Masterclass For Conductors

THE COACHES FOR MASTERCLASS: (please choose one)

Prof. Thomas Caplin

Bengt Ollen

Michael Joseph Barrett

Oksana Sukhetska

Masterclasses for Conductors 

We will be holding masterclasses for conductors with ICCF (International Choral Conducting Federation) coaches Prof. Thomas Caplin, Bengt Ollén, Michael Barrett and Oksana Sukhetska. These workshops will be supported by our two studio choirs. You can join us as an active or passive participant although active places are limited so you will need to apply. 

Prof. Thomas Caplin – Feel The Groove

Thomas will be looking at popular music and finding the groove. He will focus on musical leadership of rhythmical choir music, how to merge techniques from classical and rhythmical conducting and vocal techniques in popular music compared to classical music – differences and similarities to classical music. 

Scores:

• All creatures of our God and King. Anders Edenroth

• Earth song. Frank Ticheli

• Go tell it on the mountain. Spiritual, arr. Henrik Bergion (free copyright)

• Nearer my god to thee. Lowell Mason/James Stevens

• Hymn of axiom. Vienna Teng/Kerry Marsh

• Fragile. Sting/T. Grondman

Michael Barrett – “Where Africa Meets the West”

This masterclass focuses on the conductor’s ability to communicate with their ensemble through effective gesture and rehearsal techniques. It is especially aimed at conductors working with amateur ensembles, regardless of age. The masterclass aims to inspire conductors to elevate their ensemble to a high performing instrument, while simultaneously introducing music from South Africa. The repertoire used in the masterclass will be drawn from both the Western and African idioms and are among some of the most loved and performed songs in South Africa.     

Music for the Masterclass:

1. Wildsbok (As the Deer) – arr. Renette Bouwer
2. Himne – Roelof Temmingh
3. Cover me with the Night – Peter Klatzow
4. Indodana – arr. Michael Barrett
5. Modimo – arr. Michael Barrett
6. Swilo Yini – arr. Michael Barrett

Bengt Ollén is from Sweden and during his workshops you will explore the following:

• To captivate and reach a concert audience.
• Preparations and work methods.
• How choir singers and choir conductors work together.
• To deepen the interpretation of the music by using expressions and movements.
• To express the music with your conducting.

What does your conducting technique show the singers? 

How do you transform your musical interpretations with your hands, arms, body, voice, and your face?

What is it that makes you as the audience feel that the concert was so outstandingly good?

How do we react as an audience when a choir and its singers express feelings?

Why are we moved?

These are some questions that we hope you as a participant will get an answer to during these days together. You will actively participate during the lecture with your voice, hands and body. You will be present on the “stage” and practice some of the different methods that I use as preparation for the concert or a choir competition.

Oksana Sukhetska – Free arrangement and folklore improvisation of Ukrainian folk songs

Oksana will be joining us from the Ukraine and focusing on free arrangement and folklore improvisation of Ukrainian folk songs by contemporary Ukrainian composer Oleksandr Nekrasov (b. 1946).

The originality of Oleksandr Nekrasov’s creative method lies in the fact that his works, artistically balanced in the proposed version of the processed folklore material, are open to the introduction of performing means that not only exist but may arise in the further development of musical thinking. This means that each of the performers (both now and in the future) has the right to an unlimited art-based (artistically justified) experiment.

That is why already on the basis of comprehension of inexhaustible possibilities of choir, at total change of material in interpretation of choirmasters from concert to concert there are really unique, in some respects even remote from the original compositions which impress with imagination of sound and sound creation, the colour of timbre combinations, new possibilities of modern theatrical action.

Repertoire covered in Masterclass:

1. The Frequent Crane
2. Wedding of a Fly
3. The Grey Haired Cuckoo
4. SHCHEDRYK – Ukrainian carol with English text
5. Holy God
6. Troparian to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Active participants will conduct during these masterclasses and also receive individual sessions with one of the coaches.

We strongly recommend signing up quickly if you wish to be an active participant since spaces are limited. To be considered for active participation, you will need to send a short bio and two video links to info@worldchoirforpeace.org stating which masterclass you wish to attend.

N.B. Please buy a passive participant ticket for the workshop. If you want to be an active participant wait until you are confirmed via email (after sending your bio and video) before buying an active participant additional payment.