February
S, 1958
No tongue in check -11There are The fly-leaf of the conductor's log-book is inscribed, no bad choruses - only bad conductors." -Any conductor has to buy this. If he's willing to admit a bit of the glow when things are right he has .Tha reel - is - selcT6in--a-c.to acknowledge the child whcm Vice has versed. - countable for the backlash.
The theory of choral conducting begins with the assumpt ion tha t the singers are there because they enjoy it. They are neither drafted nor indentured. This is supposed to be happy hour learn time laugh time occasionally cry a little time think h±gh time don 1t be ashamed to feel out loud time. The theory contim.1es that the climate is one 6f expectant pleasure and accomplishment - nobody enjoys making mistakes - and it is the business of the conductor so to contrive and direct the learning procedures that no one has a chance to make a mistake~ _ _J__ No mistakes - no . frustration, shame, sense of inadequacy~ No sense "'-, , of inadequacy - heightened learning powers, greater accomplishment, more 'L_-u------71 / enjoyment. -Every day in every -way the world sounds more and more bea SJ u ' tiful and I'm sitting in the middle of it right up to hereo All is Vio( lets harps and alfalfa, meadow and maid, progress is our most importan .... p~oduct says the sower of consolative thinking.
---The theory .. -·-
of course is very beautiful, and one is not heartened by the fact that it is absolutely tnue. The business of a conductor is to }foll .er 11Sheep ~11 and to holler it so loud so clear so long and so successfully that even the wolves begin to doubt their existence, shuffle off their mortal coils to buffalimbo - has-beens, were wolves, _ _b /'--- Where flowers are tended, weeds do not growo Evil and good cann90 ;:::5 c., 0 1 simultaneously occupy the point of a pin, To the pure all things are pure. There 1 s nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so •
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But, Daddy, I saw the wolves last, night. Lots and lots of them ~11 (To hirii's:elf 11.,.,, o •• and nine damned dirty old stage ~11) 11You1 11 never be a conductor, son, Conductors see only sheep. 11 11But, Daddy, what if there are wolves?" "Keep your head, son, hollerlSheep t 111 11••
, ••
o
Daddy?"
Yes? 11
11
., •• ., If ing theirs situation., "Son, there hollerin1 11••
you can keep your ' head when all about you are los- · -- it's just possible you haven 1 t grasped the 11
ain 1 t nothin' in this won't fix •••o••"
1Wrongnotes1
1
II
situation
a little
sheep--
page 2 All them poor people need is a bit of confidence. You get out there next Monday night all sm:bli.n' and jokint and you inspire them people ••i•••" "Bad rhythm?II 11Fold 'em plum to your ever-lovin 1 cotton-picld.n' sheephollerin' heart •••• ~." 11Enunication? 11 "•••••• And those nine enchanted stags 1 11 'take off like somebody1 d daubed their hinds• ends with turpentine~" 11Daddy, you oughttn to said that •• o not in a letter." 11\..JhatI'm sayin' is the truth, boyi What you need is a little psychology. 11 1~Jhat I'd like is a small inoculation of absolute pitch. 1 Say about the size of a mustard s~ed - •o•• split two 11 hundred ways. 11
Moral:
Each of us has his own sheep to holler and his own wolves to un-see. Study hard -- the wolf you exorcise may be your own.
R. S.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: On Sunday, February 9th the rehearsal is for all the men. There will be an elevator in operation to bring you up to the Broadcasting Room. Rehearsal will start promptly at 5:00 p.m. Pleas.e be sure to give me your chorus number when checki ng in NOTthe number on your music. I have discovered that there has be en some confusion along these lines and this might account for the number of absences that have occurred recently. We are planning auditions, for tenors and basses, for Monday evening February 10 before the rehearsal. If you know of any men who would like to join us ask them to call for an audition appointment, E. B,