary Song Leaders are busy preparing for the Children's Sacrament Meeting Presentations. Here is some good advice from the renowned Choral Conductor Mack Wilberg of the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. A while back, he shared with the Choir his views on selecting music for the Broadcasts. His counsel applies to all of us as musicians. (Enjoy this repost from 2014)
Programming is everything. When you choose songs to perform for a choir concert, talent recital or even a Primary program, how the songs will work together in their order of presentation is very important. We were singing "Climb Every Mountain" yesterday getting ready for the Music and the Spoken Word broadcast, when our director Mack Wilberg explained the order of things. Because "Climb Every Mountain" ends in such a dramatic way, the song that follows it must be something extra special. "There are not many places you can go after "Climb Every Mountain." So, he talked a little bit about his thoughts on programming. "Whether you want to believe it or not, this is show biz."
What he meant was that most people associate the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with songs of a religious or classical nature, definitely not with "show business." And many classical musicians don't even want to think of themselves as functioning in the "commercial world." They serve the art not the public. Yet, music is meant to be performed for an audience and so it becomes a business (whether you like it or not) to please your "public" and keep them coming back for more.
So, in programming a finale number on the broadcast to go one step beyond "Climb Every Mountain," Mack had us sing "Come All Ye Nations of the Earth" which indeed goes well beyond the majesty and scope of "Climb Every Mountain."
Many school and church choir directors forget that programming is everything. They may think that it does not matter the ORDER in which the songs are sung, or even their MESSAGES, or KEY RELATIONSHIPS, or how much fussing with REORGANIZING the players or SHUFFLING music has to happen in between the numbers. But those things really matter very much! The ideal arrangement of songs in a concert should create a nice EBB and FLOW leading to a CLIMAX. The arrangement of topics, styles and genres should also take the listeners on a harmonious adventure. They should be arranged in such a way to engage the listener and keep their interest over the entire length of the concert without wearing them out.
So, whether in a choral concert, band concert, piano or dance recital, school chorus concert, church worship service, or even in a Primary Program, how the songs work together really does matter! It is show biz, whether you want to believe it or not, and PROGRAMMING IS EVERYTHING!
So, in programming a finale number on the broadcast to go one step beyond "Climb Every Mountain," Mack had us sing "Come All Ye Nations of the Earth" which indeed goes well beyond the majesty and scope of "Climb Every Mountain."
Many school and church choir directors forget that programming is everything. They may think that it does not matter the ORDER in which the songs are sung, or even their MESSAGES, or KEY RELATIONSHIPS, or how much fussing with REORGANIZING the players or SHUFFLING music has to happen in between the numbers. But those things really matter very much! The ideal arrangement of songs in a concert should create a nice EBB and FLOW leading to a CLIMAX. The arrangement of topics, styles and genres should also take the listeners on a harmonious adventure. They should be arranged in such a way to engage the listener and keep their interest over the entire length of the concert without wearing them out.
So, whether in a choral concert, band concert, piano or dance recital, school chorus concert, church worship service, or even in a Primary Program, how the songs work together really does matter! It is show biz, whether you want to believe it or not, and PROGRAMMING IS EVERYTHING!
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