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the choir’s sound against the mental-aural image, and Rehearsing in Stages
reshaping the sound, the choir’s image of the sound During rehearsals, think of learning each piece in
grows closer to the conductor’s mental-aural image. three stages: preliminary, technical/learning, and final:
When the profound experience of “matching concep-
tualization” occurs, it results in what this author calls 1. Preliminary stage, in which the conductor’s musi-
ensemble mastery. cal gestures and the expressive qualities are first
interpreted by the singers as they get to know a
Re-hear-sing composition, to be studied later in more depth.
It is in rehearsal that each element of the conductor’s This first stage opens a window of perception of
preparation is drawn together. The conductor will have why the composer set the text with those notes
begun preparation by studying the score. Score study and rhythms, providing a more meaningful goal
and stylistic insights will have stimulated the mental-au- for learning notes.
ral image. The rehearsal provides the context in which
to realize that image. Through the ear, the conductor 2. Technical stage, in which the conductor helps the
measures the chorus’ sound against their mental-aural choir to sing the right notes at the right time, in
image and then implements change. This is rehearsing tune, with matched vowels, in balance, rhythmi-
(re-hear-sing). cally aligned, to develop ensemble. The technical
In my experience, no aspect of the conductor’s pro- stage represents about 70 percent of the work.
cess will more directly affect the performance than
the conductor’s ability to rehearse. Without effective 3. Final stage, in which the expressive qualities intro-
rehearsing, insights into the score will not be realized. duced in the preliminary stage are overlayed with
No matter how much the conductor is able to hear, no ensemble development achieved in the technical
matter how visionary the interpretation, no matter how stage. The inherent expressive qualities can now
highly communicative the conducting technique may be fully developed at a more sophisticated level,
be, the principal foundation upon which the actualiza- integrating them with the foundation of ensemble
tion of the score rests is re-hear-sing. pitch, rhythm, and balance.

Score Preparation There are many advantages to this three-stage ap-
Score preparation is key to understanding the com- proach:
poser’s mind’s ear and the aural imagery of the text/
music relationship. The principal elements of pitch, 1. Singers will have a meaningful musical context in
duration, timbre, and intensity have been placed in which to place the technical work, and their mo-
specific relationship to each other by the creator of the tivation for learning the notes, rhythms, and texts
piece. And the interaction of these elements informs a with good pitch, pulse, and balance will be greatly
conductor’s foundational approach to rehearsing that enhanced.
piece. Through score analysis, a conductor will under-
stand the composer’s reasoning for their use of har- 2. In developing from the outset a musical under-
mony, melody, rhythm, and texture and then develop standing of the composer’s gestures, the singers
gestures to highlight expressive nuances: dynamics, will be more inspired to serve both the technical
phrasing, articulation, rubato, and linear direction. demands of the composition and the conductor’s
This process directly impacts the development of the methods for achieving them.
conductor’s ear for each specific piece, allowing them
to evaluate each principal element during rehearsal, 3. During the final stage, a higher level of attention
achieving both good tuning and aural meaning. can be paid to the expressive elements—the dy-
namics, phrasing, articulation, linear direction,

CHORAL JOURNAL May 2026 Volume 66 Number 8 51