Eduardo Garcia-Novelli
World Music & Cultures R&R Chair
THE CHALLENGE OF SELECTING GLOBAL CHORAL MUSIC
I love attending music conventions/conferences for a variety of reasons, and one of those is the chance to learn new and exciting choral repertoire. In my book, the convention was a success if I can check mark a box because I found at least one quality choral work. A work that calls my attention and, therefore, that I would like to include in future teaching and/or programming. It is a great feeling, one that inspires me to study the work and share my newfound treasure with the world.
Luckily, I have discovered many works in this way. Like most choral directors, I also look at countless newly published pieces that, unfortunately, for one reason or another, don’t find a place in my choral literature selections. Occasionally, I have found new works that call my attention, but rather in quite a different way.
Our global 21st-century music world finds us in an indisputable multicultural scene, where musicians express a deep interest in getting to know, studying, and performing works from other cultures. However, as wonderful as this wish is, the task at hand is challenging and requires true openness of mind and heart. A friendly warning: it is easy to fall into the trap of conforming to what we think music from other cultures should be. In this line of thought, it may be common to make decisions about style, instrumentation, harmonization, interpretation, language, etc., based on our opinion as people who live in the United States in the 21st century and who carry a particular cultural baggage. In doing this, we put ourselves in a position of superiority, a place from which we give ourselves the right to make decisions that were never in our domain in the first place.
Other than with original repertoire from different cultures, I often find it difficult to distinguish between an honest, artful, and respectful recreation of a specific style from an exercise of rather pitiful and surely questionable music publisher marketing strategy. Basic principles of authenticity are often violated in these situations, and as music educators, I hope we all feel equipped to distinguish what could be an innocent interest in offering a cultural filter from something genuine: a work of art that truly represents a specific culture.
But what defines “authentic” or “genuine” in global choral music today? The answer is difficult, but a positive start would be to understand that cultures define themselves without the interference of outsiders. The idea for choral conductors is to develop interest, love, respect, curiosity, and understanding for choral music of other cultures. In this way, we can expose the essence of many cultures, where they come from, and how they are received by their own people.
We live in fast times of instant gratification; hence, it is easier to bring global music to our comfort zone when selecting repertoire, rather than stepping out and making an effort to put together the pieces of the puzzle. Works from other cultures may or may not respond to the matrix in which we fit our art. In any case, that does not give composers the right to create a piece that tailors a stereotype instead of a true culture, nor does it give choral directors, as well-intentioned as we may be, the right to present these works as good examples of a cultural community.
Finding quality choral works from other cultures is indeed a fascinating journey of discovery that must be undertaken with profound respect. It takes time and while the job will prove to be challenging, it will indeed be immensely gratifying.
