“Sopranos, take a step to the left,” Katherine said, following them by leaning slightly in the same direction herself. She looked through the row of sopranos, trying to assess whether everyone behind them would be able to see her when they stood to sing the anthem. Katherine moved the sopranos another half-step to the left, made sure the choir members who remained seated could see her, played the introduction, and started the choir with a nod of her head. At the end of the first phrase, she stopped everyone in mid-note. “You need to listen to everyone else,” she said. “Unless you listen carefully, your part won’t be balanced with all the others. A little less pepper from the low voices, with the high voices stretching up for that high F, will give us the balance we need. Let’s go back to the beginning.”
Some people practice meditation to achieve balance in their lives. Others train for half-marathons, write haikus, or use watercolors on hand-made paper. Musicians hone the ability to listen attentively, and assess the sound of the group as a whole. The director listens for pitch, timbre, and rhythm, until they can hear exactly the balance called for by the composer. They also aims for an appropriate emotional tone, depending on whether the piece was composed in a romantic style, used the rhythms of ragtime or syncopation, or originated at a time when singers experimented with one line of chant overlying three others.
If you’re interested in achieving a new level of balance in your life, try listening carefully during an anthem until you can hear how the various parts of the choir interact with one another. Even better, consider talking to Katherine Price, the Fellowship’s Music Director, about a trial run with the choir. You’d be welcomed with open arms, and discover that you’ve found a way to balance work, family, and the arts. Come on in!