nist must work as one. In stopping
his chorus for a correction, it should be possible for the conductor
to assume that the accompanist has followed him so carefully and is in
such close musical rapport with him that, before the conductor speaks,
the accompanist has already found the badly executed passage, and the
instant the conductor cites page and score, is ready to play the
phrase or interval that was wrongly rendered. The same sort of thing
ought of course to take place whenever there is a change of tempo, and
it is to be noted that in all these cases the accompanist must make a
_musical_ response to the conductor's interpretation, and not merely
an _obedient_ one.

[Sidenote: COURTEOUS TREATMENT NECESSARY]

Having chosen the best available person to do the accompanying, the
next thing in order will be to treat the accompanist in such a way
that he will always do his best and be a real help in causing the
chorus to produce effective results. Next to the conductor, the
accompanist is undoubtedly the most important factor in producing fine
choral singing; hence our reference to the accompanist as the
conductor's _coworker_. The first thing to note in connection with
getting the best possible help from the accompanist is that he shall
always be treated in a pleasant, courteous way, and the conductor must
learn at the very outset not to expect impossible things from him; not
to blame him for things that may go wrong when some one else is really
responsible; and in general, to do his utmost to bring about and to
maintain friendly, pleasant relations. This will mean a smile of
approval when the accompanist has done particularly well; it may
involve publicly sharing honors with him after a well rendered
performance; and it certainly implies a receptive attitude on the
conductor's part if the accompanist is sufficiently interested to make
occasional suggestions about the rendition of the music.

If you as conductor find it necessary to make criticisms or
suggestions to the accompanist, do this privately, not in the presence
of the chorus. Much of the sting of a criticism frequently results
from the fact that others have heard it, and very often if the matter
is brought up with the utmost frankness in a private interview, no bad
blood will result, but if a quarter as much be said in the presence of
others, a rankling wound may remain which will make it extremely
difficult for the conductor and accompanist to do good musi