The Choral Scholar & American Choral Review

editorial

editorial

William Grant Still’s lynching drama …And They Lynched Him on...

William Grant Still’s lynching drama …And They Lynched Him on a Tree, which premiered in 1940, has spent many years as a neglected work with fewer than thirty documented performances between 1940 and 2015. With the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement and the focus on addressing systemic racism, Still’s work has increasing relevance in our society. In light of recent scholarship on the work, the number of performances has nearly doubled in six years. A detailed study of the performance record, performance practice and reception history equips the choral/orchestral director with tools to mount a compelling performance built on the successes and learning experiences of previous performers of the work.

Outside of the field of music theory, energetics is an...

Outside of the field of music theory, energetics is an analytical tool that is not widely known or utilized. Employing energetics in the field of choral conducting encourages natural, embodied movement that is compatible with principles of Dalcroze and Lában and encourages students to use innate mind-body
connections when interpreting a score. Performers and teachers of performers can use energetics as a lens to discover fresh interpretations of familiar pieces, uncover meaning in new scores, and encourage critical thinking in students.

This article examines the life and works of Madalena (Maddalena)...

This article examines the life and works of Madalena (Maddalena) Casulana (1540–1590), who composed and performed in the public sphere at a time when women were discouraged from both activities. In 1568 Casulana published her own volume of madrigals, Il primo libro di madrigali a quattro voce (RISM A/I C 1516), under her own name. This publication appears to be the first printed work in the history
of European music that was fully composed by and attributed to a woman. This article explores two madrigals by Casulana—Ridon or per le piaggie and Io d’odorate fronde—and examines Casulana’s use of text, madrigalisms, and chromaticisms in her compositions.

There is little debate regarding music’s capacity to inspire, uplift,...

There is little debate regarding music’s capacity to inspire, uplift, and rejuvenate the human spirit. From the very earliest times, group singing has expressed feelings and emotions that are inherently and uniquely
human. How should the conductor look beyond the explicit information contained in the notated symbols of pitch and time to discern the inherent expressive vocabulary? This essay explores potential avenues to the unwritten expressive nuances a composer may have had in mind, by which choirs are enabled to project the music’s deeper emotional meaning.

This study investigates the effects of music ensemble participation during...

This study investigates the effects of music ensemble participation during the freshman fall semester on the ongoing retention of college students. Retention of college students is a concern across the nation. The research question for the study was, “Is there a correlation between participation in music ensembles during college students’ freshman fall semester and the retention of students for the sophomore, junior, senior, and (where applicable) fifth years?” The study compares the retention of students who enrolled in such ensembles at a midwestern university over a four-year subsequent period with that of students who did not enroll. Data from Fall 2005 through Fall 2011 were collected and examined. Each freshman in each cohort (class) was assigned to one of two groups: those who enrolled in a music ensemble their first semester and those who did not. Enrollment data for each group for the following four years was analyzed to determine the incidence of retention for the sophomore, junior, senior, and fifth years (as applicable) for each cohort and for class standing across cohorts. The data show that those who enrolled in music ensembles returned for the subsequent three years at a significantly greater rate than those who did not, and that the difference in retention increased in each of these years.

Art & Science in the Choral Rehearsal (Sharon J. Paul);...

Art & Science in the Choral Rehearsal (Sharon J. Paul); The Melodic Voice: Conversations with Alice Parker (Cameron LeBarr, John Wykof); Conducting Men's Choirs (ed. Don L. Trott); Focus: Choral Music in Global perspective (André de Quadros).

TaRekiTa (Reena Esmail), Multitude of Voyces, Vol. 3 (ed. Louise...

TaRekiTa (Reena Esmail), Multitude of Voyces, Vol. 3 (ed. Louise Stewart)

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Author biographies, Vol. 59, No. 1

Author biographies, Vol. 59, No. 1