Module MUSI41630: Practice and Theory of Choral Conducting

Department: Music

MUSI41630: Practice and Theory of Choral Conducting

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To deepen understanding of pertinent performance traditions and practices in regard of the choral repertory, with a special focus on Anglican traditions of liturgical music
• To develop a capacity for critical reflection on the practice of choral conducting, in accordance with research council definitions of research processes.
• To inculcate an advanced knowledge of key works in the choral literature, and of Anglican liturgical music in particular
• To develop an advanced understanding of the cultural, social, and historical context in which the repertory of Anglican Church music has evolved, and of its place in Anglican worship

Content

• This module will be delivered as a series of seminars, which may take a variety of formats. In some, students will engage in close readings of musical works and of scholarship pertaining to the choral literature and to Anglican liturgical music. Others will take the form of workshops and masterclasses, which will foster an advanced understanding of conducting and rehearsal technique, vocal production, and of the competencies required to function effectively as a choral conductor in professional and liturgical contexts.

Learning Outcomes

• an advanced understanding of the relationship between the theory and practice of choral conducting
• an advanced understanding of the function of choral music within the Anglican liturgy
• critical understanding of theories and methodologies pertinent to the performance of Anglican music, drawn from varied disciplinary perspectives
• advanced knowledge of Anglican church music and other pertinent choral repertoire from a range of historical periods and geographical locations
• advanced knowledge of relevant performance praxes

• an advanced ability to formulate and articulate knowledge and understanding of concepts, theories and practices relating to performance
• an ability to engage in sophisticated argument
• a critically-informed awareness of the techniques of scholarly presentation, bibliographic and practical skills, as well as presentational conventions for public and liturgical performances
• the ability to assess scholarly and/or creative debates within the field of choral conducting and to be able to evaluate contributions to these debates critically
• the ability to assess critically different editions of a musical score
• an advanced ability to engage critically with theories and methodologies pertinent to the academic study of Anglican church music and choral music more generally
• an advanced ability to describe and analyse works from a range of musical repertories, informed by an understanding of the socio-cultural matrices from which they emerged and of their specific formal and stylistic features
• an advanced ability to draw upon appropriate theoretical perspectives and methodologies to study choral music while simultaneously deriving independent intellectual and creative insights from this activity
• advanced competence in musical literacy
• advanced competence in engaging with musical materials of different kinds, whether as physical objects (e.g. scores) and or in electronic formats (e.g. recordings, audio-visual materials)

• the ability to handle information and argument in a critical manner
• the ability to communicate effectively and in a sophisticated fashion orally, in writing, and during a musical performance
• effective time management and the ability to work to deadlines
• ability to engage in close readings of a wide range of challenging texts (musical, verbal, audio-visual, as appropriate)
• abilty to deploy independent research skills using appropriate specialist tools and resources;
• ability to synthesise complex materials from a wide range of sources and to present them cogently in the form of written documents, oral reports, presentations, and musical performances, as appropriate
• competence in information technology skills to support MA learning and research (e.g. by means of: word-processing and music-processing software; databases; presentation software; audiovisual editing and analysis software; graph- and image-processing; web-based resources; relevant technologies)
• advanced knowledge of professional conduct in meeting academic standards, including appropriate use of relevant ethical codes of practice and correct referencing of sources
• problem-solving skills

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• In seminars students will benefit from focused discussion with academic staff with specialist knowledge of the choral repertory and of Anglican liturgical music, as well as of choral conducting. Typically, directed learning may include assigning student(s) an issue, theme or topic that can be independently or collectively explored within a framework and/or with additional materials provided by the tutor. This may function as preparatory work for presenting their ideas or findings (sometimes electronically) to their peers and tutor in the context of a seminar.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Regular reading assignments, written exercises, and oral presentations in which students reflect critically on the interpretative and technical challenges presented by the repertoire being studied, drawing on appropriate theoretical perspectives and methodologies.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University