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Chris Rowbury's Blog Entries

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

    Added August 8, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 1178 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 - 1384 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 - 2392 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

  • Singing – the more you do it, the worse you get!

    Added July 11, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 1162 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   You work on a song in choir week after week, but slowly things seem to get worse. You worry about getting the words right, you can’t seem to remember the second part of the melody, your voice stops hitting the high notes.   photo... read more

  • Dress to impress – choosing suitable outfits for your choir

    Added July 4, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 6810 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   As many regular readers will know, I hate a choir in uniform.     However, it is a good idea to have some kind of unifying dress code and also to show your audience that you’ve made an effort. Here are some ideas to conside... read more

  • Taking over an established choir – a guide for choir leaders

    Added June 27, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 1282 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Choir leaders don’t last forever so there will come a time when a choir needs to find a new one.     If you’re the person who gets the job it can seem daunting to take over a long-established choir. Here are a few tip... read more

  • How do you get to the truth of what your singing ability really is?

    Added June 20, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 1027 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   There is often a mismatch between how good you think you are as a singer and what your abilities really are.     Some people vastly overrate their singing abilities (just watch X Factor!), whilst others with a fine singing voice ... read more

  • Choir? Chorale? Ensemble? What’s in a name?

    Added June 13, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 9251 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Many of you know that I avoid using the ‘C’ word: choir. But there other similar terms that I find just as bad: chorus, chorale, chamber choir.     What’s in a name? What does it tell you about the singing group... read more

  • What makes a ‘good’ singer? – it’s all about context

    Added June 6, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 1401 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I believe that everyone can sing. If you want to know more, you can read “Everyone can sing” – what the hell does that mean??!!   photo by Hollywata   Given t... read more

  • “Darling, your technique is showing” – don’t be a singer who is all style and no substance

    Added May 30, 2018 by Chris Rowbury - 733 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   It’s usually the case that professional singers have had some sort of training in a particular singing technique.   photo by Kevin Cease   But dontcha just hate it when that’s all you see when they perform??!! All st... read more