International Choir Festival InCanto Mediterraneo
Chris Rowbury Chris Rowbury

Categories

Archives

Chris Rowbury's Blog Entries

  • 10 ways to breathe new life into old songs

    Added December 2, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1344 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Sometimes old choir repertoire becomes stale.   Photo by quinn.anya   Well-loved songs start to wear out and lose their sparkle. What can you do to overcome this?   The more the choir sing a particular song, the deeper they go... read more

  • Why it’s easier to sing to 1,000 strangers than friends and family

    Added November 25, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1754 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Put me in front of a huge crowd of strangers and I’ll perform loud and proud.   Photo by Anirudh Koul   But in a room full of friends and family I get embarrassed and stumble. Why is this?   what do you care what they th... read more

  • Stop me if you’ve sung this before: learning different versions of songs you already know

    Added November 18, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1004 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   A while back I taught a song wrongly. Not for the first time!     Even though I corrected myself quickly, the original version stuck in people’s minds and now they can’t shift it.   songs become habit fast It takes... read more

  • Taking a song from source to performance – the many roles of a choir leader

    Added November 11, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1227 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   My main skill is as a teacher of songs to those who don’t read music.   Photo by elfsternberg   Other choir leaders have different skills – like polishing songs for performance (see Teacher of songs or song polisher - whi... read more

  • We’ve come to sing, not to learn!

    Added November 4, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1123 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   People come to my singing workshops because they love to sing.   Photo by Rex Pe   But first they have to spend time learning songs.   This is most evident for those of us who teach songs by ear. Before everyone can sing toget... read more

  • Are singing workshops just a middle-class pastime?

    Added October 28, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1378 views - 2 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I run singing workshops all over the place (why not book me and try one?).   Photo by C. Moses   At some places the workshops are full and there is a waiting list. At others it’s a struggle to muster a dozen singers. Why is thi... read more
    2 comments

  • Breathing for singers: it’s not what you’ve got, it’s how you use it

    Added October 14, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 2884 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   As they say: size doesn’t matter, it’s what you do with it that counts.   Measuring lung capacity with a spirometer The University of Iowa ca. 1920   The size of your lungs isn’t important in singing, it’s how... read more

  • Sing like you speak – the ‘folk’ voice, or how to sing like a Bulgarian

    Added October 7, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1714 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I’ve always known that I’m more interested in traditional songs, but I’ve only just realised that it’s the vocal quality that I’m most drawn to.   Bulgarian National Women's Choir by Bruce MacRae   There... read more

  • Too many cooks – benign dictators rule!

    Added September 30, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1080 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 use the contact form if you want to submit a question.     A budding choir director writes:   “I had prepared and arranged four songs, but the... read more

  • Starting over – going back to choir after a long break

    Added September 23, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1168 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   After the long summer break, I used to arrive really early at the first choir session, sit by the door, and worry that nobody would come back.   Photo by kabun   I worry less now, but there are still many things to consider after you... read more