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R ehe arsal Br e ak
Rehearsal Break

and rubato—that shape and give beauty and Once the notes are well learned, have the choir sing
meaning to the composition. them on a semi-staccato “doo.” Insist on a pure “oo”
vowel without the diphthong associations of words like
Throughout the technical and musical stages, the “few” or “due.” Think of the staccato as a very short
conductor makes clear to the singers that they are sustain rather than a quick hitting attack (as this author
expected to mark their parts. When a singer feels re- calls it: “legato doo with space between notes”). Finally,
sponsible for marking their part, the singer launches a in tune, together, and in balance, have the choir sing a
learning process that empowers each singer with the true “legato doo.” Once the sound and the expressive
knowledge and ability to effectively make change—the gestures over numerous rehearsals are heard on a beau-
core of the rehearsal process. tiful, pure “legato doo,” the foundation upon which the
In the technical work, separate words from music. text can be placed will be set. This, in tune, produces a
Do this early in the rehearsal process, because text unified sound-image greatly improving ensemble into-
impinges upon pitch, duration, timbre, and intensity. nation, rhythm, and balance.
The variety of vowels in words, placed in vertical and
horizontal sonorities, does not offer a unified sound Tuning Relationship to Rhythm and Pulse
continuum in which to place an aural foundation for Achieving ensemble rhythm is an essential part of a
the acquisition of good pitch, ensemble-rhythm, and conductor’s focus on tuning, as it will be the foundation
balance. Find the sound first and then the text through upon which the ensemble places pitch, balance, tim-
that sound. bre, intensity, and the expressive elements. There are
a number of techniques that can help sensitize sing-
ers to ensemble rhythm, and developing a unanimous
Specifics for Rehearsing Intonation group pulse is key. Here is one exercise for developing
There are many strategies related to attaining ex- a shared pulse in an ensemble that is evoked through
cellence in choral tuning. Primarily, these strategies feeling silence together:
are embedded with rehearsal techniques. A conductor
must understand the relationship of pitch and tuning • Sing the first six bars of “My Country Tis of
to other rehearsal elements, such as rhythm, tempo, Thee” at a typical modest tempo and showing the
and acoustics, as well as the importance of rehearsal pulse of three beats per bar: “My country tis of
sequence to developing good intonation. The sections thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.”
below offer specific strategies in these areas.
• Ask the singers to face away from each other and,
Tuning Relationship to Rehearsal Sequence on your cue, silently hearing that melody and text
Choral singers learn faulty pitch intonation and on that same pulse, sing only the last word (“Sing”)
imprecise rhythmic habits at the initial sight-reading loudly when they arrive at it.
note-learning stages. Correct the pitch of the notes and
rhythmic alignment throughout these early stages. It is • There will likely be many different endings. Have
during the early note-learning stages that associative a laugh, then repeat until enough individuals have
pitch problems develop. They arise from the subtle ear/ felt an aligned pulse.
voice coordination required in “finding the right note.”
After learning the right note, a singer frequently fails • Sing the melody together and see if the ensemble’s
to maintain the proper pitch of the note. When poor rhythm has improved. Most likely it has!
associative pitch habits continue, singers invariably and
unconsciously perpetuate these habits long after the This is a general technique to help to sensitize sing-
notes are learned. So, at the initial stages, correct the ers to ensemble pulse; however, overlaying the text will
notes as well as the intonation of the notes. impact that shared pulse considerably. Energy and

52 CHORAL JOURNAL May 2026 Volume 66 Number 8