The heart of the chorus experience is the music chosen by the director. She describes it as “spirited and spiritual” and “songs that are good to live with.” The inspiring and meaningful words and sounds float in our heads and hearts all session and usually beyond. The music can be from other cultures and choral traditions and is always a variety of genres. The words are universal themes of the soul in a human experience.
The music is primarily taught aurally, that is, by ear. The side benefit of this is that singers don’t have to be able to read music to be able to participate. The larger benefit is that music is learned by listening, a useful skill for everyone to hone. Songs are learned internally, so that they last in the memory. Because the chorus can be led by the conductor without the distraction of looking at paper, concerts are presented with focus and feeling.