THE UNISON CHOIR AND STYLE OF CONDUCTING BY A CHEF

Conducting style known as Tef (rhythm instrument) is a continuos tradition for classical Fasıl music of Turkish classical music.

The unison choir system is an innovation (this expression had been used Mr. Mesut Cemil firstly.) Conducting style by a conductor brought a new vigour to the classical measure. But the chef will not only beat time in front of the choir. The chef must be responsible to take the choir into the atmosphere of compositions, and must have knowledge of music, artistic vision, and high level taste and must be of high authority.

The Fasıl music groups have been generally divided in two groups. Small Fasıl music groups and large fasıl music groups and the music was conducted by (rhythmic instruments) beating time and there was no need for a conductor.

The styles of tuning and the western conducting style with a conductor show differences. You can not conduct the major rhythms by a conductor and for that reason a rhythmical instrument had been used.

The innovation of conducting by a conductor does not mean the conductor has taken the place of rhythmical instruments. In the Fasıl style a set repertoire of songs should be followed in a regular order. But in the conducting system the choir could be conducted without that such repertoire.

A remarkable point is the connection with the conductor and the soloist. In this new system the soloist can not use his (or her) arms together with the conductor.

This could be accepted as disrespectful to the conductor.

Expanion of the Turkish music’s repertoire is another important subject in this respect.