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  • The pros and cons of using churches for choir performances

    Added March 5, 2014 by Chris Rowbury - 1541 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 - 1352 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 - 1376 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 - 1025 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 - 2065 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 - 1764 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 - 2309 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 - 1622 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

  • How to deal with unwanted talking during choir rehearsals without killing anybody

    Added January 10, 2014 by Chris Rowbury - 5734 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I’m usually the last one to notice, but often when I’m teaching one section of the choir, there’s chit chat from the rest of the singers.   photo by Mel B.   It’s not necessarily off-topic and is often about th... read more

  • Looking forward/ Looking back

    Added January 1, 2014 by Chris Rowbury - 1447 views - 0 comments
    [this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Time to look forward to the coming year.   with thanks to my lovely assistant Susie Mendelsson   Look back first to realise all the big mistakes you made, make a note of all those missed opportunities and unrealised dreams, then forwa... read more