Being Less Ordinary

Why Choirs Should Aim to Be Less Ordinary

There is a temptation in choral music to aim for “good”.

In tune. Together. Controlled. Safe.

And of course, those things matter. They are part of the craft. But they are not the goal.

Too often, performances become careful reproductions of something that already exists—shaped by recordings, traditions, or assumptions about how a piece should sound.

The result is competent. Sometimes even impressive.

But rarely memorable.

Music only truly comes to life when it feels alive in the moment.

That requires something more than accuracy.
It requires intent, risk, and a willingness to go beyond the expected.

In the words of Leonard Bernstein: “Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.”

It means asking:

• What are we really trying to say?

• What is the character of this music?

• Where is the energy?

• Where is the tension?

• What makes this performance ours?

This doesn’t mean being reckless or ignoring musical discipline.

It means using technique in service of something more meaningful.

Because precision without purpose leads to predictability.

And predictability leads to the ordinary.

In rehearsal, this shifts the focus.

Instead of simply correcting, refining, and balancing, we begin to shape.

• Gesture becomes more intentional.

• Sound becomes more responsive.

• The choir begins to engage not just with the notes, but with the meaning behind them.

This is where the role of the conductor becomes most significant.

Not in controlling every detail, but in creating the conditions where something distinctive can happen.

Where singers feel connected, energised, and willing to commit.

Where the performance is not just accurate—but alive.

Being less ordinary is not about being different for the sake of it.

It is about being intentional.
About making musical choices that have purpose and direction.

About creating performances that people remember—not because they were perfect, but because they meant something.

Gesture shapes sound.

But intention shapes everything.

Peter Futcher