From the front of the choir

There's always one! – coping with different singing abilities in a small group

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 20 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Sometimes in a small group there is just one person out of step with everyone else.

In a large choir, it’s not too much of a problem, but the smaller the group, the more noticeable it is. How can we deal with this?

Normal service has been resumed!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:33:00 +0000

Some of you may have had difficulty finding this blog these last few days.

My apologies. I changed website host and have only now just managed to link the blog to my website address.

Did ya miss me?

When is singing jargon not singing jargon?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 13 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Jargon is a useful shorthand for people in the know. But for those outside our world, it can be confusing or even meaningless.

We might think we’re being clear, but how can we be sure that everyone understands what we’re trying to get across?

Training to be a choir or singing workshop leader

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 06 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

I often get enquiries about how you train to become a choir or singing workshop leader.

I don’t offer courses myself, but there are a few around. But do you really need training?

Singing is all about listening

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +0000

I wrote last week about people who think they can’t ‘sing’ because they think they need training or singing lessons first (Your singing voice: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!).

We focus so much on our mouths and what comes out of them, that often we forget one of the most important aspect of singing: listening.

Your singing voice: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +0000

I wrote a post a a few years back called Do you need singing lessons in order to sing?

Photo by Anna Strumillo

My main point was that many people are frightened to sing in public before they’ve had ‘training’ or ‘proper’ singing lessons. But can’t you just sing without any ‘technique’?
Continue reading >>

Can you be the wrong age to sing?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Here in the UK the arts seem to cater for just three age groups.

Photo by vintagedept

If you don’t fit into one of these, then woe betide you!

Does ‘world music choir’ actually mean anything?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +0000

When I’m promoting a singing workshop or recruiting for a choir, I want a shorthand way of describing the kind of songs I teach.

Photo by Amir Taj

There is such a range of different ‘choirs’ out there (which is great!), that we need to distinguish between them so people can make an informed choice. But does ‘world music choir’ actually mean anything useful?

Invent a singing workshop (and win a free place)

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +0000

I’m always on the lookout for new ideas for singing workshops.

I’ve pretty much covered all the bases so far: gospel, Eastern European, sacred songs, ABBA, Beatles, Beach Boys, Paul Simon, 60s California, World Music, Sing Africa, Rhythm and Voice, Songs from the British Isles, Men’s harmony singing, Classic Pop, Songs from the 60s, and more ...

I’m running out of ideas, so I thought I’d hand it over to you.

Does a community make a choir, or does a choir create a community?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 10:00:00 +0000

I’ve written before about how hard it is to get a cross-section of ages and genders in your choir (How to recruit singers to truly reflect your local community).

Photo by Jose Paulo Carvalho Pereira

But maybe that’s because we don’t have strong communities any more – at least not here in the UK.

First choir rehearsal is great, then it’s all down hill!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 10:00:00 +0000

It’s the first week of the new choir. Everyone is having fun, songs are being learnt at a cracking pace, the whole room is in tune with each other, things are really cooking!

Then the following week everything goes pear-shaped and things fall apart. It’s as if everyone has lost their way, has forgotten how to sing and can’t remember any of the songs! What’s going on here?

The social side of singing: any excuse for a tea break!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 10:00:00 +0000

When I’m booked to run a singing workshop for someone, I always make sure that I get there early. I usually arrive to find people milling around, chatting and drinking tea.

Photo by World Agroforesty Centre

The hardest part of the day is to then get them singing!

Don’t sing what you don’t know (or don’t like)

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:30:00 +0000

“I hate this song!”

Well, don’t sing it then.

“No, it’s OK, I’ll do it”.

Photo by Anna Strumillo

Can I call myself a ‘singer’?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0000

One place I work at, they call my workshops ‘singers weekends’.

Somebody once told me they couldn’t come on one because they weren’t a ‘singer’.

How to practice a choir song on your own (and a big concert’s coming up)

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0000

A concert is looming and there are a couple of songs you don’t know that well.

Photo by _foam

You’ll need to put in some practice at home, but how do you rehearse on your own?

“Singing workshop”: a building where songs are repaired?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0000

I was at a business meeting recently and we were asked what we did. I explained as well as I could.

Photo © Copyright Anne Burgess and licensed for reuse
under this Creative Commons Licence

A guy came up to me in the break and asked: “Yes, but what actually happens in one of your sessions? And what is a ‘workshop’ any way?

How to plan and run a singing workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Planning a singing workshop is a lot like planning a regular choir session.

Photo by Pink Singers

The main differences are that a workshop is usually a one-off and the participants will usually be strangers.

How to sing a song in a foreign language

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

“Great, a new song to learn.”

Photo by Michael Wu

“Oh, no, it’s in ‘foreign’. Help!”

We’re all equal here: singing together is the great leveller

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Singing together or being in a choir is one of the most egalitarian experiences we can have.

Photo by wynlok

It doesn’t matter how much you earn, what your job is, where you went to school or who you know. Just add your voice to the overall sound.

Sometimes old is best – finding the balance between new and familiar

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

I have a low boredom threshold. There are 100s of gorgeous new songs I want to teach and it’s hard to cram them all in.

Photo by Leo Reynolds

But more often than not, singers want to sing the old, familiar songs they already know well. How to strike the right balance?

How to improve your singing voice

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

This post is part of a series of occasional Questions and Answers.
Just contact Chris if you want to submit a question.

Tim wrote in to ask:

“I have been trying to sing for a very long time but I feel I always get tight in the throat when I lose confidence, when I hear myself sound bad, or even if some people are around.

“I was in a chorus for a year and I could hit every note, I just can't exactly ‘sing’, do you know what I mean? I can’t hear myself out of a group.”

Well, Tim, there are quite a few things going on here! And I’m sure there are plenty of other singers out there who can relate to what you’ve written.

Setting your goals for 2012 (guaranteed to work!)

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

It’s the time of year when many people make resolutions, set goals and devise plans for the coming year.

Photo by --Tico--

But is this a useful thing to do, and if you do it, how likely are you to achieve what you set out to do?

The 10 most popular posts of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

First of all, if you’re reading this post on Christmas Day: shame on you! Can’t you leave the computer alone for just one day in the year??!!

Photo by Paul Wittal

But since you’re here, I thought I’d highlight the most popular posts of 2011 in case you missed any of them . . .

Focusing on the one frown in a sea of smiling faces

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Everything in the concert is going brilliantly. The choir is firing on all cylinders. The audience are lapping it up, even your lame banter between songs.

Photo by Suarez Leandro

Then you spot the one person frowning in amongst a thousand smiling faces and the doubts set in.

Keeping a choir happy – you can’t please everyone

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Rowbury) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

There have been grumblings in my choir of late. Some people are not happy.

But is it possible to keep everyone in a choir happy?