Lindsey Orcutt:

>Not sure of other symphonic conductors, but I've always heard (from a
>conducting class I took in college and from other places) that choral
>conductors often don't use a baton.  The difference is that singers have
>their music closer to their faces and can see the different hand gestures
>used because they have more "visual range".

This would make sense, considering many of the conductors I have seen
conducting sans baton also have ample experience in the choral repertoire:
Gergiev, Brueggen, Koopman, Gardiner.  Come to think of it, the practice
seems more frequent among HIP conductors.  What could be the reason for
that?

Ruben