[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my Choral Clarity blog]
We've just spent many months learning notes and rhythms, memorizing lyrics, working on balance and blend, shape, and internalizing meaning. But now it is concert season and our priority needs to shift from how our ensemble sounds to what our audience sees and hears.
Believe it or not, most of what the audience members see and hear have nothing to do with how well our ensemble sings. Regardless of how talented and well-prepared our ensembles are, these 17 things are frequently overlooked and as a result, end up impacting the experience that our audience members have.
After months of great rehearsing......
Have all choir members bring or even wear exactly what they are intending to wear for the concert several days in advance. A real dress rehearsal is a great idea. Even if your choir wears uniforms, there's always something "extra" some performers may try to get away with.
Don’t just expect this to happen correctly at the concert. It is an important part of the flow from the lens of an audience member. We cannot expect students to know what to do because we told them in class. These things need to be rehearsed over and over again until it looks smooth and fluid. Where do they stand in terms of formation? Do they stand with set windows? Do they know exactly where they stand in correlation to the physical riser? What speed do they get on the risers? How do they walk up to the top row? What do they do when they get to their place?
Have we practiced a specific cue to start the process? What speed do they leave? What is the order of rows that leave? Where do they go once they vacate the risers?
Microphones need to be tested. If it is wireless, new batteries must be put in before each show. Just because it worked 30 minutes before the show doesn't mean the battery isn't running low. While we are at it, let's have some extra batteries.
Every time we speak to an audience, we must use that microphone. Do not assume the audience can hear us, and do not ASK them if they can hear us as we shout at them without a mic. Use the mic!
The most important aspect about the opening of the concert is explaining to audience members when they can talk, when they can enter/leave the auditorium, if/when they can take flash photos, how and when they can respond to our ensembles. It also helps if we give a brief overview of the length and vision of the performance. See: 11 Tips To Eliminating Rude Audience Behavior!
It is our job to set our audience members up to be able to appreciate our concert. Details about the piece can be listed in a program, but setting up a potentially comical piece, preparing a piece that’s a musical “stretch” for the ensemble, or diffusing the potential religious perception of a piece by explaining its rationale within the program, are all examples of times when speaking could be important.
Does the ensemble perform a cued group bow, or do we bow by ourselves in front of the ensemble? Do we walk to the side of the group? How do we visually acknowledge our accompanist, instrumentalists, and soloists? Develop a routine and teach it.
9) Poor, lengthy transitions between songs and sets
Students need to envision their change in body language, texture, emotion, as well as the opening cue for each piece. This is something that must be practiced several times before a concert. This will eliminate downtime for the audience between pieces, create an authenticity to each selection, and ensure our programming itself is fluid.
All students should be able to find their opening pitch from one given note. If well-trained, groups may not even need a starting pitch. Do not allow students to hum the pitch. The time it takes to find a pitch should be virtually instant. If the pitch is needed, it should be given once, followed by silence. This allows for anticipation from the audience, and focus from the ensemble.
7) Unintended, unprofessional behavior from performers in between songs
We may be transitioning from song to song but the audience is still there watching us. This is not a Broadway Musical where the curtain come down between scenes. How we look in between songs is part of our performance.
Any changes to the set-up that occurs in front of an audience needs to be rehearsed. This also includes tuning of instruments. Don’t waste the audience’s time, and don’t distract them from a free-flowing concert.
5) Soloists missing their microphone cues
When solos are in the middle of a song, practice the exact moment that a soloist leaves the ensemble and the moment when they return to the choir. If the soloist begins the piece, it is important to figure out how they can be featured in an empowering visual effect. They should be able to walk out with confidence and start immediately. Don't forget practicing how students return to the choir as well.
If we have any semblance of lights, we should utilize them with prepared cues. We are putting on a show. Simple cues can be immensely effective at setting a mood and maintaining audience interest. Turning on holiday lights for a concluding piece, or creating a slightly different lighting effect for a song can make a difference in the audience’s ability to connect to our performance. All cues need to be rehearsed.
If we choose to recognize student accomplishments, we must be organized and keep it quick. When we recognize All-County students, All-State students, student leaders, seniors, we must be succinct and remain on task. Prepared note cards will keep it moving. Have the audience applaud AFTER all names are said, and speak into the microphone.
Thank everyone in one brief speech. Keeping it concise is important. If we are well-prepared, we will not leave people off of our list or ramble (custodial staff, administration, colleagues, parent organization, etc). Who are we thanking and why?.......it's that simple!
While it is not our primary job to "entertain" our audiences, our audience members are attending our concert, expecting to be entertained. It is important to recognize our audience members who have given up their night to witness our students, their children, perform for them. Understand what they are seeing from beginning to end. Know that they will most likely be unaware of wrong notes and wrong rhythms. When we hit concert season we must look at the big picture and understand the details of what a parent can see and hear. While we all want our choirs to sound perfect, it is far more important to have a well-planned, fast-flowing, visually stimulating, and engaging performance.
YOUR FREE ULTIMATE FINAL WEEK CHOIR CONCERT CHECKLIST
courtesy of www.choralclarity.com
a website dedicated to guiding choir directors who are looking to become more impactful!
please consider joining our facebook group: Choral Clarity Facebook Community, a positive place to share our choral vision!
Holiday Caroling Packet - for Christmas and Hanukkah!
