| Hertford Choral Society has a
reputation for being imaginative and innovative. There have been
several specific initiatives in recent years – in one case
receiving an award from NFMS (as Making Music was at that time).
Currently, the choir is focusing its attention
on the “whole audience experience”.
This is seen as becoming more critical as the years go by and (particularly
young) audiences are growing up to expect high quality, both aurally
and visually, in performances they attend. The “whole audience
experience” begins with consideration of what it is like for
an audience member as they approach the concert venue. From that
time to the point that they leave after the performance is under
the control of the Society. Account is taken of the time of the
year and the character of the programme to be performed in deciding,
for example, whether a riot of flowers or glittering Christmas trees
are the appropriate visual style. Particular attention is paid to
the lighting of the concert. The normal venue is a church that does
not have especially attractive indigenous lighting, so the Society
calls on the expertise of Smart Light and Sound to help. The lighting
rigs have been quite adventurous already (showing regular users
of the building things they have never seen before!) and more ideas
are being discussed.
In order to encourage younger singers, the Society
has offered bursaries to Year 12 and 13 pupils from local schools.
However, since the introduction of AS level exams, take-up of this
scheme has fallen away. Not only did pupils have free access to
all the activities of the Society, they were also given a contribution
towards private singing lessons.
A scheme that has been run at various times with
different London conservatoires is the opportunity for post-graduate
conductors to learn more about choral conducting. Over the years,
students from the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music
and Trinity College of Music have worked with the Musical Director,
Derek Harrison, and the choir to gain valuable insight into and
practical experience of working with a “typical British Choral
Society”. Among the students who have worked with the choir
are : Andrea Quinn, Nick Wilks, Nick Jenkins and Andrew Morley.
The scheme that won an award for the Society
is the Part Coaching Scheme. Under this scheme,
a professional singer/coach joins each section of the choir with
the purpose of leading them in the learning of the works being rehearsed
and coaching them in how to tackle the demands arising from the
music. However we do not have regular part coaches since it is not
so easy to find those special singers who are prepared to take on
this role. |