A choir director, also known as a choral director, is the choir’s leader. He or she is the choir’s foreman or forewoman, and is in charge of everything the choir does. The director usually makes all of the major decisions for the choir, including choosing which songs to sing, where to perform, and what to wear. Because a choir director has so many responsibilities, the choir’s successes and failures may fall solely on his or her shoulders. To become a choir director, one must have extensive musical training, be well-organized, and have strong leadership abilities.
A choir director’s responsibilities are varied, and he or she may be responsible for more than one at a time. A director’s first task may be to assemble a choir. To do so, he or she may hold auditions for various singers to demonstrate their abilities. The director is usually in charge of holding rehearsals once the choir has been assembled. The director is usually free to choose the date, time, and length of the rehearsals.
Choirs perform for a variety of events. They perform concerts at weddings and funerals, as well as as part of church services. Any of these types of events can benefit greatly from the presence of a choir. As a result, a choir’s ability to perform appropriate music selections can be critical to its success. The choir director is usually in charge of making these music choices, which will vary depending on the occasion and the type of music required the environment.
One of a choir director’s most important responsibilities is to lead the choir through songs. He or she will usually stand in front of the choir and lead them through a number of songs. The choir will usually look to the director for cues to perform specific actions during a song, such as emphasizing specific parts or holding notes. In some cases, a director will also act as a performer. Directors are frequently gifted musicians, and they may occasionally join in and become members of the choir.
Choir directors are frequently required to travel. They may accompany the choir to competitions, showcases, and public and private events where they perform. While the group is on the road, the director will usually act as a supervisor. He or she may check to see if the members are where they should be and performing the tasks he or she has assigned to them. Although choir members of any age will be required to report to the director at some point while traveling together, this type of supervision may be more generally applied to a school choir director who may be chaperoning young students.