Choir in Focus 2010

In order to highlight choir, choir singing and choral work as fruitful research topics the network Choir in Focus was initiated in 2009 by Dr. Ursula Geisler and Dr. Karin Johansson at Körcentrum Syd in the south of Sweden. Although there are vast possibilities for cooperative and cross-disciplinary projects in this area such studies seemed to be lacking, and the intention was to create a meeting point for researchers from different traditions. Today, this international network provides a platform for discussing theoretical and methodological issues under the umbrella of common research interests related to choir.

This publication is one of the results from the network’s first meeting in November 2009, which drew together 15 participants from universities and music academies in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, France and the UK. The contributions in this volume illustrate how choir singing and choral life may be approached from differing disciplinary origins that vary from historical studies to studies of contemporary performance practice.

Contents:

Introduction - Ursula Geisler & Karin Johansson
I National Perspectives
Choir Research. A Norwegian Perspective - Anne Haugland Balsnes
Research into Choirs and Choral Education at the Institute of Education, University of London - Colin Durrant & Graham Welch
Sweden. A National Perspective - Gunnel Fagius
Choir Research in Europe. Perspectives for a Comparative Research Approach - Helmke Jan Keden
Choir Music in France. A Historical Insight - Guillaume Lurton
Danish Choir Research Traditions - Peter Nissen
II Projects and Individual Perspectives
Widening Young Male Participation in Chorus: Keeping Boys Singing? - Martin Ashley
Choir in Focus Research Network. Personal Reflections on Choir Research - Martin Ashley
Learning in Choirs. Belcanto as a Community of Practice. Summary of a Research-Ph.D. Project - Anne Haugland Balsnes
"Blick zurück nach vorn". Chorwissenschaftliche Forschung im Zeichen der 150.
Wiederkehr der Gründung des Deutschen Sängerbundes 1862 - Friedhelm Brusniak
Choir in Focus Network. Draft Collaborative Research Proposal. Concepts and Practices of Leadership in Choir Culture within Europe - Colin Durrant
Personal Reflections on Choir Research - Gunnel Fagius
Choral Research: Remarks to a Global Bibliography - Ursula Geisler
Practice-related Studies of Choir: Music Education and Artistic Research Perspectives -Karin Johansson
“Soldiers of German Song” and “Singing Revolutions”. Fields of Ideology-Critical “Choir Research” - Helmke Jan Keden
Nationalism and National Religiosity. The German Oratorio in the 19th Century - Linda Maria Koldau
National Songs in the German-Danish Conflict - Linda Maria Koldau
Reflections upon Choir Research from my Individual Perspective - Linda Maria Koldau
Come, Let us Sing! Choirs, Music and Identity in the History of Modern Mass Society - Peter Nissen
My Thoughts about Choir Research - Peter Nissen
Shaping Musical Performances. A Social Semiotic Study of Choir Conductors’ Multimodal Communication in Choir - Ragnhild Sandberg Jurström
Choir in Focus Network. Personal Reflections upon Choir Research - Ragnhild Sandberg Jurström
Musical Learning. Learning in a Choir. How do Singers in a Choir Cooperate, Learn Together and Learn from Each Other? - Sverker Zadig
Suggestions for Further Research