"Let the Music Dance!" The Functions and Effects of Verbal Imagery in Choral Rehearsals.

The main aim of the research was to determine the context and efficacy of verbal imagery in choral rehearsals. It sought to establish the types of imagery used and whether and how they were understood by singers. The research aimed to define the relationship between imagery and the other rehearsal strategies directors employ. The intention of the research was to establish what role imagery plays in choral directing pedagogy and what implications this has for choral directors’ practice.
The investigation was completed over five years and adopted a multi-method approach, using videoed observations, questionnaires and interviews; twenty-one directors and 332 choir members across 15 choirs contributed to the research. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was the most appropriate analytical approach for this research as it is concerned with how participants make sense of their experiences. The sung responses to imagery were examined in their rehearsal context.
The research identified five types of imagery in choral rehearsals: simple, multiple, themed, negative and stock images. It also determined nine functions and effects of imagery:
• Imagery is used to transmit clear objectives
• Imagery is used effectively to achieve objectives
• Imagery is used to change thinking
• Imagery is used to create multiple-effects
• Imagery is used as a mnemonic
• Imagery is used to save rehearsal time
• Imagery can replace technical terminology
• Imagery is used to illustrate the text
• Imagery is associated with a specified musical phrase.
Imagery is influential in developing singers’ understanding of the concepts involved in choral singing and in enabling singers to create and modify vocal sounds in response to their director’s requests. Choral directors can employ these findings to inform their thinking and practice, combining imagery with other rehearsal techniques in the knowledge that it is a useful and effective strategy.