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Chris Rowbury's Blog Entries

  • How to catch up if you miss a choir rehearsal

    Added November 8, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 2048 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Apparently there is more to life than just singing (can’t imagine what), so occasionally you may have to miss a choir rehearsal (not me though!).   photo by nataliej   Here are some tips for catching up with what you&rsquo... read more

  • How to cope with learning by ear if you usually read music notation

    Added November 1, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1294 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Many choirs use written notation to learn and perform songs. Over time singers can come to depend on having the dots in front of them.   photo by Molly Germaine These singers may then join a different choir or go to a singing worksho... read more

  • How to cope with sheet music if you don’t read and usually learn songs by ear

    Added October 25, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 4810 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   As promised in last week’s post (Singers who learn by ear vs. those who use sheet music – what happens when they swap?), this is the first of two posts helping you cope with an unfamiliar way of learning songs.   photo by J... read more

  • Singers who learn by ear vs. those who use sheet music – what happens when they swap?

    Added October 18, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 10478 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   The Natural Voice Network (NVN) has done a great deal to dispel the myth that you have to be able to read music to be in a choir.   photo by Tichonov / Тихонов   There are now plenty of choirs around where people sing and perfor... read more

  • Help! How to deal with choir members who sing out of tune?

    Added October 11, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 6424 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   In open-access choirs (which don’t audition), you often find one or two singers who struggle to pitch notes accurately.   photo by Jesus Solana   In a large choir, a few individuals singing out of tune won’t usually ... read more

  • How to learn effectively from a recording of a song in parts

    Added October 4, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1915 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Sometimes you might have to learn your song part from a recording rather than with everyone else together in a choir session.   photo by Kathy Cassidy   Here are some hints on how to do that in the most effective way. There are... read more

  • How long is the ideal choir session?

    Added September 27, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1512 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   There’s a gig coming up and you’ve still got work to do. Do you keep bashing out the notes until everyone’s perfect or do you rehearse ‘just enough’ and then go home?   photo by Toni Verdú Carb&oacu... read more

  • Fresh blood: the pros and cons of letting new singers join your choir

    Added September 20, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1375 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   As choir starts back after a break, you might notice a few new faces in the ranks.   photo by Scott A. Thornbloom   Bringing in new recruits maintains the lifeblood of a choir, but what are the pros and cons?   the benefi... read more

  • Re-booting your choir: shake things up for a new season

    Added September 13, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1732 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Many choirs will be starting back soon after a long break.   photo by velkr0   This is the perfect time to shake things up a bit if you feel things have gone a bit stale. It’s very easy for singers (and choir leaders) to ... read more

  • Singing the wrong note is not the end of the world

    Added August 30, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1509 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   How many times have you been standing next to someone in your choir section and realised that they’re singing something different from you?   photo by Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez   Are you wrong, or it it them? Act... read more