Month: February 2025

Recently, Apollo5 was touring through the US, and stopped not too far from me. So I grabbed my road kit and drove to St. Louis to speak with them, observe some rehearsal and hear their concert.

Small ensemble, or consort singing, is in many ways a completely different art form than “traditional choral singing.” And it isn’t quite solo singing either. You will hear and see some live recordings captured during rehearsal in this episode!

Apollo5 is comprised of Clare Stewart and Penelope Appleyard (sopranos), Joseph Taylor and Jacob Ewens (tenors), and Augustus Perkins-Ray (bass). The six of us discussed a wide range of topics from the technical to the aesthetic aspects of small vocal ensemble singing and presentations.

• Why we must fight to preserve live performance in an era where recorded music is becoming less financially viable.
• The differences in approach when you have no one to “blend” with.
• The barriers avoided when there is no conductor in the concert.
• Making our performances more accessible by being mindful of how we communicate with the audience.

Don’t miss this one!

🎧 Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app!

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Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Celebrating its 15th year in 2025, APOLLO5 continues to thrill, move and inspire audiences as one of Britain’s smallest but most impressive vocal groups. Comprising a soprano, mezzo-soprano, two tenors and a bass, the ensemble – which takes its name from the ancient Greek god of music – has become known for its ability to connect with intimacy and directness, showcasing with rich, dynamic and distinctive sound how powerful five voices alone can be. With a versatile approach to music programming, and a repertoire spanning renaissance, classical and contemporary choral works to folk, jazz and pop, the group’s five voices bring the music of five centuries to life.

APOLLO5’s busy touring schedule has taken the group to Europe, the USA and Asia. In addition to performing at prestigious UK venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, St John’s Smith Square, the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican Centre, the group has toured extensively across France, Germany, and other European countries, including recent appearances with an orchestra and a brass band in Lisbon (PT) and Prague (CZ) respectively. The group is a regular guest on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune, and often receives airplay from the national broadcaster, as well as other UK stations Classic FM, Magic Classical and NTS Radio. 2024/25 tour highlights include a trip to the USA under new agency representation; appearances at European festivals such as Common Ground (NL) and Koorfestival Vlaanderen (BE); and special concert celebrating the ensemble’s 15th anniversary at the Barbican Centre in London.

The group has released six solo studio albums. Haven, which explores the music of troubled, displaced and persecuted composers and features a full setting of William Byrd’s Mass For Five Voices, was released in 2023 to critical acclaim. Other albums include Where All Roses Go and O Radiant Dawn (both of which charted in the top 5 of the UK Classical Charts), winter disc A Deep But Dazzling Darkness, and Invocations, a piano-accompanied treasury of favourite songs recorded with composer and arranger Fraser Wilson. In January 2025, APOLLO5 will release their seventh album, Anam, a Gaelic-tinged programme of “music to move the soul”. During the pandemic, APOLLO5 was part of the launch of LIVE From London, a series of live broadcasts from many of the world’s leading vocal ensembles and orchestras. These online concerts brought music to the homes of millions during the pandemic, and raised funds for more than 500 artists, composers and production teams in the process; the festival continues to thrive online in today’s post-pandemic world.

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I grew up as a conductor in a world where conductors were measured by their ears. We were kind of obsessed with it. And maybe for good reason. In addition to perception, what other tools do great conductors have?

Conductors today are judged by many criteria in many different contexts. But in the rehearsal room, there are some non-negotiable skills we need to develop. Richard Sparks joins me on this GIA/WALTON series episode for a deep dive into what truly makes a conductor effective. It’s not just about baton technique—it’s about how you listen, how you interpret, and how you communicate with your ensemble. Richard shares lessons from his own conducting journey, as well as insights from working with some of the most respected musicians in the field. We also discuss

• Why developing strong aural skills is critical for making musical adjustments
• How conductors can balance verbal instruction with physical expressiveness
• The importance of studying scores independently to build deeper musical insights
• Why self-assessment—whether through recording rehearsals or active reflection—is key to growth

Whether you’re leading a professional choir, a high school ensemble, or just interested in the art of conducting, this episode will challenge you to rethink what tools are in YOUR Conductor’s Tool Box. Stick around!

🎧 Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app!

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Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Richard Sparks is a conductor with a wide range of experience in both the academic and professional fields. He founded Seattle Pro Musica when he was twenty-three and in the next seven years conducting over seventy concerts with three ensembles. By the time he was thirty, he had conducted all the major works of Bach, including almost fifty of his cantatas; orchestral and choral/orchestral masterworks by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven; and many other works from all periods. And from 1978 to 1985 he was Principal Conductor of the Pacific Northwest Bach Festival in Spokane, Washington, which used period instruments.

Sparks taught from 1980 to 1983 at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and then became Director of Choral Activities at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), where he taught until 2001. During his tenure at PLU he led the Choir of the West, also conducting major works ranging from Bach’s Mass in B Minor and St. John Passion to Poulenc’s Gloria, Stravinsky’s Les Noces, and Britten’s War Requiem. He also led tours across the US, to Japan/China, England, and to Scandinavia.

During this period he also conducted the Seattle Symphony Chorale (1990-1994), preparing them for nine recordings on the Delos label (many of those now on Naxos), including the Grammy-nominated Howard Hanson Lament of Beowulf. He also founded Choral Arts Northwest (1993-2006) and with them explored primarily a cappella repertoire, making three CDs on the Loft/Gothic label. And from 1999 to 2011 Sparks was Artistic Director of Pro Coro Canada, a professional chamber choir in Edmonton, Alberta. They also did tours to Toronto and Quebec.

From 2009 to 2019 Sparks was Professor of Music at the University of North Texas and was also Chair of the Division of Conducting & Ensembles. Many of his performances can be found on YouTube, including a Vivaldi Gloria with over five million views, Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers, and the 1725 version of the St. John Passion. The Collegium Singers have performed at the Boston Early Music Festival four times, once at the Berkely Early Music Festival, and at the 2016 NCCO Conference.

Sparks worked with the Swedish Radio Choir in 2002, 2007, and 2008, including preparing Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem for a performance with Valery Gergiev and the Rotterdam Philharmonic which was released on DVD with BIS Records. He has also guest conducted the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati, and the Anchorage Music Festival (for three years, the first time substituting for Robert Shaw with the Brahms Requiem), among many others. He continues to be active as a guest conductor, workshop leader, and clinician. He will guest conduct Capella Romana in Portland and Seattle this March, the PLU Choral Union (which he founded 40 years ago) in May, and be in residency at Northwestern University (Andrew Megill) in Evanston, Illinois in June.

​His BM and MM degrees are from the University of Washington, where he studied with Rodney Eichenberger as an undergraduate and Abraham Kaplan for his MM. During his undergraduate degree at the University of Washington, Samuel Krachmalnick accepted Sparks into his graduate orchestral conducting class, where he studied for two years. His DMA is from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he studied choral conducting with Earl Rivers, Elmer Thomas, and John Leman, and orchestral conducting (his cognate area) with Teri Murai. His doctoral dissertation on Swedish a cappella music won ACDA’s Julius Herford Award, and was later published as The Swedish Choral Miracle.

His book, “The Conductor’s Toolbox” was published by GIA. He was inducted into the Swedish Royal Academy of Music in 2021 (at the same time as Quincy Jones), for his contributions to Swedish choral music.

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A common theme on this show is “teaching the WHOLE language of music.” So, I was pleased to link up with Cindy to hear how important dictation is in her pedagogy. A crucial and often missing element of common teaching practice.

🎙️ What does it take to build a thriving choir program—and a lifelong passion for music? Yes, but also solid pedagogy and TIME with students…

In this episode of The Choralosophy Podcast, I sit down with Cindy Ellis, a choir director from Miami, to explore her incredible journey from growing up in Cuba to shaping young singers in the U.S. Cindy shares how her experiences as an immigrant shaped her approach to teaching, why music literacy is non-negotiable, and how she fosters student independence through composition, dictation, and ear training.

Key discussion topics include:

• Cindy’s personal journey from Cuba to the U.S. and into music education
• The power of dictation and memorization in choral training
• How to bridge the gap between middle and high school music programs
• The importance of student-led learning and independent musicianship
• Why choir directing is more than just music—it’s about building kind, respectful humans

If you’re passionate about choral education, student growth, and the power of music, this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app!

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Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

A native of Holguín, Cuba, Cindy Ellis immigrated to the United States in 2005. She earned her Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education and Jazz Voice from Florida International University and her Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Missouri. Mrs. Ellis is a full time choral director at Miami Arts Studio, a 6th-12th grade public performing arts magnet school in Miami, FL. Her middle school and high school ensembles have been featured at numerous venues throughout the country. These include Carnegie Hall (2018 and 2024), the Florida, Southern, and later this year, National Conference of the American Choral Directors Association.

In 2022, Mrs. Ellis’ students performed in Los Angeles for the Summit of the Americas, a meeting hosted by President Joe Biden that brought together 40 Presidents and leaders from the Americas and Caribbean. Additionally, in the last 7 years, the students have recorded and performed background vocals for Gloria and Emilio Estefan and several music award shows including the AMAs, Latin American Music Awards and the Latin GRAMMY Awards. Earlier this year, Mrs. Ellis conducted her students at the Miami show of Jacob Collier’s DJESSE Volume 4 World Tour. Beyond her school responsibilities, she frequently performs, conducts honor choirs and teaches masterclasses for music directors and students from elementary to college throughout North America. As a jazz vocal soloist and alto with the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers, she collaborated with Jacob Collier for performances at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and recording projects including a performance alongside Coldplay for NBC’s Saturday Night Live and a 2024 BBC Proms Music Festival concert in London, UK.

In 2020, Mrs. Ellis was published by GIA Publications as a contributing author on “Teaching with Heart,” and in 2022, she served as instructional design editor and contributing author of “Teaching Beyond the Music,” the second edition in the series. Ellis is Miami Arts Studio’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, a 2025 Grammy Music Educator Semi-Finalist, and currently serves as the World Musics & Cultures Coordinator for the American Choral Directors Association Southern Region.

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I often see “technique” and “expression” discussed as opposite sides of the coin. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The technique UNLOCKS the expressive capacity. Don’s past appearances on tuning systems and pitch matching have been very popular with colleagues. Links below.

🎙️ Many singers and conductors focus on interpretation and expression, but without the right technical foundation, true artistry can never fully develop. Imagine trying to teach a singer how to be expressive—without first ensuring they have the technical control to execute it. That’s like asking someone to paint a masterpiece before they even know how to hold a brush. In this episode of The Choralosophy Podcast, I sit down with Donald Brinegar to explore how structure and technique lay the foundation for expressive, effortless singing. We dive into breath efficiency, resonance, articulation, and mental clarity—all crucial elements in developing a truly flexible and expressive voice. Don recently released this concept as something he calls a “nested hierarchy” with the acronym “APROARTE” in a book under that name.

🗣️ Key Topics We Discuss:

• Why great singing starts with great breath control
• How posture, resonance, and airflow shape vocal efficiency
• The power of “hot air” breathing and larynx positioning
• How small adjustments can make a huge difference in vocal freedom
• The science behind expressiveness—and how to train it effectively

If you’re passionate about helping singers reach their full potential, this episode is packed with practical takeaways.

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Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope

Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!

Donald Brinegar is a conductor, tenor soloist, voice instructor, educator and master class clinician. Professor Emeritus of Music at Pasadena City College, Brinegar directed the Choral Studies program at PCC for 36 years. Brinegar also conducts the Donald Brinegar Singers, a community choral ensemble in Pasadena, California, Director of Choruses for the Pasadena Symphony and POPS, and adjunct professor of voice at PCC.

During the summers he is an adjunct professor of conducting and voice in the Cal State Los Angeles masters program in Choral conducting. Brinegar has published five book on Choral Music. His book “Pitch Perfect: A Theory and Practice of Choral Intonation” was released in December 2019 and has already been hailed as a singular contribution in the field of Choral Music. “Conducting Primer: Seven Principles of Choral Conducting” was published in May of 2020 and “Conducting Primer in Practice” was published in June 2020. Both books have received international critical acclaim.

Don’s Past Appearances!

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