1. More opera websites should provide information about their choruses. Notices about auditions and lists of singers don’t provide enough detail about how these important musical organizations work. I’d like to see opera websites publishing information about the history and development of their choruses, important milestones in their pasts, production photos, information about life backstage for chorus members and what it’s like to audition and rehearse with an opera chorus. I say this because I just recorded a VoiceBox show last night on the subject of opera choruses with the San Francisco Opera‘s wonderful music director, Ian Robertson, and was dismayed to find so little information available on the Web on the subject. There isn’t even a Wikipedia entry for opera chorus.
2. I’m excited to hear about the new Emmy Award-winning documentary about the choral arts in Minnesota, Never Stop Singing (screenshot above). Seems like getting hold of a copy of the documentary might be tricky however, owing, of all ridiculous things, to the unions behind the orchestras that appear in the film backing up the singers. The documentary’s website says: “Notice to viewers: We are unable to offer DVDs for sale to the general public, due to the contractural agreements with the professional orchestras that appear in the program. However, DVDs are available to Minnesota choral conductors and libraries at no cost.” I wonder if people outside of Minnesota can see the film? I certainly hope so.