Joint Concert Performances, An Opportunity for Your Performance Tour

by Keith Cole, Group Tour Account Executive

Concert tours offer many varied opportunities for performances: full "formal" concerts, participation in worship services, and afternoon soirées just to name a few. Another opportunity that is garnering great interest is that of a joint concert with a local choir from the host country.

For United States choirs that choose to fully participate as part of a joint concert, benefits are plentiful. In hearing other choirs, especially from another country, one learns from that choir's experience. Interaction with local folks and singers allows you to experience a bit of each others culture and to make new friends. Additionally, singing in a joint concert usually provides a larger audience since the local choir brings their supporters.

Jane Larson and I asked several directors who participated this past season in joint concerts to share some of their experiences. Below you will find input from Ken Berg, George Gentes, Sandy Holland, Dale Morgan and Loren Veigel. Many thanks to them for sharing their insights.

Witte: If you requested to have at least one joint concert, please elaborate.
George: The Friends of Abington, a local cultural committee, acted as our hosts and were eager to have us. They in turn invited a local choir, the Slieve Felim Singers, to join us as a second performing ensemble.
Sandy: It always enhances the tour for our students to mix with other organizations. It also helps to ensure an appreciative audience.
Dale: We wanted to perform with a group from our host country (Greece).
Loren: In addition to hosting us, the Rotary Club in Mornant also hosted a community choir from Lyon. It was absolutely fascinating for our kids to hear the group and compare notes on their techniques, approach, and program.

Witte: Give a few details about the group you gave a joint concert with (their age, program, etc.)
Ken: We shared a concert with a girl's choir. Our boys very much enjoyed that!
George: The Slieve Felim Singers is a local adult choir that specializes in Irish folk songs and other light literature.
Sandy: We sang with a community choir group from Dublin at a church in Lucan as part of an Aids Benefit for a country in Africa. Additionally, the St. Mary's children's choir sang, a small dance troupe danced, and a father and son duo provided Irish folk music.
Dale: The choir was comprised of singers between 40 and 60+ years of age and they performed Greek folk and love songs.
Loren: The group was the Choeur Populaire of Lyon and is comprised of middle aged to older folks who rehearse once a week and sing a program from Renaissance to Romantic and folk songs, all in French.

Witte: What was the format of the concert?
George: They performed for about 45 minutes and then, after an interval, we performed for 45 minutes. We then concluded with a combined piece "Va Pensiero" (Speed Your Journey) from the Verdi opera "Nabucco". It is an accessible piece that many community choruses in Ireland seem to know and it worked out fairly well.
Dale: We sang first and they followed.

Witte: Did you have an opportunity to interact during the rehearsal or after the concert?
George: Afterwards, we enjoyed some time of fellowship in the church courtyard before returning to our hotel.
Sandy: There was a reception afterwards that was a great chance to mingle. We also sang a song together!
Dale: We did not have an opportunity until after the concert to interact and it was brief.
Loren: Yes, we enjoyed a reception together after the concert.

Witte: What did you like best about the joint concert experience?
Ken: Good audience and appreciative.
George: The best part was the opportunity to hear another choir perform and to meet and talk afterwards about our common experiences with music. This bond is unifying and transcends whatever language barriers may otherwise exist.
Sandy: The enthusiastic audience, the genuine camaraderie of fellow musicians. It was our favorite performance.
Dale: Hearing the other ensemble.
Loren: The opportunity for my students to meet French musicians.

Witte: Was there anything you didn't like about the joint concert (or felt could have been done differently)?
Ken: The adult choir from Dublin sang too long and there was no where for our boys to sit and listen!
George: The Friends of Abington had not organized a reception and the Slieve Felim Singers were embarrassed by the oversight and apologized profusely.
Sandy: Our bus driver was WAY over his time limit for the day and was anxious to get back so we had to cut short our stay at the reception.
Dale: A larger ensemble would have been nice.
Loren: The audience was not apprised of the situation (joint concert) and many seemed impatient making comments such as "we came to hear the Americans!" But, the sense of expectation only heightened their response to us!

Witte: Do you have advice for other directors when they are giving a joint concert?
Ken: Enjoy it!
George: Try to contact the director of the other choir 4 to 6 weeks before your concert so all can be comfortable with the arrangements and dialogue can occur concerning any joint music that may be performed. It is rewarding to do a joint piece even if it is a simple 2 -3 part work. Don't get talked into something that may be too challenging and therefore not a positive experience for everyone. The exchange is more important than any particular piece.
Sandy: Be flexible.
Dale: Talk to the director of the other ensemble if possible.
Loren: It is really fun if the two groups can perform a selection together.

As you see, a joint concert can be a rewarding and integral part of one's concert tour. If you think you would enjoy participating as part of a joint concert, please let one of our group sales staff know and we will be happy to guide you towards accomplishing that goal.