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Chris Rowbury's Blog Entries

  • Sometimes the old songs are the best – finding the balance between new and familiar

    Added January 20, 2016 by Chris Rowbury - 2091 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I have a low boredom threshold. There are 100s of gorgeous new songs I want to teach and it’s hard to cram them all in.   Photo by Leo Reynolds   But more often than not, singers want to sing the old, familiar songs they alread... read more

  • How to improve your singing voice

    Added January 13, 2016 by Chris Rowbury - 1967 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]     This post is part of a series of occasional Questions and Answers. Just contact Chris if you want to submit a question.     Tim wrote in to ask:     “I have been trying to sing for a very long time but I fee... read more

  • Focusing on the one frown in a sea of smiling faces

    Added December 30, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1546 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Everything in the concert is going brilliantly. The choir is firing on all cylinders. The audience are lapping it up, even your lame banter between songs.   Photo by Suarez Leandro   Then you spot the one person frowning in amongst a... read more

  • Keeping a choir happy – you can’t please everyone

    Added December 23, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 2532 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   There have been grumblings in my choir of late. Some people are not happy.     But is it possible to keep everyone in a choir happy?   I think I’m an approachable guy, but for some reason people don’t come to me dir... read more

  • How to stop singers using word sheets in concerts

    Added December 16, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1562 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   “In our choir we’re not allowed to use words in concerts.”   Photo by Kaptain Kobold   Great idea. In principle. But how do you achieve it?   no words or else ... what? I’ve heard lots of singers say t... read more

  • You are not alone – most people in your choir think they can’t sing well

    Added December 9, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1792 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   This weekend I’m running a ‘voice clinic’ for members of my choir. I’ll be spending time working on basic vocal technique and confidence building.   Photo by asmythie   When I asked people what they want to wo... read more

  • 10 ways to breathe new life into old songs

    Added December 2, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1337 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Sometimes old choir repertoire becomes stale.   Photo by quinn.anya   Well-loved songs start to wear out and lose their sparkle. What can you do to overcome this?   The more the choir sing a particular song, the deeper they go... read more

  • Why it’s easier to sing to 1,000 strangers than friends and family

    Added November 25, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1747 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Put me in front of a huge crowd of strangers and I’ll perform loud and proud.   Photo by Anirudh Koul   But in a room full of friends and family I get embarrassed and stumble. Why is this?   what do you care what they th... read more

  • Stop me if you’ve sung this before: learning different versions of songs you already know

    Added November 18, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 997 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   A while back I taught a song wrongly. Not for the first time!     Even though I corrected myself quickly, the original version stuck in people’s minds and now they can’t shift it.   songs become habit fast It takes... read more

  • Taking a song from source to performance – the many roles of a choir leader

    Added November 11, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1222 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   My main skill is as a teacher of songs to those who don’t read music.   Photo by elfsternberg   Other choir leaders have different skills – like polishing songs for performance (see Teacher of songs or song polisher - whi... read more