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  • Size matters: how to work effectively with large choirs

    Added March 29, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 2390 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   If I get 30 singers on one of my weekend workshops someone will say “Gosh, what a large group!” whilst another says “Quite low numbers then.”   photo by tsheko   ‘Large’ is in the eye of the b... read more

  • Don’t play a recording of a song to your choir before you teach it to them

    Added March 22, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 2685 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I’m often asked by choir members to play a recording of a song before I start teaching it so they can get an idea of how it sounds.   Photo by ~~Tone~~   Yet at a recent workshop people said that the easiest song to learn ... read more

  • Can you remember a song while standing on one leg? - recalling songs in different contexts

    Added March 15, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1458 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I teach a song in the morning and it’s sounding pretty good.   photo by kalavinka   Then after lunch I get the group to stand facing a different direction and it all goes wrong. What’s happening here?   don&rs... read more

  • If there’s too much talking in your choir, something must be right

    Added March 8, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 5945 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I read once that if there’s a lot of talking during the break in a workshop, that's a good sign because it means everyone is happy, enjoying themselves and getting along well.   photo by aavarnum   I think the same applies... read more

  • Ask questions – your choir leader (probably) won’t bite!

    Added March 1, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1341 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 a student, I’d sit in lectures scribbling down everything that the lecturer wrote on the board. Like most people there, I understood very little.     This one guy would put up his hand and ask the lecturer a naiv... read more

  • The devil doesn't always have the best songs!

    Added February 22, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1169 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   It turns out that the devil might not have the best tunes after all.     Although I run a secular choir (I don’t have a religious bone in my body) we do end up singing a lot of sacred songs. This is purely because some of t... read more

  • All change! - handing your choir over to someone else

    Added February 15, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1158 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   In January 2008 I handed over the reins of my first choir WorldSong to a new musical director after ten years at the helm.     And in September 2010 – again after ten years – I handed over the leadership of Woven Chor... read more

  • The art of persuasion: how to get people to book in advance

    Added February 8, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1488 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   "Places strictly limited." "Book now to avoid disappointment!" "To be sure of a place, please send a cheque." "Last year we sold out, so reserve a place early!"   Photo by London Permaculture   How many times have you heard thes... read more

  • You are the most important singer in your choir

    Added February 1, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 2637 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Yes, you! No matter what size your choir is, you are by far the most important singer in it.   photo by ~BillieJoesEntourage   Without you, the choir would simply not function. We couldn’t do it without you! If you left, ... read more

  • How to keep the old songs in your repertoire from going stale

    Added January 25, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1742 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Out come all the favourite songs that everyone loves – songs that you’ve sung hundreds of times before.   photo by John Bencina   But how can you stop them from going stale and keep them fresh for performance? I&rsq... read more