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  • A choir is a shining example of the perfect community

    Added March 19, 2014 by Chris Rowbury - 2280 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Last weekend I ran a singing workshop for 40 strangers. As always everyone worked well together (no prima donnas!) and we produced a wonderful sound at the end of the day.   Working together by lumax   I do workshops like this so ofte... read more

  • Finding a niche for ‘world music’ choirs

    Added March 12, 2014 by Chris Rowbury - 1470 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I regularly get emails out of the blue from various singing groups scattered across the globe asking for gigs. Recently I had one from a Russian ensemble, and before that one from a women’s group in the US. They all ask if I can help them to se... read more

  • The pros and cons of using churches for choir performances

    Added March 5, 2014 by Chris Rowbury - 1543 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   It is always difficult to find suitable venues for choir performances.   photo by Ben Dodson   Churches are usually very welcoming (and often fairly cheap), but with their fixed architecture they can be limiting. There is also the pro... read more

  • When audiences applaud – or not

    Added February 26, 2014 by Chris Rowbury - 1353 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   There are times when it’s not been appropriate for an audience to clap. Funerals and weddings are the obvious ones.   photo by Linda Thomas   But not getting applause can throw singers. Maybe it means they don’t like us! ... read more

  • The pleasures of the untrained voice

    Added February 19, 2014 by Chris Rowbury - 1377 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   In 2010 artist Susan Philipsz won the Turner Prize  for "a sound piece consisting of her own frail beautiful voice singing a Scottish lament over the black waters of the Clyde". When her nomination was discussed on the Culture Show on BBC2, Ben ... read more

  • Music lives in flawed humans and not on the page

    Added February 12, 2014 by Chris Rowbury - 1026 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I met a painter a while back and he asked me if I was an artist. I told him that I didn’t paint, but that I worked with music. He then asked: “Where do you think the music resides? Is it in the written score?”   photo by Ja... read more

  • How to use gestures to conduct your choir effectively

    Added February 5, 2014 by Chris Rowbury - 2074 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Sometimes I describe my job as being the guy who stands out front and waves his arms about. “I point, you sing” is what I tell the choir.   Caradog Statue, Aberdare by Darren Wyn Rees   That is basically what the job entai... read more

  • 12 ideas to help deal with problems in a small chorus

    Added January 29, 2014 by Chris Rowbury - 1765 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   This post is part of a series of occasional Questions and Answers on my own blog.Just use the contact form if you want to submit a question.  A choir leader asks:   “I would very much appreciate your response to something that ... read more

  • Song meanings lost in translation

    Added January 22, 2014 by Chris Rowbury - 2318 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I have to admit that I’m not really a lyric person. I might have been listening to a particular pop song in English for years when I suddenly realise what it’s actually about! Or someone might point out the really obvious meaning to me, w... read more

  • Does your choir really need a conductor (and if so, how many)?

    Added January 17, 2014 by Chris Rowbury - 1630 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 run a small women’s choir of 12 singers. One day it dawned on me that my job was to make myself redundant.     I researched, arranged and taught a variety of songs to the group each week. But when it came to performance... read more