The Choral Contrarians
A couple of friendly conductors bantering about complex issues affecting the choral world.
Episodes
"The Gift Economy" is a Choral Contrarian Lost Episode, recorded in Summer, 2024.
Richard and Eric use the recent article "Toward a Gift Economy," composed by Simon Oliver (published July 2024) in the Plough Quarterly, as a springboard to both generally and specifically discuss 'gift' as it relates to a culture, economy, and potentially an artistic organization. Can the concept of a gift economy be lev...
Richard and Eric try to locate the intersection point of emotion and performance. They not only attempt to differentiate the difference between how emotion works for the audience versus performer, but also debate the value and perception of emotion's usefulness as a performer of music. Do we overvalue, or misjudge, emotion in the act of performance?
Richard and Eric wonder about the goings-on of music and performance in dreams. What piece is heard there? Who wrote that piece? What ensemble performed the piece you heard in the dream? Is there anything to be learned from those questions? Maybe there is something similar going on when a conductor references their mental/aural imagery when adjudicating and rehearsing their ensembles.
Richard and Eric gather round the old fireplace to chat about a variety of things, including reading a wonderful note from Swedish composer Mattias Sjöberg. High-back chairs and a roaring fire is a wonderful time to reminisce and celebrate hygge during the dark, winter season.
Eric and Richard ask the question no one is asking (and maybe for good reason): Is there an intersection between the concept of liminal space and choral music? They discuss this fairly defined aesthetic phenomena and posit if any aspect of it can be seen in the light of music performance. Oh, and they rank their favorite solfege syllables. Just riveting in every way.
Richard and Eric dive deep into an article in The Critic, entitled "Have I Seen the Future of Music; On a performance in three dimensions for all five senses," by Norman Lebrecht. The article largely reviews pianist Yuja Wang's recent collaboration with renowned English artist David Hockney. The author posits that, through the use of technology and three-dimensional space, this performance hints to not just a navig...
Richard and Eric, after struggling to come up with topics for the pocast, resort to asking ChatGPT for help. They review and analyze what offerings AI provides, which leads to a much larger discussion of how AI might intersect the fine arts, most specifically choral music. It is an interesting deep dive into the digital sea.
Richard and Eric look into a quote about art and music that has been making the rounds of social media recently. Formally attributed to postmodernist/neo expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, it reads: “Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time.” Why does the statement illicit a strong response from those in the fine arts? What could it actually mean, or does it perhaps mean something that people are misi...
Richard and Eric have returned from the proverbial grave!
They catch up a bit and then briefly tackle the difficult task of creating a discernible ethic an ensemble can utilize and rally around on a practical level. They look specifically to a recent movie: "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" directed by Peter Baynton and Charlie Mackesy (adapted from a book of the same name by Mackesy) for inspiration. Are...
Richard and Eric take a look at perfection within the context of our choral experiences. What actually is perfection as it relates to choral rehearsal and performance? Is it an attainable goal, or is it actually a shadowy, distant mountain in which the closer we get to it, the farther away it becomes? How do our individual contexts play a role in our conception of perfection? Can we be driven so hard by the idea of perfection t...
Richard and Eric make a grand (well, not-so-grand) return to the airwaves after a long hiatus! They once again, effortlessly, reach the pinnacles of podcasting mediocrity as they catch up a bit and discuss some of the challenges and victories of making music this fall.
With churchwarden pipe in hand, Richard joins Eric in the library by a tended fire to discuss the year and perhaps what the future may hold for those in the choral profession.
Eric and Richard are like or as a couple of professors talking about using words in a way that is like or as similes and metaphors are used. How can a conductor use similes and metaphors in the context of a rehearsal setting? Is it useful? What are potential issues that can arise if used incorrectly or too much? Join the guys deep in the mine and go spelunking for ways metaphors can be used in ways that are like or as useful id...
Richard and Eric discuss the slippery subject of transcendence through music and art. Often referenced throughout their discussions, they take the time to dive more deeply into this difficult concept, deciding if it is something one can grasp for or merely receive. Is it attainable in our day-to-day lives, or only reserved for special moments? ...and what is it exactly, anyway?
Lewis, C. S. (2001). The Weight of Glory (...
Richard and Eric tackle a juicy quote about Herbert Howells from a 1950s Musical Times article composed by Gerald Finzi. “To some the idiom will appear ‘dated,’ and poorer critical minds attach much greater significance to this word than it deserves. ‘All only constant is in constant change,’ but too often the generations see only the change and overlook the constancy. We are, after all, only a link in a chain and each link must...
Richard and Eric are joined by returning guest Dr. Jeremiah Cawley to discuss a special and controversial quote from Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Notes from Underground." The thought process of the examined quote is guided by a YouTuber "Thoughts on Thinking," and the road leads to some broad and substantial questions about a human's relationship to process, purpose, goals, accomplishment, and despair. Is w...
Irish composer Michael McGlynn once again joins Eric on the podcast, this time to wander deep into all things composing. Having an extensive international career as a celebrated choral composer, Michael shares stories and thoughts on the composer's voice, distillation, the current landscape of composition, and the rich wide ocean of song we all swim in.
Pieces by Michael McGlynn (sung by Anúna) included:
"...
Richard and Eric take a look at a 2017 Australian research paper that correlates openness to experience and binocular rivalry. The researchers found some very interesting perceptual outcomes, including a connection to inattentional blindness (made famous by the 'Invisible Gorilla' experiment), but does anything found have anything to do with our musical practice (especially for conductors)? It is seen to be true that op...
Richard and Eric venture out to tip over a most beautiful sacred cow: choral blend. What are people actually talking about when they ask for "blend?" Though being slightly more ambiguous than conductors would like to admit, it remains a top priority for many. We all want the choirs we hear to sound good, but what could we all be missing if we focus on "blend" too much, or put it above other aspects of the mus...
Eric sits down to chat with one of Ireland's preeminent composers and musicians: Michael McGlynn. They speak about the early days of Anúna, what the group has grown into, and its global influence over the course of its illustrious 33 year history. They also spend some time speaking about how "Sean-nós" singing has directly, and indirectly, effected the model Anuna and Michael's own choral philosophy. What e...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.