This means putting in the work to be confident in your own tempos. The director can help with this, but it’s mostly up to you to give the choir a solid rhythmic foundation. Large groups of singers typically bring a few challenges: their rhythms get a little blurry, and they can rush or drag the tempo.
Your rhythm is more important than the right notes. This will reinforce the choir’s singing while at the same time making their notes easier to learn.Ħ. But what if you could reduce the need for doing so? Try including some of those parts while you’re playing. Playing vocal parts is a given part of an accompanist’s life. Incorporate vocal parts into your playing. Anything that adds energy and interest to the music (within reason!) can take the song to a new level and renew the choir’s enthusiasm for it.ĥ. If your skill level allows it, add a run here and there. Often this means many parts are simplified, and are by no means meant to be strictly adhered to. Second, it must be playable by the vast majority of accompanists. First, the piano part must be able to stand alone without an orchestration. Having both written and played many anthem piano parts, I can tell you that they are designed with two goals in mind. Don’t be afraid to add to the piano part. Your eyes should be on the director at least half the time so you can respond quickly to the changes they make.Ĥ. Those people drag everyone down and bring rehearsals to a grinding halt – don’t be that person! Spend time with your music outside rehearsal or work on your sight-reading so you aren’t tied to the sheet music. Nothing is worse than an accompanist who gets lost in the music and doesn’t notice what’s going on around them. Your director will love you, your choir will thank you, and your accompanying job will be secure well into the future. Imagine having them ask the choir to go back to page 6, and you’re already there.
Sure, sometimes you may be wrong, but over time you’ll get to know his/her patterns. Maybe that bridge section didn’t go so well, or perhaps they’ll want to rehearse the bass parts in the ending (when don’t they need their parts played, am I right!?). When playing, always think ahead to what they might do next. Time is precious in rehearsals, and you can get the most done when you and your director are on the same page – figuratively and literally. Think ahead to where the director’s going. Make it your goal to be the first to pull out the next song, stop and start with your director, and turn to whatever page is next.Ģ. You can be the lubricant that helps rehearsal move like a well-oiled machine, or you can be the bottleneck that slows everyone down. It can be mentally exhausting to maintain alertness during an entire rehearsal, but that is of utmost importance to a great accompanist. Be the first to respond to the director, not the last. Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years that have helped me become a better servant of my ministry.ġ. You can multiply the effectiveness of your director, and consequently the entire ministry. You can help the choir sing better, even without their knowledge. You can make a bad soloist look good, or you can make a good soloist look bad. You can make that rehearsal go very well or very poorly. But the accompanist is the most important person in the room besides the director.
#Choral accompanist full#
It may not feel that way at times: you’re seated and quiet for the full rehearsal, doing as you’re told. If you are a choir accompanist, you hold more power than you probably think.
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