Picture yourself sitting at the piano. You listen to the choir, play their parts as they sing, and follow the conductor. As you scan the score, you suddenly notice an upcoming tenor entrance that is sure to go awry. You make a quick decision to pull back on the other voice parts, leave out the soprano melody, and play the tenor entrance clearly and on time. The tenors nail the phrase, the conductor stops to address a diction issue with the choir, and you all return to the beginning to review the section again. This time, you play all parts equally and listen to see if the tenors can get their entrance without your help. They can. You sit back, proud of the tenors, and full of the satisfaction that comes from preventing a train wreck. You are the Invisible Conductor.
Has this happened to you?
A good choral accompanist makes many decisions like this “behind the scenes,” many times without the conscious knowledge of the director or the choir. The accompanist is the “invisible” conductor, contributing to the success of the choir technically (playing the right notes), musically (playing with expression), and artistically (working in tandem with the director to accomplish his or her artistic vision for the music). The accompanist functions as a co-leader with the director in bringing out the full potential of a choir.
Why do I mention leadership in what is obviously a subordinate role? Because a good choral accompanist is a leader, leading the choir (and sometimes the director) by example. The accompanist is confident in her skillset, knowledgeable about how best to support choral singers, and willing to submit (to the director) or lead (in partnership with the director, or in the director’s absence) as the role requires.
The choral accompanist holds two main roles: that of rehearsal accompanist, which requires one to play all of the vocal parts during rehearsal as well as learn the accompaniment, and which may include leading vocal warm-ups, rehearsing singers in sectionals, and substituting for the conductor in his or her absence; and that of performance accompanist, often the sole musical support for the choir, but sometimes called upon to be part of a chamber ensemble, orchestra, or to provide accompaniment for guest soloists. The two roles vacillate between leadership and support, requiring the accompanist to lead and to follow as the situation requires.
At the time of this writing, I have been accompanying choirs for over 30 years. I began by playing for my high school choir and church youth worship team, and have played in multiple schools, churches, and community choirs. I have experienced good and bad directors, high praise and harsh criticism, being barely acknowledged and receiving flowers and honorariums. Though choral accompanying has never become a full-time gig for me (I am not aware of anyone for whom this is true), it has remained a steady part of my life and has stretched me personally and musically more than I could have imagined when I began at the age of 14. When you find the right fit in terms of ensemble and director, being a choral accompanist can be incredibly fulfilling – more than a paycheck, it can bring you like-minded community, networking opportunities, musical fulfillment and validation; and it can grow your skills in leadership, communication, and collaboration.
If you play for a choir, there is much you can do to sharpen your skills, grow as a musician, and work in tandem with the director to bring out the best in your choir. I have a growing library of resources designed specifically for choral accompanists including online workshops on how to read vocal parts in open score. You can take a look here.
And let me know if there is a specific question you have or resource you would like pertaining to your role as choral accompanist. I'd love to help!
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