Preparing the Choir to Sing Unaccompanied Sixteenth Century Polyphony

How does one train a choir to sing works from the Renaissance so that the essence of the style is captured? Choral Conductors are skilled practitioners and their methods are largely an untapped source of information. Prominent world conductors, directors, and singers engaged in the Renaissance chord art were questioned about the methods they use to train a choral ensemble to sing unaccompanied polyphony in a style that may be labelled Renaissance. Singers from unconducted ensembles revealed a different approach with practical performing conditions in mind. Advice about such matters as ensemble blend, diction, music-text relationship, tuning, and expressive nuances is categorised and presented in this paper. As research is in progress, no final solution to this problem is offered, but some interesting ideas and methods are highlighted.