The Singer, The Click Track & The Conductor

During this last Christmas season, I had the opportunity to perform guitar/mandolin duties at Saddleback Church’s Christmas production of The Journey.

One of the things that I thoroughly enjoy is playing with an orchestra. It usually takes a little more concentration than just playing in a rhythm section. Tempos are usually set and maintained by the Conductor…unless you are playing to a click track.

When playing guitar in a standard worship setting, one personal rule that I have is “always stay with the worship leader or singer”.
Of course, as a musician, a primary rule is to always play in rhythm.
When playing in an orchestra, the rule is, the Conductor rules.

In one particular selection from the Journey (which used a click track with additional recorded material), the vocalist decided to sing very expressively (translated; she sang way behind the beat). Of course this caused the Conductor (the masterful Bob Barrett) to conduct somewhere between the click and the singer.

So here were my dilemmas;
If I follow the singer, I will not be in rhythm with the click.
If I follow the click, the singer is out on her own never to be rescued.
If I follow the conductor, I will have to violate my own sense of hearing & rhythm in order to be in rhythm.

I followed the Conductor because when playing in an orchestra, the rule is, the Conductor rules.

I like to get callbacks.