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Chris Rowbury's Blog Entries

  • Instant choir – just add people

    Added May 17, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1860 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Most choirs rehearse for months to perfect their songs before they perform.   the Big Night Out Community Choir for BBC Children in Need 2012   But there is an alternative: gather a bunch of strangers together, teach them a set ... read more

  • The only thing stopping you from being a better singer is ...

    Added May 10, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 1838 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   ... YOU!   photo by Stephen Mcleod   Your job is to get out of the way and allow your unique voice to shine. Easier said than done. Recently I ran a course called Better harmony singing – the small group challenge. Before... read more

  • Stop chasing after songs for your choir – learn to respect, research and relax

    Added May 3, 2017 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]   There are people out there desperate to find more songs for their choir.   photo by Victor Grigas   They record everything at singing workshops, go to song swap sessions at every opportunity, exchange songs over the internet, an... read more

  • What exactly is the point of your choir?

    Added April 26, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 2688 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I often get people writing to me for advice about choirs. Some of them don’t agree with the direction their choir leader is taking them, some find the repertoire too hard, some have trouble with singers next to them singing out of tune, ... read more

  • Why being a confident singer is not always a good thing in a choir

    Added April 20, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 3837 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I’m all in favour of confident singers (see How to be a confident singer). The problem is there are two kinds and one of them can be disruptive in a choir.   photo by truu   There are confident singers who know what they&r... read more

  • Size matters: how to work effectively with large choirs

    Added March 29, 2017 by Chris Rowbury - 2411 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 - 2703 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 - 1467 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 - 5961 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 - 1369 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