Mistango Choir Festival
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Chris Rowbury's Blog Entries

  • “Everyone can sing” – what the hell does that mean??!!

    Added June 3, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1495 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   There is (apparently) a proverb from Zimbabwe  that says: “If you can walk, then you can dance. If you can talk, then you can sing.”   Zulu nation by nualabugeye   Exactly! The whole of my work is based on my belief ... read more

  • How to be a confident singer

    Added May 27, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1352 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   When I was much younger I used to think that once you knew everything and were vastly experienced, only then would you become confident.   photo by fmgbain   But one day I was in a singing workshop when I realised that this is not tr... read more

  • What’s in a name? Creating good titles for singing workshops

    Added May 20, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 2157 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Like a newspaper headline, or a title for a blog post, a good name for a singing workshop can make all the difference.   Queue for the Banksy Exhibition (Nigel Mykura) / CC BY-SA 2.0)   I’m constantly wrestling with titles for ... read more

  • How to move forward when you’re uninspired

    Added May 13, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1120 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I’m having a tough time writing this blog post.   Colleen is bored by scragz   I didn’t sleep well last night, I’ve been over-doing it, I have too much on my plate, and I have no idea what to write about.   A... read more

  • Do you need perfect pitch to lead a choir?

    Added May 6, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1016 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]     This post is part of a series of occasional Questions and Answers. Just use the contact form if you want to submit a question.   A budding choir director writes:   “Last year I got involved with helping to lead a communit... read more

  • In praise of imperfection in art

    Added April 29, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 911 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Some people just love anything that’s finely honed, all shined up, squeaky clean, highly skilled and perfectly rendered. Not me.     Give me imperfection and humanity any time!   darling, your technique is showing!  ... read more

  • Hearing ALL the harmonies – you sound better than you think

    Added April 22, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1200 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   At the end of each of my one-day workshops I’ve recently started to record all the songs I’ve taught during the day. It’s nice for people to be able to take something away to remind them of the songs.     But one com... read more

  • Working with a big choir - challenges and solutions

    Added April 15, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 8066 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Size is in the eye of the beholder. How ‘big’ a choir is depends on the context of course, but working with a large group of singers in any circumstances can prove to be difficult.   Photo by -bartimaeus-   I recently sta... read more

  • Why singing is bad for you (and 7 reasons why you shouldn’t stop doing it)

    Added April 8, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 9199 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   People don’t often talk about the downsides of singing.     We constantly bang on about the health benefits, social aspects, etc. but seldom mention the bad bits.   Here are 7 terrible things that might happen to you if y... read more

  • The challenges of commissioning a new piece for your choir

    Added April 1, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 2172 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I find it hard to believe, but I started my choir WorldSong way back in October 1997. In 2007, we planned several events to celebrate our 10th anniversary.   photo by Foxtongue   One of these involved commissioning a song especially ... read more