SKU: GI.G-10449
ISBN 9781622775613.
Creating excellence is not magic, the process known only to a few people with supernatural insights and abilities. . . . Vision, persistence, and strategy are the foremost reasons for the creation of excellence in musical performance and they are characteristics of all notably successful choral and orchestral conductors and their ensembles. — from the Introduction In Creating Excellence in Choirs and Orchestras, noted scholar and conductor Dennis Shrock uncovers the key factors and proven strategies that lead to the achievement of excellence in music ensembles at any level, from youth and volunteer groups to professional ensembles. With the use of numerous historical references and examples, primary source quotations, and music excerpts, Shrock lays out fourteen elements that contribute to an ensemble’s success. The first seven are foundational theoretical concepts: goals, focus, attitudes, structures, procedures, responsibility, and ontology. The subsequent seven elements address practical techniques: study, warm-ups, sound, cohesion, expression, conducting, and repertoire. While the book highlights the choral and orchestral mediums specifically, all concepts can be applied to any type of ensemble, from marching bands and wind ensembles to string quartets and vocal chamber groups. Further, the recommendations herein are not exclusively for the benefit of conductors. Music teachers, church musicians, ensemble members, and administrative staff will glean from these pages as well. According to Shrock, excellence is an attainable goal for anyone with a vision, a persistent commitment to that vision, and creative strategies to facilitate that vision’s realization. With this inspiring premise at its core, this insightful text guides readers as they embark on their own quest for musical excellence. Dennis Shrock is considered one of the top choral scholars in the United States and has received a number of awards for his work. He has conducted numerous choral and orchestral ensembles throughout his career, including the Chorale and Accademia Filarmonica at the University of Oklahoma, the Canterbury Choral Society, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra, and Oklahoma City Philharmonic. He is also a noted author, having written three books for Oxford University Press as well as six books for GIA Publications.
SKU: GI.G-10717
ISBN 9781622776597.
Written by noted scholar and conductor Dennis Shrock, Choral Diversity is a presentation of composers throughout history who represent the broad and diverse canon of choral music. Included are twenty women composers and ten composers of color, many of whom have been previously underrepresented in studies and in performances. Each chapter presents overviews of the composer’s life and choral output, information and analysis of selected compositions, including complete texts and literal translations not found elsewhere, and guidelines that address related and important aspects of performance. Importantly, Shrock approaches choral diversity from multiple perspectives. Most notably, the book highlights the music of women composers—such as Hildegard von Bingen, Amy Beach, and Undine Smith Moore—as well as composers of color, including José MaurÃcio Nunes Garcia, William Grant Still, and Margaret Allison Bonds, among others. Rounding out his approach, Shrock also explores the lesser-known works of familiar composers such as Palestrina and Brahms. The book’s repertoire, too, represents a diversity of musical periods, styles, and genres—including chants, madrigals, chansons, motets, partsongs, oratorios, cantatas, and vocal chamber pieces—all of which are intended to be accessible to regular school, church, and community choruses. With its broad scope and scholarly authority, Choral Diversity is the ideal resource for conductors at all levels looking to diversify their concert programming in a practical and historically informed way. Dennis Shrock is author of ten books, three published by Oxford University Press and the remaining seven published by GIA Publications. He has held faculty positions at Boston University, Westminster Choir College, and the University of Oklahoma. He has also served as Artistic Director of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale and was a lecturer and member of the conducting staff at Yale University. Shrock received his master’s and doctoral degrees in choral conducting from Indiana University.
