Over the course of the past few decades, the job of the choral conductor has expanded remarkably.  Today, a choral specialist may conduct large choral/orchestral masterpieces much more frequently than in the past, particularly those conducting at the collegiate level. High school directors often conduct the annual musical theatre production at their schools, a task formerly left to the band director.  The number of community choirs has expanded around the country, joined by large and growing numbers of professional choirs, GALA choruses, and children’s choruses.  This has occurred simultaneously with a huge expansion of the choral repertoire, encompassing a global perspective.  Few orchestras or opera companies are called upon to know, appreciate, and incorporate the disparate musical cultures of Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe into the Western traditions that are their domain.  Yet choral directors have been integrating this musical world into their programs for many years now.  

    There is no longer such a person as a choral conductor or an instrumental conductor. Rather, there are simply conductors, embracing all that the word implies. I am happy that much of my own music making happens in front of choirs. But I have gained much experience, satisfaction, and joy from conducting instrumentalists in large choral/orchestral works, as well as musicals, opera, and ballet. The richness that these broad repertories have brought to my professional life has been a source of great delight. It is my hope that this volume may assist others with learning the skills and plumbing the challenges explored here, and that doing so will enlarge their musical world.

The Practicing Conductor
Table of Contents

Introduction
Style
    An Introduction to Performance Practice
Players
    Working with an Orchestra
Stages
    Conducting Dramatic Music
Pysched Out
    Rehearsal Strategies--Beyond the
    Fundamentals
Locomotion
    Using Movement in the Choral Rehearsal
Futures
    Commissioning New Music