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Chris Rowbury's Blog Entries

  • Perfect presents for choral singers

    Added December 23, 2020 by Chris Rowbury - 513 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]It’s that time of year again when you still have time to to pop to the local garage for last-minute presents. What on earth can you get for the choral singers in your life? Here are some super ideas for ideal presents.Pretty much every magazine ... read more

  • If a song’s not working, when do you stop flogging the dead horse?

    Added December 16, 2020 by Chris Rowbury - 489 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]Sometimes I bring a great song to choir and for some reason the singers really struggle with it. photo by Clear Path International How do you decide whether to persist with a song until it comes right, or just abandon it and move on? Let’s look... read more

  • Why singing together is a great healer

    Added December 9, 2020 by Chris Rowbury - 523 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]The world can be a scary and upsetting place. When I wrote this back in 2016, here in the UK we were witnessing political infighting, uncertain futures, austerity measures and a rise in racism (so, what else is new?). And now we have a pandemic. photo... read more

  • Why learning songs with foreign lyrics need not be scary

    Added December 2, 2020 by Chris Rowbury - 609 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]I teach songs from all over the world, often in foreign languages. But people are always asking me for more songs in English. Why is this? Especially since singers usually find the songs with English lyrics harder! why do singers want songs in Englis... read more

  • How male singers can successfully pitch from a woman (and how women can pitch from a man)

    Added November 25, 2020 by Chris Rowbury - 569 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]As we saw last week, many singers struggle with finding (and keeping) their starting notes. photo by Albin Olsson What can make it even harder is if a man is trying to pitch from a woman, or vice versa. Here’s what happens and how you can overc... read more

  • Finding (and keeping) your starting note

    Added November 18, 2020 by Chris Rowbury - 621 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]Many singers struggle with finding their starting note. Once they’ve nailed that, they’re off and it’s no problem. How can you make sure you’ve got the right starting note and, more importantly, how can you keep hold of it befo... read more

  • Neither fish nor fowl – why most singers don’t fit neatly into SATB boxes

    Added November 11, 2020 by Chris Rowbury - 655 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] The fact is that most of us don’t fit neatly into SATB boxes. What are we to do? Once upon a time we used to sing together and somehow find a place for our voice. We’d even sing harmony parts, happily mixing male and female voices in eac... read more

  • Singing in a group is a learnt skill – if you find it hard, it doesn’t mean you can’t sing

    Added November 6, 2020 by Chris Rowbury - 505 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] Many people won’t consider joining a choir or going to a singing workshop because they believe they can’t ‘sing’. Yet ask them to sing something familiar like Happy Birthday and they have no problem. What’s going on here... read more

  • Whatever you’ve managed to do during lockdown, you’re doing great

    Added October 28, 2020 by Chris Rowbury - 511 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] I keep seeing virtual choirs on Facebook and hearing about amazing Zoom singing sessions. Photo by Virginia State Parks It’s hard not to compare and feel that you’re not keeping up. But whatever you’ve managed to do, you’re d... read more

  • Singing with masks: advice for choir leaders

    Added October 21, 2020 by Chris Rowbury - 1096 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] I wrote last week about how wearing masks might affect singers and how they can overcome any obstacles. This week I want to look at the impact on choir leaders. Choirs are starting to rehearse again, both indoors and outdoors. Many are insisting tha... read more