Three Portraits of Choral Repertoire: Evolutions of Choral Music, Frank Martin Mass for Double Choir, and Ted Hearne Sound from the Bench

Two dissertation recitals and one research paper were presented in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts (Music: Conducting) at the University of Michigan. The two recitals chronicle the historical evolution of choral music since the seventeenth century and the research paper is an analysis and conductor’s guide for a piece of repertoire written in the twenty-first century. The first recital is a compilation of one performance with the University of Michigan Chamber Choir, four performances with the University of Michigan Orpheus Singers, one performance with the Chorus America Conducting Institute Chorus and Orchestra, and three virtual choir selections, two recorded by the University of Michigan University Choir and one by the University of Michigan Arts Chorale. All live performances for this recital took place in Stamps Auditorium in the Walgreen Drama Center, with the exception of the Chorus America performance, which took place in Hill Auditorium. The performance with Chamber Choir took place on Thursday, November 12, 2020. Repertoire included one movement from Clara Schumann’s Drei gemischte Chöre, op. 19 and Lili Boulanger’s Hymne au Soleil. The performances with Orpheus Singers took place on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, Tuesday, September 24, 2019, Sunday, October 22, 2019, and Tuesday, February 20, 2020. Repertoire included two movements from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4, three movements from Baldassare Galuppi’s Laudate pueri, Johannes Brahms’s Drei Quartette, op. 31, and two movements from Ralph Vaughan Williams’s In Windsor Forest. The performance with Chorus America took place on Sunday, July 21, 2019 and included four movements from Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah, op. 70. The virtual choir pieces with University Choir were recorded on February 21, 2021. Repertoire included Arianne Abela’s Rise and Undine Smith Moore’s Daniel, Daniel, Servant of the Lord. The virtual choir with Arts Chorale was recorded on March 7, 2021, and included one movement from Reena Esmail’s Quarantine Madrigals. The second recital was a performance of Frank Martin’s Mass for double choir. The recital took place on Saturday, March 13, 2021 in Hankinson Rehearsal Hall in the Earl V. Moore Building. In lieu of a third conducting recital due to complications from COVID-19, a research paper on Ted Hearne’s Sound from the Bench was completed. The paper includes historical, textual, and musical analysis of the work. Additionally, conducting and performing considerations are presented. Through this analysis, the paper serves as a tool for conductors to reference when programming, preparing, rehearsing, and performing this work.AMUMusic: ConductingUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167967/1/jkemper_1.pd