Quote: “He was also dealing with 18-25 year old students, very few of whom have full time jobs, families, or health issues. Not realistic to expect 70 year olds to commit in the same way.”
Au contraire!
With respect, although this is an entirely natural assumption and conclusion.
Archibald actually taught that being absorbed in such musical enterprises as he was leading, was a privilege that should be denied to nobody, quite regardless of age or even ability.
He practised what he preached and in an era that was far less deferential towards people with clearly obvious disabilities, he positively encouraged such individuals to be involved in his performances.
As his Chorus was during his time recognised to be the best throughout the entire United States of America, you may be surprised that individuals in wheel chairs were at times lined up alongside the rest of the Chorus.
He was way ahead of his time, and as he finally retired from conducting wrote a tome, that basically outlined his approach to producing the great results he accomplished. In it he described a great of advice and many tips to young conductors.
If you could for a moment consider all the factors that many decades of top-level experience would impress on one. Things that no institutional tutorials would explain, no lecturer cover, no books teach. But things that would make the whole difference in creating a scintillating experience for everyone involved, but no one would ever teach or tell you. That was what his book was all about.
Although it covers many technical aspects of musical performance, it also covers all sorts of tricks and methods to improve the impressiveness of musical presentation. Much of it also is devoted to the problems of handling difficulties involving people, their personalities, frailties and idiosyncrasies.
For sure as a general point youthful voices tend to be superior in certain respects to older voices. But he did not see age as a barrier to be involved with his performances and rather, looked for the individual’s keenness, desire and passionate wish to devote themselves to committed involvement in the Chorus. He would have put it like something this..
Life is made of many fine interests and pursuits that can enliven and fascinate which individuals can pursue. Music however demands commitment to produce any truly fine result. Therefore, those involved should attend every or almost every weekly rehearsal without fail, or be quickly jettisoned. Except for the important, essential reasons I outlined in my previous post above.
Family or religious duties, funerals, hospital treatment, doctor’s appointment. Etc. et al.
I suppose it was just a common sense outlining of human moral values.
So.
Music, if it is to be performed well, must be put before many competing activities one could be involved with.
But there are some things in life, clearly more important than performing music.
That is the essential, axiomatic truism and salient point.
Au contraire!
With respect, although this is an entirely natural assumption and conclusion.
Archibald actually taught that being absorbed in such musical enterprises as he was leading, was a privilege that should be denied to nobody, quite regardless of age or even ability.
He practised what he preached and in an era that was far less deferential towards people with clearly obvious disabilities, he positively encouraged such individuals to be involved in his performances.
As his Chorus was during his time recognised to be the best throughout the entire United States of America, you may be surprised that individuals in wheel chairs were at times lined up alongside the rest of the Chorus.
He was way ahead of his time, and as he finally retired from conducting wrote a tome, that basically outlined his approach to producing the great results he accomplished. In it he described a great of advice and many tips to young conductors.
If you could for a moment consider all the factors that many decades of top-level experience would impress on one. Things that no institutional tutorials would explain, no lecturer cover, no books teach. But things that would make the whole difference in creating a scintillating experience for everyone involved, but no one would ever teach or tell you. That was what his book was all about.
Although it covers many technical aspects of musical performance, it also covers all sorts of tricks and methods to improve the impressiveness of musical presentation. Much of it also is devoted to the problems of handling difficulties involving people, their personalities, frailties and idiosyncrasies.
For sure as a general point youthful voices tend to be superior in certain respects to older voices. But he did not see age as a barrier to be involved with his performances and rather, looked for the individual’s keenness, desire and passionate wish to devote themselves to committed involvement in the Chorus. He would have put it like something this..
Life is made of many fine interests and pursuits that can enliven and fascinate which individuals can pursue. Music however demands commitment to produce any truly fine result. Therefore, those involved should attend every or almost every weekly rehearsal without fail, or be quickly jettisoned. Except for the important, essential reasons I outlined in my previous post above.
Family or religious duties, funerals, hospital treatment, doctor’s appointment. Etc. et al.
I suppose it was just a common sense outlining of human moral values.
So.
Music, if it is to be performed well, must be put before many competing activities one could be involved with.
But there are some things in life, clearly more important than performing music.
That is the essential, axiomatic truism and salient point.
