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Conducting Pro Coro and working with Michael over the past few days have been a truly unparalleled opportunity. After the jet lag and excitable nerves subsided my ears embraced the sound of the choir. This allowed me to work within this unique soundscape, drawing on details such as pitch, intonation, phrase shape, articulation, vowel placement, and many more. However, the professional singers of Pro Coro didn't need me for those details, at all. My approach for rehearsal technique was about balancing moments of inspiration and information. More importantly, it has been my top priority to develop a relationship of trust and openness for singers to be able to do their best. The limitations of the choir are only set by the conductor. Therefore, my own vulnerability and openness on the podium is of vital importance. Michael and Pro Coro experience what I bring to the podium and mirror what I can add to the musical experience. Their feedback and suggestions have been absolutely wonderful and helpful. My personal frustration is when my brain is less like a sponge and more like a full cup of coffee with a small leak on the bottom. My biggest fear is that I forget or misinterpret the information the moment I get back to the AirBnB, or how my body reacted and the overall gestural movement, which has been another important focus of my work in front of the choir. Michael and the staff at Pro Coro have been so generous to record my rehearsals so I can watch my conducting and personally observe the changes I need to make. Michael has spent substantial time working with me on these conducting/moving elements, and I am so very grateful. Since working in this kind of artistic capacity hasn’t happened in quite some time for me due to COVID-19, I felt like I had lost what I considered to be my conducting strengths. The Agnus Dei, the last movement in the Praulins, is immensely impactful. Over the past few days, I realized that for me each movement and section of the Missa Rigensis emulates the five stages of the grieving process. The Credo is the transformation of being unsure or not believing to then the second reiteration of the Credo, “I believe”, which serves as the crux of this work when a significant and mysterious shift in the music and text occurs (A-flat Major to F Major). In general, this movement represents struggling to find meaning within the grieving process. The last movement of the Mass is symbolic of acceptance and hope as the last stage of grief. Personally, this has been the most challenging. Perhaps this is the reason why I have felt the most emotionally disconnected with the Agnus Dei. The loss of my dad has always been a struggle and it’s as if the music, specifically the harmonic language, emulates this experience. In the Agnus Dei, the harmonic language pivots unexpectedly, as if to express moments of grief weighing heavily, and then shifts to where the weight of grief starts to lift, becoming lighter ending on D major in first inversion. It was during the first rehearsal of the Agnus Dei when I felt overwhelming support from Pro Coro, a group of people that I hardly know. Even more so, this relationship and overarching message of supporting one another can also be reflected in the other pieces being performed on this program including Jane Berry’s Mass and Frank Martin’s Mass for Double Choir a cappella. Building relationships between the conductor, singers, and audience members brings people together. It has been inspiring to observe the dynamic of the choir singing and non-singing. Most importantly these kinds of opportunities allow that special ‘choir element’ to permeate through the audience, inspiring others and connecting the community. This humanistic message of support is not only shared by each person both within the choral context and community but also shared by those in the world that need it. Experiencing this profound dynamic within a span of five days, demonstrates the authentic quality that lies at the very core of this ensemble. Jessie Pierpont, March 3, 2022
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