Up until now your beat has been very middle-of-the-road, very neutral. But what if you want to indicate a particular character, say staccato? What if the music calls for a really legato melodic line? Articulation comes in a wide spectrum of different types – how do you get the articulation you want, or that the music requires, from your singers?

A major part of the answer is to do with the character of your beat pattern. It’s how you prompt a specific articulation from your singers. So for example, for legato your gestures should be smoother and more rounded. Whereas to show staccato, your conducting should be angular and with a more pronounced ictus. And if the music is marcato, you hit harder, with more spikey gestures. Generally, your go-to should be in the middle, neither too ‘spikey’ and staccato, nor overly ‘washy’ and legato.