Mistango Choir Festival
Chris Rowbury Chris Rowbury

Categories

Archives

Chris Rowbury's Blog Entries

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

    Added February 17, 2016 by Chris Rowbury - 994 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   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 br... read more

  • How to plan and run a singing workshop

    Added February 10, 2016 by Chris Rowbury - 1743 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   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.   do... read more

  • How to sing a song in a foreign language

    Added February 3, 2016 by Chris Rowbury - 2834 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   “Great, a new song to learn.”   Photo by Michael Wu   “Oh, no, it’s in ‘foreign’. Help!”   listening or reading? Some songs in foreign languages are very short and have just one or tw... read more

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

    Added January 27, 2016 by Chris Rowbury - 1285 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Singing together 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 so... read more

  • Sometimes the old songs are the best – finding the balance between new and familiar

    Added January 20, 2016 by Chris Rowbury - 2106 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   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 alread... read more

  • How to improve your singing voice

    Added January 13, 2016 by Chris Rowbury - 1975 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 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 fee... read more

  • Focusing on the one frown in a sea of smiling faces

    Added December 30, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1557 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   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... read more

  • Keeping a choir happy – you can’t please everyone

    Added December 23, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 2546 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   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?   I think I’m an approachable guy, but for some reason people don’t come to me dir... read more

  • How to stop singers using word sheets in concerts

    Added December 16, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1570 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   “In our choir we’re not allowed to use words in concerts.”   Photo by Kaptain Kobold   Great idea. In principle. But how do you achieve it?   no words or else ... what? I’ve heard lots of singers say t... read more

  • You are not alone – most people in your choir think they can’t sing well

    Added December 9, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1797 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   This weekend I’m running a ‘voice clinic’ for members of my choir. I’ll be spending time working on basic vocal technique and confidence building.   Photo by asmythie   When I asked people what they want to wo... read more