ABSTRACT
The rehearsal is as important as the performance and ideally should not be treated just as preparation for a concert performance, but as a musical and social event in its own right with its own integrity. The craft of the choral conductor is concerned with the day-to-day, week-by-week rehearsing that can often become quite humdrum and uninteresting. In ideal situations, conductors would have time to relax and prepare themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally for the demands of the ensuing rehearsal. They would have time to "warm up" physically and vocally before expecting the choir to do the same. A musical encounter can lift people out of their ordinary existence; musical encounter enables people to express emotions that cannot be expressed in any way other than singing. It is not unusual for conductors to find that there is so much to get through in each rehearsal that pressure is on to get going as soon as possible, to "learn the notes".
