Synopsis

 Why sing in a choir? What are the health and psychological benefits of choral singing? Who sings in choirs, and why do people who lead busy lives return rehearsal after rehearsal to sing with an ensemble of people who work diligently under a gifted leader to pursue musical excellence, peak artistic expression, and joyful camaraderie? Researchers will explain the technical benefits of choral singing, conductors will speak about the artistic and communal aspects of choral singing, and individuals will speak from their hearts about the remarkable joys and healing they experience day after day, week after week, as they hone their vocal craft. Using inspirational and varied musical examples from a host of American choral ensembles, The Power of Choral Singing will showcase choirs of today and provide inspiration and hope for the next generation of choral singers. 

 Performances of fine choral ensembles will be at the heart of this episode. Throughout the United States, educational institutions offer choral ensembles as part of their academic rigor, and it is uniquely American for many of the finest choirs in the country to reside in academic institutions. Choirs of varied numbers, styles, and voicings, from elementary through college-age, will be featured. Using archival recordings and visual images, the unique and important contributions of specific academic institutions and locales will be illustrated. The 20th Century saw the advent of important graduate programs in choral conducting, and women on the podium became more and more evident as barriers began to fall. Threaded together with stories of singers, conductors, and academic institutions, America’s story is sung throughout the land by singers who began their joyous journey in school. 

 From the Pilgrims to the present day, houses of worship have resounded with song, both from the congregation and from choral ensembles. Interviews with scholars regarding early American singing will be featured along with musical examples from Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Orthodox traditions. Choral singing in worship has changed dramatically in the past sixty years and congregational singing and choral ensemble trends will be examined. The unique contributions of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square will be noted, along with the remarkable connections between religious and academic institutions that includes singing in the African American church (including slave songs, gospel music, and spirituals) and the Midwestern Lutheran choral tradition. The Moravians and the remarkable connection between Handel’s Messiah and choral traditions across the country will be included. 

 Americans sing together, and the community of singers is at the heart of who we are as chorus members. From the earliest days of the republic, singers have gathered to celebrate, to commemorate, to educate, to provide artistic expression, and to enjoy each other’s company while becoming a musical unit. From large choruses of mostly amateur singers to smaller choruses of amateurs or professionals, the choral landscape is broad and varied. Professional symphony choruses and military choruses will be profiled alongside large amateur choruses from across the nation. The heritage of Black choral singing in all its forms will be explored through interviews and recorded performances. Barbershop and Sweet Adeline groups, GALA ensembles, children’s choirs, protest choirs, prison choirs, hospice choirs, and homeless/street choirs will be showcased. The remarkable contributions of the professional organizations for choral singers and conductors will be explored, and the importance of choral singing at national moments of mourning and celebration will be examined. The community of more than 54 million enthusiastic Americans give evidence to the joy of singing together.