Augsburg College Rehearsal Observation
For my choral observation, I went to observe the rehearsal for the Holiday concert "Advent Vespers". This was not a typical rehearsal because not only were they rehearsing in the actual concert space but also multiple choirs with multiple conductors rehearsed. The first piece was "Chanticleer" by the Riverside Singers, conducted by Nancy Gundahl. She seemed to have a really strong connection with the women in her ensemble because she was able to politely organize all the students but clearly had their attention and respect when she stepped on the podium. Her gestures were very appropriate and she was able to get certain sounds from each section (soprano or alto) but making strong eye contact and articulating clear gestures. However, at times she seemed to be pulling the singers along and there was a little bit of a drag. Her gestures did not match the sound for much of the run through. It think a large part of that problem was the combination of a new space (with different dynamics) and combining with an orchestra. The choir responded better as time continued.
The next part of the rehearsal was a section of combined choirs: the Riverside Singers, the Masterworks Chorale, and the Augsburg Choir. This was a much larger ensemble with older and younger singers. The first piece was conducted by Dr. Peter Hendrickson and it was quite refreshing from the previous segment. Although it was a much larger ensemble combined with an orchestra, Dr. Hendrickson was able to articulate verbally and with gestures everything that he needed from the rehearsal. The strings were struggling at parts but he was able to show how he wanted specific sounds. Also, there was a moment in the rehearsal where all the women were supposed to enter with great energy but being a late rehearsal, it did not have the spark that Dr. Hendrickson wanted. He stopped and really expressed verbally what the emotion should be. Because he was excited, the ensemble responded and the next run through was much more exciting! I was very impressed on how Dr. Hendrickson was able to balance the orchestra and choir. He was more rhythmically conscious with the instrumentalists but was still able to conduct shaping and articulation for the singers. It was very impressive and enjoyable to observe.
The final piece I observed was a spiritual entitled "He Came Down" which was conducted by Nancy Gundahl. I am always nervous with spirituals because with large ensembles, it can be rather difficult to get everyone into the same "groove". Ms. Gundahl did not have this problem because she conducted with extreme rhythmic accuracy while still moving freely on the podium. This enabled the singers to loosen up more and really sing out. She also explained the significance of the piece in a more cultural setting which gave the singers an idea about what they are actually singing about. It was a very fun piece to watch and what a way to end an observation!
I am really glad I chose this day to observe because you can really learn a lot from observing a dress rehearsal. It was very well organized because clear instructions were given at the beginning and it ran very smoothly!