Behind The Scenes: The Difference between Choral and Orchestral Conducting

As I became interested in music, the progression of my interest was piano, then chorus, then musical theater, and then symphonic music and opera. Having experience as a choir member and studying voice as a student has supplied a firm foundation for choral conducting.

When asked what is the difference between conducting chorus vs. orchestra, my first instinctive answer is, “There is no difference. Music is music, and conducting is ­conducting.” And then I actually have to think about that answer. Is it really true?

What about the conductor’s gestures? Are the beats the same? They should be! 4/4 time is 4/4 time no matter who you are conducting. One might ask, “Aren’t the conductor’s physical gestures different when conducting singers vs. instrumentalists?” Yes they are. But a conductor’s physical gesture is also different conducting a string section vs. ­conducting a wind or brass section. Because conductors need to make slight alterations in their technical approach all the time, the small changes required for a chorus simply fit in with the other alterations.

What about the attack and release of a note? A clarinet, trumpet, violin, and chorus member all have a specific way that a note must start and a note must end.

What about the conductor’s personality? Does the ­conductor’s demeanor change in front of an orchestra vs. being in front of a chorus? Sometimes it is different, but it is not necessary to be different.

What about the kind of verbal instructions that a ­conductor gives? Just like there are gestures unique to each ­instrument (and unique to a singer), there are also verbal instructions unique to each instrument or singer. The ­conductor won’t talk about bowings to a chorus, but the conductor won’t talk about bowings to a percussionist either.

Everything I have written above does support the position of my first instinct, that conducting is conducting. But there are a few areas which are truly different, and not just small differences between instruments.

The most important of these is text. Choruses are primarily singing words, and these words have a specific meaning which becomes married to the notes they are singing. Instrumental music has meaning too, but its meanings are less obvious without the words, so frequently meaning is imagined by and implanted into the music by the performer. With singers, the meaning is literal, and undeniable. ­Conductors must understand the meaning of those words in order to understand and conduct the music properly. But more than just “meaning,” words have vowel sounds. And vowel sounds are the sounds that singers sing their notes to. And each time a new vowel sound changes, so does the sound of the chorus. And those sounds change dramatically and constantly, much more dramatically than any instrument in the orchestra can.

I have just described most of the similarities, and one major difference between conducting instrumental music and choral music. But an equally important question is, “What about conducting a chorus AND an orchestra together?” This is an area which is extremely difficult even for the ­conductor to understand and get used to, but I will try to explain. The area has to do with “time.” Most orchestras don’t play exactly on the beat. Sometimes the players come in a little later than the beat, and sometimes a lot later than the beat. It’s complicated because it can vary from ­orchestra to orchestra. It varies according to the conductor’s beat. It can vary according to how loud or accented the beat is ­supposed to sound (the greater the accent, the closer to the beat they play). It’s also complicated by the fact that the lowest instruments of the orchestra, such as trombones and tuba, and string basses, take a longer time for their sound to materialize after they “play their note.” And because they are in the back of the orchestra, it can take even a longer time for the note to sound. On the other hand, choruses ALWAYS sing exactly and precisely ON THE BEAT. Always. And it never changes. Somehow, a ­conductor must give a single gesture which gets everyone to play and sing at exactly the same time, despite the tendencies described above. It’s why conducting chorus and orchestra together is so difficult, and it’s why conducting opera is the most difficult of all.

How is it possible then that all of those different elements come together? Because the single most important element in a musical performance that holds everything together is…(not the conductor!!!) but each performer’s ability to listen! And through listening, they sing and play as an ensemble. And if a conductor can get his/her forces to ­listen to each other, it can be the most glorious and rewarding of performances.

—Lawrence Eckerling
Music Director,
Evanston Symphony Orchestra