9.1 The rehearsal room and selecting an accompanist

Preparing the choral room

Much of the following is directed to a choral director in a school setting. The same premise applies to any rehearsal room or situation, for example, a church choir or community choir. Regardless of the type of choir it is always best to provide as pleasant environment for the rehearsal as possible. And, where the space is not ideal a director can improve the space by a few, simple adornments and may also change the way it is used, i.e., altering the direction of the seating, etc., creating a different and improved space.

The rehearsal room should be made as attractive as possible before classes begin. Usually every school district requires the teachers to report for in-service meetings several days before classes open. You can use part of this time to get your choral room ready for classes. Do not rely on the custodian to place the chairs as you want them. It will probably be necessary for you to do this. The bulletin boards should not be left vacant. Classrooms are often dull and lifeless looking rooms and empty bulletin boards add to this unattractive setting. It is not necessary though, to spend many hours making bulletin boards. Your time could be better spent in other preparations. Several record jackets of choral groups can be effectively used, with some color backgrounds, or you can use pictures of ensembles and some of the programs from previous years. Of course, bulletin boards will be used later for choir activities and information. A simple, but colorful bulletin board will help dress up a classroom. The above suggestions are but two of many. It is important to do something attractive but not to spend much of your time doing it.

Accompanists

The accompanist is a vital part of every rehearsal. The following comments will pertain to every rehearsal, but will logically occur before the first rehearsal.

Determine who the capable pianists are as early as you can. If you are new to the job, check the programs from the previous year for the names of the accompanists. If they are still in school, get in touch with them. Ask the band and orchestral directors about accompanists. They usually know since they also use accompanists for instrumental soloists. If necessary, find out who the local piano teachers are and call them to determine if any of their students are possible accompanists. However, keep in mind that private piano teachers may not be aware of the requirements of a good accompanist. A student who works on one piano piece all year and plays it in a recital may not be capable of playing as a choir accompanist.

If capable students are available, they should be given the opportunity to play. If possible, and if there are several possible pianists, have them audition for you. Have them play a piano solo and one or two pieces of choral music, which you can select. The accompanist should be able to sight-read to some degree, although this should not be the most important attribute. Actually, the accompanist will not sight-read very often. It should be a rare occasion when the accompanist and the choir will sight-read a work at the same time. Whenever possible, the accompanist should be given a new piece at least several days before it is introduced to the choir.