Conductor uses hands-off approach in perparing singers for Pro Arte concert

In the midst of the Jacobs School of Music choir group Pro Arte's practice, conductor John Poole sprinted off stage while the choir finished a song.\nDuring another song, in which four students sang, Poole sat in the audience, patiently watching and listening.\n"I like to encourage them to listen and to watch each other, so they can breathe and sing together if necessary without a conductor," Poole said.\nPro Arte -- one of the more advanced choirs on campus, Poole said -- will perform songs by Henry Purcell from the mid to late 17th century at 8 p.m. Tuesday. in Auer Hall.\nThe choir, comprising about 28 singers, emphasizes performing music from earlier periods but sings contemporary music as well.\nThe chief aim of the group, Poole said, is to make music and have a good time while doing it.\nMost of the students are vocal performance majors, like sophomore Arwen Myers, but students with musical talent and interest are welcome to join even if their major is not music.\nAs a first-year student in Pro Arte, Myers said she loves how everybody in the group "really wants to be here" and said the group is fun.\nMyers said she considers Pro Arte one of the higher-caliber choirs on campus, which excites her.\n"There are a lot of postives with small ensembles," she said. "I'm able to get solo exposure that most undergraduates don't get a lot of." \nJunior voice major Matthew Wells, who has been a member for about one semester, said of all the ensembles he could chose to join, Pro Arte appealed to him the most.\n"I really like the type of music, and I love working with Mr. Poole," he said. "It gives me a lot of opportunities to work on music I don't normally sing in lessons."\nWells said his favorite song is Purcell's "Hear My Prayer."\n"There are some very cool moments," he said, describing how the song features eight different parts sung at the same time, coming together for an aesthetically pleasing sound.\nThe group performs roughly twice a semester, with the next concert in November, Myers said.\nPoole said a graduate associate conductor always conducts one of the two concerts.\nThe commitment, sensitivity and musicality are the elements Poole said he loves most about conducting this group. \n"They love what they are doing," Poole said. "There is no other choir group that sounds just like them"