Choral music originated in the late 6th century as church music. Monks sang religious texts in a style known as Gregorian chant. Originally, these chants were unison, meaning that each person was singing the same melody line. In the 1100s they began to sing polyphony, which is two or more independent melody lines happening simultaneously. Instrumental accompaniment was added, as well as solo vocal lines accompanied by dependent vocal lines (homophony). During the Renaissance, choral music began to appear outside the church in various styles.
Today, countless types of active choirs exist for singers to join. In public schools, students often have the option to participate in jazz choirs, show choirs or concert choirs. Jazz vocal groups tend to sing a cappella with very complex harmonies. Show choirs incorporate choreography and costuming into their performances. Community choirs might explore a variety of repertoire or stick to a specific genre: gospel, madrigal, classical, jazz, etc. Many cities have professional groups that perform frequently and often explore a variety of repertoire. Professional groups will most likely be audition-based.
Many benefits come from participating in choral ensembles. Music participation of any kind is one option for exploring artistic expression and emotional well-being. In many choirs, the repertoire represents a variety of languages and cultures, contributing to cultural awareness and understanding. Many adults choose to participate in community choirs because of their passion for music but also because it is an enjoyable social activity for people of all ages.
If you are interested in joining a choir, you have several resources available to assist you. Before beginning your search, determine the type of choir that you are interested in joining. For church choirs, contact the music director at your church or other churches in the area. If you are interested in a wider variety of musical genres, a community choir may better suit your interests. An Internet search for community choirs in your hometown may lead you to contact information for a community choir director. Also, the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) has a directory of choirs for the United States, including church, community and school choirs. Students can often join choirs in their school system simply by signing up for the class.
If you are interested in directing a choir, you need to determine what the qualifications are for your desired position. Most churches require some formal music education for their choral directors, but small or nonexistent church music programs may be open to less-experienced directors. School choral director positions vary by state, but all require some level of formal education to teach in a public school system. The University of Kentucky offers a convenient guide to state certification requirements for teaching.
Choral music is available through a variety of mediums. If you are joining a choir, music will most likely be provided to you at your rehearsals on loan. For larger works such as Masses, you may be required to purchase a score. If you are interested in starting a choir, sheet music stores all over the United States as well as online will have what you need. JW Pepper is one of the largest online music providers and offers sheet music for individual performance, choral groups and instrumental ensembles.