ABSTRACT
Many conductors are easily able to engage their singers, to persuade them of the intrinsic value of the music being performed; they are able to give their singers, and through them their audiences, insight into the expressive character of the music, and to provide the wherewithal for aesthetic response. Conductors need to have specific attributes and characteristics in order to maintain healthy and effective singing in our schools, churches, and communities. Bad conductors can damage voices, demotivate, foster poor self-esteem in singers and players, and make mediocre music. Separation of the roles of composer and conductor became more common between 1800 and 1850, and it became increasingly apparent during the nineteenth century that composers were not necessarily the best conductors and vice versa. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when the keyboard continuo was an integral part of music, the keyboard player, particularly if he was the composer as well, often assumed control.
