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Chris Rowbury's Blog Entries

  • How to sing – the definitive guide

    Added September 26, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 1008 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   “How to sing” is one of the most common requests I get. The answer is simple: open your mouth and let the sound out.   photo by Spekoek   I’m not being facetious, it’s as simple as that. But when someone ... read more

  • New singing weekends and new website!

    Added September 24, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 553 views - 0 comments
    I'm delighted to be able to announce that  a brand new, full responsive version of my website will go live tomorrow, Tuesday 25 September 2018:   chrisrowbury.com     This will coincide with my twice-yearly newsletter going out to my mailing list where I'll be announcing all my singing weekends up until next June 2019. &... read more

  • How many breaks should you have on a singing course?

    Added September 19, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 865 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   People pay good money to come on a singing course and want to sing as much as they can.     But everyone needs a break. How do you find the balance between singing and time off?   singing weekend timetables When I started... read more

  • Where do you find all your songs?

    Added September 12, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 693 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   This is a question I’m often asked at my singing workshops, especially by people starting out as choir leaders.   photo by James Vaughan   There is often the assumption that I must have travelled to all the countries that ... read more

  • Your job as a choir leader is to disappear

    Added September 5, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 741 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   In David Zweig’s book he talks about Invisibles: people who are unseen when their job is done perfectly (who only draw attention to themselves when things go wrong).     It got me thinking that most of a choir leader’... read more

  • If some singers want more and some want less, then you must be doing something right!

    Added August 29, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 661 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I aim to please everyone in my choirs and singing workshops. I know it’s an impossible task (see Keeping a choir happy – you can’t please everyone), but I try.   photo by DurhamDundee   How do you know when you... read more

  • It’s summer – where have all the choir gone??!!

    Added August 15, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 936 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   The evening’s are lighter, the weather is warmer, the songs are amazing, the singing’s as good as ever – it’s summer!   photo by Ansel Adams   So where has everybody gone? Why are people not turning up to... read more

  • Never let the fake perfection of pop singers put you off singing

    Added August 8, 2018 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]   In 2014 a Britney Spears recording escaped into the wild which demonstrates that without Auto-Tune her singing can be less than perfect (Experience the shocking power of Britney Spears without Auto-Tune – the video is no longer on the sit... read more

  • Regular weekly choir or drop-in singing group? – the pros and cons

    Added August 1, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 1371 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Some choirs and singing groups meet frequently, often once a week, requiring a high level of commitment. Others meet less frequently and work on a drop-in basis with no requirement to attend every session.     There are advantage... read more

  • If you’re looking for new singers, don’t expect them to come to you

    Added July 18, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 2384 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   You’ve put your fliers out, spread the word, mentioned it on Facebook, but still you find it hard to recruit new singers.   photo by Indra Hardi Saputro   If you’re asking someone to try something unfamiliar, you nee... read more