| Description |
The distinctiveness of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (MTC) as a unique American choral ensemble is revealed in a persistent paradox that both underscores its history and sets it apart from other choral organizations. By virtue of its widely distributed television broadcasts, recording projects, and touring schedules, the MTC essentially exists within a professional musical environment, yet the singers who participate are actually a collection of amateur volunteers. The tension between amateur skill levels and mounting professional musical demands exposed a need to improve the quality of the amateur singers and their preparation for Choir participation. To this end, the MTC instituted a "Choir School," alongside other institutional changes in 1999, to serve as a training mechanism for promising singers. Since its inception, the Choir School has experienced changes in curriculum content and course format. The researcher documents an important undertaking in the Choir's history and preserves the instructional efforts of Choir School faculty. The story of the Choir School is a chronological historical document and also includes a survey of curricular material. This study includes an examination of the following five general areas: 1. The institutional climate and context for the creation of the Choir School 2. Previous attempts at training MTC singers 3. A chronological history of the present day Choir School 4. Impact of the Choir School program on the organization 5. Implications for other community choirs and secondary choral education Concepts such as evolution and adaptation, the role of musical literacy, musical independence and "responsible singing," and alignment were emerging themes in the narrative of this study. Elements of this custom-designed choral curriculum, such as preventative score marking and training singers in choral ensemble skills, may provide applications for other volunteer community or church choruses, collegiate choirs, or secondary choral classrooms. |
