Chapters 5 & 6 had a lot to say about choral rehearsals and gatherings. Chapter 7 pivots with this statement: “Enough about warmth. Let’s talk about heat.” (225) And it has rather less to say about choral rehearsals and performances, even as it has more to say about choral conferences.
“The goal of harmony burros its way into the core of the gathering and becomes a kind of pretender purpose, hampering the very thing the gathering was supposed to be about.” (229)
Choral gatherings are literally about harmony. Where, then, is there space for heat?
For me, the only heat worth encouraging in a rehearsal is interpretive heat. Since I’m not an autocrat, I try to always think of rehearsals as voyages of discovery – we discover how we are meant to interpret a piece, not how it’s meant to be universally interpreted. As such, I welcome – even encourage – singer interpretations. I can imagine trying two opposing interpretations and turning the students loose to debate and choose between them. Indeed, this has the benefit of also forcing them to assert musical opinions, to trust their musical opinions, and to come to a decision that they can all abide by and respect.
There’s room for heat there, for sure.
There’s lots more space, certainly, at conferences – the choral conferences I have been to (and the ones I’ve helped to plan) suffer from the problems Parker describes: “When was the last time you heard a panel moderator ask a tough question instead of tossing softballs? When was the last time you saw a couple of panelists truly argue about something worth arguing about? The panel, like the university, is a venue that prides itself on being about debate, when in fact it has given in to the dogma that controversy must be avoided at all cost.” (228)
I am not suggesting conferences have more fatuous “debates” that pit two entrenched debaters who have no hope of even respecting each other, let alone convincing each other of anything. But there is room for conversations that go beyond the bland to discuss important issues facing our community, and see presenters not shy away from asserting strong opinions. Parker describes “what many of us suffer from: a well-meaning desire not to offend that devolves into a habit of saying nothing that matters.” (232)
I want to attend conferences that matter. I would urge anyone planning a conference to read this chapter and take lots of notes for the sessions they’re planning.