For me, it’s the carolers themselves, not the conductor. I expressed my dislike for them by writing my own parody:
Deck the carolers in their folly
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
If you hit one, you’ll feel jolly
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
They will not come back to carol
Uh uh uh, uh uh uh, nah nah nah.
They’ll know they sing at their peril
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
My high school chorus had an excellent director, and I can tell you she did make a difference. She would help make sure we were balanced in our sound (she would point to one of the voices and motion for them to get louder), help us with the overall volume control (louder or softer for effect), catch out people who were singing flat (she had a signal for that), and adjust the pace as well. You can and should vary the beat with some songs, and she helped us not only maintain the right speed, but vary it for effect.
I had another director for a special session who was more like the one Scott describes, but on the other hand we also did a tricky bit where there were two choruses (chori?) at opposite ends of the auditorium, and watching his beats was essential, or we would react to the sound (which was delayed because of the size of the auditorium) instead of staying synchronized.
Edcole1961 almost 14 years ago
For me, it’s the carolers themselves, not the conductor. I expressed my dislike for them by writing my own parody:
Deck the carolers in their folly Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! If you hit one, you’ll feel jolly Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! They will not come back to carol Uh uh uh, uh uh uh, nah nah nah. They’ll know they sing at their peril Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
Stegozard almost 14 years ago
@Edcole Hmm, clever.
Motivemagus almost 14 years ago
My high school chorus had an excellent director, and I can tell you she did make a difference. She would help make sure we were balanced in our sound (she would point to one of the voices and motion for them to get louder), help us with the overall volume control (louder or softer for effect), catch out people who were singing flat (she had a signal for that), and adjust the pace as well. You can and should vary the beat with some songs, and she helped us not only maintain the right speed, but vary it for effect. I had another director for a special session who was more like the one Scott describes, but on the other hand we also did a tricky bit where there were two choruses (chori?) at opposite ends of the auditorium, and watching his beats was essential, or we would react to the sound (which was delayed because of the size of the auditorium) instead of staying synchronized.
mlevinsongocomics almost 14 years ago
I just want to vent about that rooster on her head…AGAIN!