Today my ensemble had two performances. The couldn’t have been more different.
The first was at District Solo & Ensemble, where they were awarded a perfect score from their adjudicator for “exquisite singing” of two choral works.
The second was at the end of a community talent competition, as the featured performer during judge deliberation. They presented a set of pop tunes from across the 20th and 21st century to an enthusiastic audience.
In truth, I said yes to the second gig in part because of the first gig. It makes me proud when my ensemble can sing across multiple genres in close proximity. It affirms my philosophy and approach, and it emphasizes the flexibility that I think is valuable – essential – for singers to develop.
This sort of choral “code switching” isn’t all that common – we tend to separate our genres by time of year, or even by ensemble. But I sure wish it were more common.