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THE PURPOSES OF ACDA

The awakening to music by underrepresented composers is not meant to result • To foster and promote choral
in rejection of the choral canon many of us grew up with, and we need not “throw singing, which will provide artistic,
cultural, and spiritual experiences
the baby out with the bath water.” Carefully crafted programs indicated that our for the participants.
conference conductors were very intentional about their repertoire selection, often • To foster and promote the finest
balancing style and genres. And the singing was glorious! types of choral music to make
By “drawing the circle wider,” as one of my clergy friends says, we involve mu- these experiences possible.
sicians in a broader community than we might have done previously. Some choral • To foster and encourage rehearsal
musicians have been thinking this way for many years, and others of us are looking procedures conducive to
through a new lens. attaining the highest possible
level of musicianship and artistic
One concern I have heard recently is that this changing choral culture re- performance.
quires that we re-define excellence. Having given that a lot of thought, I disagree.

ACDA’s mission is “to inspire excellence and inspire lifelong involvement in choral • To foster and promote the
organization and development
music for everyone through education, performance, composition and advocacy.” of choral groups of all types in
Our vision is “to create powerful artistic experiences and be advocates for cultural schools and colleges.
and educational change that we might transform people’s lives.” Who among us
• To foster and promote the
has not been transformed by choral music? That is at the heart of why we do what development of choral music in the

we do. Excellence and perfection are two different things: while we may strive for church and synagogue.
perfection, we know it is unattainable, but excellence is within reach.
• To foster and promote the
Here is one possible model that might apply to choral ensembles working from organization and development
scores, as opposed to improvising: excellence comprises accuracy and artistry. of choral societies in cities and
communities.
That foundation of accuracy (e.g., knowing the rhythm and pitch and additional
musical elements, navigating technical challenges, doing justice to the compos- • To foster and promote the
er’s score) serves to underpin artistry (e.g., musicality, expressivity, delivery of text understanding of choral music as an
important medium of contemporary
meaning, stylistic appropriateness). It is challenging to imagine a highly artistic artistic expression.
performance that is fi lled with inaccuracies such as wrong notes or rhythms, poor
intonation, and so forth. We build the solid foundation of accuracy and embed •To foster and promote significant
research in the field of choral music.
it with artistry. Many of us educated in a western art music context grew up with
those components of excellence drilled into us. •To foster and encourage choral
composition of superior quality.
To position that excellence model of accuracy and artistry—two A’s—in the
current choral climate, what if we add another A—advocacy—as we did in our vi- • To cooperate with all organizations
sion for ACDA? For whom do we advocate and how do we do that? Our Advocacy dedicated to the development of
musical culture in America.
Statement, recently updated by our Standing Committee on Advocacy and Col-
laboration, gives us a framework. Find it in every Choral Journal and on the website. •To foster and promote international
Excellence then comprises accuracy, artistry, and advocacy. Our goal is to provide exchange programs involving
performing groups, conductors, and
opportunities for everyone to sing and to experience a wide range of repertoire, composers.
and to show that music can bring people together in community and be used as
a vehicle not only for artistic expression but also to support social justice issues. • To disseminate professional news
and information about choral
For some types of ensembles, that third A is the primary reason for existence; music.
their members are there to sing their way to the end of someone’s life (e.g., a hos-
• To foster and promote choral singing
pice choir), or to use singing as a way of enhancing self-worth and expression (e.g., in the pursuit of peace and justice
prison choirs or homeless choirs), or to raise money for various causes. Yet those that enhances social and emotional
same groups can experience accuracy and artistry, expressing themselves through well-being.

singing. Excellence does not need re-definition; it simply needs to “draw the circle • To foster and promote diversity and
wider.” inclusivity through active engage-
ment with underrepresented choral
musicians and potential choral
participants.
—ACDA Constitution and Bylaws

CHORAL JOURNAL June/July 2021 Volume 61 Number 11 3