Point of Contact: Where Ictus meets Onset

Abstract

There is a wonderful confluence when the conductor’s ictus and the singer’s onset meet with a balanced and integrated connection: such is the moment which identifies the first sounds of a performance, with its musical and artistic intent. As conductors, we are not always aware of the relationship that exists in this moment: that point of contact that propels the music forward, when the movement of the hand connects with the breath and the approximation of the vocal cords at the start of phonation. The ictus is a horizontal, imaginary line that exists in the conducting space in front of us. It is that place where we create the invitation for the sound to begin. In essence, it is a flexible state of readiness as the conductor prepares to move. This, in turn, informs the sound aesthetic and the manner of singing. The singers rely on the conductor to give an indication of when to breath, a responsibility which both conductor and singer will take, which is worked out in rehearsal.