Sometimes as performing artists, we are hyper focused on “the polished finished product.” Tori Longdon creates stunning finished products, but along the way, she is letting people in to see how the sausage is made in warm ups. And people LOVE it.
Maybe there is something important there. An insight brought about by the social media algorithms.
In this conversation, Tori Longdon shares her journey in choral music, discussing her roles as a conductor and educator. She explores the cultural differences in choir experiences between the UK and the US, the importance of music education, and the challenges faced in engaging students. Tori emphasizes the significance of creating safe spaces for singers, overcoming negative experiences, and the need for effective warm-up techniques. She also highlights her online presence going WILD on Instagram, and upcoming projects aimed at widening access to choral music education.
🎧 Tune in now on YouTube or your favorite podcast app!
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
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For future rehearsal clips, find me on TikTok, Insta and FB!
Tori Longdon is the Associate Chorus Director of the London Philharmonic Choir, and Principal Conductor of the Covent Garden Chorus. She is in demand internationally following her work on the King’s Coronation Concert in May 2023 when she coached eighteen choirs from around the United Kingdom to perform for the king.
Tori recently chorus-mastered her first Prom concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and travels the world leading masterclasses and adjudicating competitions, most recently in Germany (July ’24) Australia (May ’24) and Finland (September ’23) and Austria (November ’23). She has lectured for the Artist Development postgraduate course at the Royal Academy of Music, and for the musicianship course at the Junior Guildhall Conservatoire.
Tori is currently a conductor for Songs Of Praise on BBC1, as well as an adjudicator for ‘Young Choir Of The Year’ and ‘Young Chorister Of The Year’. She appeared on BBC2 as a judge on two series’ of the ‘The Choir’. As a broadcaster, she has interviewed some of classical music’s most famous names, including Marin Alsop, John Rutter, Sir Karl Jenkins, Sofi Jeannin and Christopher Tin.
She is the co-founder of the Stay At Home Choir, an international community of more than 29,000 choral singers which she leads together with Swingles baritone Jamie Wright.
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