There’s a moment with a young ensemble when they change gears. In the early gear, the singers approach each new piece as a separate mountain to climb, unconnected to what comes before or after. They change gears when they recognize, at least subconsciously, that the pieces only seem unconnected, and there are musical paths between the mountaintops that will save effort.
The connections between pieces of music are many, and the more we can see those connections, the faster we can make the music come alive.