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Chris Rowbury's Blog Entries

  • What kind of feedback do you want?

    Added April 10, 2013 by Chris Rowbury - 2002 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Last week I wrote about getting feedback from singers and choir leaders. But not all feedback is equal.   Feedback can come in many forms: speech, writing, applause, by email, face to face, and so on. Sometimes one form is more useful than anot... read more

  • Why feedback is important when teaching and learning songs

    Added April 2, 2013 by Chris Rowbury - 1730 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I was running a one-day workshop a while back and it seemed to me that the whole thing wasn’t gelling. People seemed uninspired, energy was low, and it was taking ages for people to pick up the songs.     Tumbs down by goldberg &... read more

  • Can auditioned choirs still be ‘community’ choirs?

    Added March 27, 2013 by Chris Rowbury - 1591 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Nat started his choir four years ago. He has slowly built the numbers up to a fairly stable 35 or so, but thinks it’s time for a change.     photo by wcc.webster   If he auditions, does it mean that he will be going against... read more

  • How to deal with song lyrics 3: foreign words and beyond the first verse

    Added March 20, 2013 by Chris Rowbury - 3095 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Last week I looked at how you get beyond the written word if you've been learning lyrics from sheets of paper.     This week I want to look at songs which are not in English, and also the difficulty with songs which haev several verses.... read more

  • How to deal with song lyrics 2: leaving the written word behind

    Added March 13, 2013 by Chris Rowbury - 3988 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Last week in Part 1 of How to deal with song lyrics, I looked at the pros and cons of using written words as opposed to learning entirely by ear.       This week I want to look at how you get beyond the written word if you’ve ... read more

  • How to deal with song lyrics 1: written down or learnt by ear?

    Added March 6, 2013 by Chris Rowbury - 3581 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Unless you’re singing vocalises or songs with just one word (‘alleluia’, ‘mravalžamier’), you have to deal with lyrics at some point.     How do you first encounter them – written down or heard? How c... read more

  • Why choirs shouldn’t sing pop songs

    Added February 27, 2013 by Chris Rowbury - 5578 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I used to lead a women’s singing group. We tried a Bob Marley song once. One of the singers used to say: “If it sounds like the Women’s Institute sing The Rolling Stones, then we shouldn’t perform it!”. We didn’t. ... read more

  • Trying to please all the people all the time

    Added February 20, 2013 by Chris Rowbury - 1500 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I found myself last week arranging a bunch of songs to teach at the weekend. As usual, I’d left it far too late and was feeling rushed.     Smiley face stickers by South Carolina's Northern Kingdom   Which set me wondering:... read more

  • Singers should spend more time in the audience

    Added February 14, 2013 by Chris Rowbury - 1922 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I love my job. I get to stand in front of a bunch of singers and hear wonderful harmonies washing over me.     Antony Gormley's Field for the British Isles by Simon Collison   But if you’re a singer in the choir, you never ... read more

  • Breaking the habit of a lunchtime

    Added February 7, 2013 by Chris Rowbury - 1348 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   It doesn’t take long to form a habit. Sometimes just a tea break, let alone a whole lunchtime. But it can take ages to break a habit.     Habits can be useful sometimes, but they can also get in the way of learning and creativity.... read more