When Children Know the Score

Kellie Walsh brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and stepped off of the podium toward three rows of young choristers clad in bright red t-shirts. "We're going to do some breathing exercises," she announced. The children nodded and waited patiently for their instructions. "Okay, take a deep breath," Kellie said. The whole choir mimicked Kellie as she drew in a deep breath and released a long loud hiss that transformed the group into three rows of deflating red balloons. The older children in the back row tried to keep their composure, but a tiny girl with pigtails in the front row began to giggle and soon the entire Chicago Children's Choir was laughing along with her. Kellie smiled and returned to the podium. Reinvigorated after a long day of hard work, the children smiled back, all eyes level and focused on Kellie's baton.

Kellie, along with children's chorus conductors from around the U.S. and Canada converged on the campus of Northwestern University the weekend of June 24-27, 2004 to participate in a groundbreaking workshop offered by Chorus America. The workshop - made possible by generous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Helen F. Whitaker Fund, and Keynote Arts Associates - was the first of its kind to specifically invite conductors of children's choruses to advance their professional training by working with a chorus and orchestra.

Master teachers Stephen Cleobury of King's College Cambridge and Ann Howard Jones of Boston University and the Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Chorus Program coached conducting fellows in 20-minute podium sessions each day of the workshop, which also included one-on-one video review sessions with conducting mentors and enrichment sessions on score preparation, rehearsal strategies, and creating collaborative projects.

A special appearance by The Soul Children of Chicago got the workshop off to a rousing start with a demonstration led by their director Walt Whitman, who had everyone on their feet moving to the music, energizing all the participants - young singers and conducting fellows alike - for the intensive schedule of activities ahead of them.

Workshop deans Barbara Tagg, founder and artistic director of the Syracuse Children's Chorus, and Judith Willoughby, associate professor of conducting and music education at Northwestern University and former music director of the Temple University Children's Choir, brought their considerable experience to bear in the planning and execution of the workshop, first envisioned by Chorus America's Conducting Task Force two years ago. Besides Tagg and Willoughby, the conducting mentors also included Christopher Bell, Robert Harris, Ryan Nelson, and Stephen E. Squires. The Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus directed by Emily Ellsworth and the Chicago Children's Choir directed by Josephine Lee served as resident choruses for the workshop, alternating sessions throughout the three days.

"They've never offered anything for children's chorus conductors working with an orchestra," said conducting fellow Ann Tucker. "There are books out there, but this is the first workshop. Not even in college did I get to work with a chorus and orchestra like this."

Although the packed schedule kept things moving at a brisk pace, the overall atmosphere was supportive and nurturing. The master teachers, orchestra members, singers, and conducting participants burst into applause after each podium session. Fellows could then schedule 20-minute sessions with mentors to review or prepare for the next day. The enrichment sessions on score preparation and rehearsal strategies were intimate and conversational. Fellows and auditors gathered around the stage and were encouraged to ask questions and contribute their personal experiences.

The speakers offered sound advice on using rehearsal time efficiently as well as what to do when things don't go quite as planned. During one discussion Ann Howard Jones advised the conductors to, "Make sure your kids aren't so 'memorized' that they aren't flexible," and suggested achieving this goal by bringing in guest conductors.

Barbara Tagg added, "A guest conductor may be hesitant to demand what the kids are capable of. Go for the music and they will give you more. Don't be afraid to ask for it."

Practical advice was peppered with humorous anecdotes. While explaining the importance of preparing children to sing with instrumental accompaniment, Jones told a story about a little boy standing near the tympani during a performance. Afterwards he exclaimed, "It was like my whole body was the drum, but I kept singing anyway!"

Orchestra members offered their expertise by demonstrating the versatility of their instruments and discussing their interpretations of a composer's intent for instruments in a given piece.

The young choristers also proved to be an excellent resource. Both the Chicago Children's Choir and the Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus were professional and attentive. When conducting fellow Patricia Joyce took Bach's Cantata 93 much faster than the previous conductor and requested changes in the German diction, the children took the tempo change and adjustments in stride.

Both choirs impressed everyone with their mature sound and professional stage manner. One of the violinists was overheard saying, "I didn't know a children's choir could sound like that. I didn't know they could behave like that!"

Choir members also offered their own opinions. When asked what one of the conducting fellows could do to secure a particular cutoff, a member of the Chicago Children's Choir's hand shot up. "If she could make her movements more confident and distinct it would help," the small girl said. "They always get right to the point, don't they," laughed Jones.

"In the 1970s there was a real decline in public school music programs across the country," noted Tagg, explaining why the children's chorus movement has grown so rapidly in recent years. "At the same time, there was an increasing awareness of the artistic ability of children and the contribution they could make to the cultural life of their communities."

Everyone who participated seemed eager to bring their new knowledge back to their own communities. "The advice they're giving is practical, expert, and trustworthy," said Ann Tucker. "It's stuff you can build your own program with."

She plans to do just that. Her chorus, the Contemporary Children's Choir of McHenry County, is part of a countywide music center that also houses an orchestra. "One of my goals in coming here was to start building more repertoire that could incorporate the orchestra," she said.

Supporters in Kellie Walsh's community in Newfoundland demonstrated the importance of investing in her work at St. John's Memorial University by raising money for her to attend the workshop.

The camaraderie and excellence displayed throughout the weekend mirrored the values described by several participants as the heart of the children's chorus movement. One fellow commented that participation in a children's chorus was valuable for a child regardless of his or her intent to study music in the future. "They learn to work on something that is not just for themselves," she said. "Kids don't often have the opportunity to do that."