Why do many choral conductors conduct only with the hands and not with baton?
Answer Hi Nancy, This is a very astute question! You obviously are knowledgeable about music and pay attention to the nuance of musical performance. Conducting is an extremely expressive art form. Baton technique is a skill that can take years to develop. That being the case, it does seem odd that choral conductors choose to use their hands without a baton. There are a few reasons that make sense for this practice. The size of the group can determine this choice. Larger groups require the use of a baton more often than smaller ones. This is true for visual reasons. Performers need to see where the beat is, and this becomes more difficult as size increases. Smaller groups can often do very well without the aid of a baton. It can be a bit pretentious for a conductor to utilize a baton when the group is right in front of the conductor and there are only a few singers. The hope is that the choice to use a baton or not is driven by the music itself and the performing forces, rather than the
