SP ’21: All Conductors and Classes

Draft 3 A.S.C.A.M. SCORE STUDY TEMPLATE

Conducting is the process of harmonic audiation and the gestural decisions we make
in order to express what we hear inside our mind and heart.

The things we audiate, our ‘aural image,’ are a complex mixture of

aural, visual, vocal, instrumental, kinesthetic, theoretical, historical, emotional, textual, and
musical information that when put together creates and expresses meaning.

How conductors put together their AURAL IMAGE to harmonically audiate

THE WHOLE is a uniquely personal process.

How we both gather and express those ideas is a series of DECISIONS.

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A suggested BEST ORDER for completing this SCORE STUDY is:

I. IV. II. V. III. & then Final Questions

I. Audiation Decisions
II. Singing Decisions
III. Conducting Decisions/Movements
IV. Analysis Decisions
V. Marked Score Decisions
I. Auditation Decisions:
Discography: Summary of important recordings and
performances, with notable comparisons:
Title of Piece Version 1: Version 2: Version 3: Version 4:
conductor and conductor and conductor and conductor and
Glory to God and ensemble ensemble ensemble ensemble
Recits – The Messiah
Choir of Gallery Choir Messiaskirkens London
King’s of Saint Koncertkor, Symphony
College, Peter’s Members of DR Orchestra,
Cambrdige & Catholic Symphony Susan Gritton,
Stephen Church Orchestra, Marie Sir Colin
Cleobury Nyborg Davis
Mary Alice Jorgensen
Thomy and
Susanna
Gibbons
Tempo Moderately A fairly A fairly This tempo is
slow moderate normal/moderate pretty normal,
throughout tempo tempo but is a little
the recits and faster than I
the chorus would go.
Key C, F, C, D C, F, C, D C, F, C, D C, F, C, D

Style

Type of soloist Soprano Soprano Soprano soloist Soprano

soloist soloist soloist
Type of instruments Chamber Chamber Chamber Chamber
orchestra orchestra orchestra orchestra

Solo ornamentation

Choral Style

Golden Mean

Other

Notes
II. Singing Decisions
a. Tonal Decisions
b. Rhythmic decisions
c. Harmonic decisions
d. Vocal production decisions
Sound: Breathing – deep diaphragmatic breathing (soloist and choir)
Placement – lots of backspace
Vowels and modifications – long tall vowels
Consonants – crisp, clear consonants followed by schwa’s
Type of blend – should sound like a soloist and 4 individual voices, not
many voices standing out
Preferred balance
Vibrato – bold, yet controlled

Interpretative IPA
Decisions: Translations
Word Stress – GLORY to GOD in the HIGHest, and PEACE on EARTH.
Good WILL towards MEN.
Phrasing and Breathing – see marked score

Emotional Buzz words – praise, rejoice

Coloration: Placement

Soloists: Kind and type – soprano soloists (2: one for the “solo narrator”, and one
for the voice of the angel)

Kodaly Tone set: order of pitches without repeats

Considerations: Type: random, pentatonic, modal, diatonic, chromatic
System: pick for this piece (moveable, fixed, modulatory)

Rhythmic set: order of rhythms without repeats

Type: duple, triple, mixed, compound, rubato, free
Counting system: pick for this piece

Harmonic sets: order of harmonic intervals that ground the piece

Developmental teaching strategy: Prepare, Present, Practice

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SUMMARY:
My favorite sound for Glory to God is bold and full.

I will achieve it with dark and tall vowels.

I will achieve it with backspace placements.

 I will achieve it with _____________________________placement and blend.

I will achieve it with _____________________________style.

III. Conducting Decisions: big/small, in/out, up/down!

1. In order to communicate the meaning of the piece, what does my Level 1 need to look
like? (Consider the following, and more: kinesthetic set-up, my Laban dimensions [time,
weight & space], effort actions & feelings. Write several sentences below).

1a. My awareness/implementation goals for Level 1 Kinesthetic is/are: To

make my conducting pattern, cues, cut-offs and dynamics as clear as possible
so that the choir, the orchestra, and soloists are able to follow me as clear
as possible.

2. In order to communicate the meaning of the piece, what does my Level 2 need to look
like? (Consider the following and more: My somatic facial affect, my emotional
connection to the piece and my facial affect, my mouth shape and my vowel shaping, my
Laban dimensions [time, weight & space], effort actions & feelings, breathing! Write
several sentences below).

2a. My awareness/implementation goals for Level 2 Somatic is/are: To

breathe for each entrance (as possible) and make sure for the choir to
portray the correct breathing space so they are reminded to breathe
diaphragmatically.

3. In order to communicate the meaning of the piece, what does my Level 3 need to look
like? (Consider the following and more: What are my beat patterns, my cues, my levels,
my word stress, my releases, my size of gesture, my entrances, my melded gestures, my
eye tracking, etc., and how do I execute them, my Laban dimensions [time, weight &
space], effort actions & feelings, marked in the score) and what do my Rainbow Lady
drawings look like? Write several sentences below).

3a. My awareness/implementation goals for Level 3 Technical is/are: To

show very clear cut offs (wiper cut offs, not “pinchy” cut offs) to the
orchestra and “cookie monster” cut offs to the choir, to have very clear
“hello smokey” cues, and very very clear stop gestures

4. In order to communicate the meaning of the piece, what does my Level 1 need to look
like? (Consider the following and more: When do I move out of the “patterns” and how,
and WHY, my Laban dimensions [time, weight & space], effort actions & feelings,
marked in the score) and what do my Rainbow Lady drawings look like? Write several
sentences below).

4a. My awareness/implementation goals for Level 4 Informed is/are:

IV. Analysis Decisions

Everything you study in order construct and develop an aural image of the piece
and to build a fluid, transparent, informed interpretation of the piece.

Historical Aspects: Composer – history and considerations

• George Frideric Handel
History of the Piece, date
• Composed in 1741
• Baroque Period
Performance Practice elements
Program Notes

Theoretical Aspects: Analysis – Structural/Phrasal – (see Template)

Analysis – Chordal – (see Template)

Kinesthetic Aspects: DRAWINGS on Rainbow Lady Template

Auditory Aspects: All harmonic, rhythmic and melodic elements for

teaching and tuning

READINGS: Each A.S.C.A.M. has specific readings from our text book.
Please write a 3-8 sentence summary of each assigned
reading in the space below:

V. Marked Score Decisions

Marked Score Preparation:

 a.) Conductor Score: How much of my score study is included in my performance copy
from which I conduct, and why?
For this piece especially, all of the score study I have done is incorporated into my
performance copy. There are so many different themes and markings that a score study is
100% crucial to the performance.

b.) Performers Score: What are the essential markings of phrasing, breathing, dynamics
and diction that I need to be sure to communicate to the ensemble? Do I need to
prepare and present a marked score to the ensemble, or will I indicate the markings
through teaching in lesson times?
I need to have two different marked scores ready to present. One for the choir and one for
the orchestra.

VI. FINAL QUESTIONS:

1. Do I see my A.S.C.A.M. decisions in my gestures in rehearsals and concerts?

2. Do I hear my A.S.C.A.M. decisions in the sound and performance of my ensemble?