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Chris Rowbury's Blog Entries

  • We’ve come to sing, not to learn!

    Added November 4, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1112 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   People come to my singing workshops because they love to sing.   Photo by Rex Pe   But first they have to spend time learning songs.   This is most evident for those of us who teach songs by ear. Before everyone can sing toget... read more

  • Are singing workshops just a middle-class pastime?

    Added October 28, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1368 views - 2 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I run singing workshops all over the place (why not book me and try one?).   Photo by C. Moses   At some places the workshops are full and there is a waiting list. At others it’s a struggle to muster a dozen singers. Why is thi... read more
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  • Breathing for singers: it’s not what you’ve got, it’s how you use it

    Added October 14, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 2876 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   As they say: size doesn’t matter, it’s what you do with it that counts.   Measuring lung capacity with a spirometer The University of Iowa ca. 1920   The size of your lungs isn’t important in singing, it’s how... read more

  • Sing like you speak – the ‘folk’ voice, or how to sing like a Bulgarian

    Added October 7, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1683 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I’ve always known that I’m more interested in traditional songs, but I’ve only just realised that it’s the vocal quality that I’m most drawn to.   Bulgarian National Women's Choir by Bruce MacRae   There... read more

  • Too many cooks – benign dictators rule!

    Added September 30, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1070 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 use the contact form if you want to submit a question.     A budding choir director writes:   “I had prepared and arranged four songs, but the... read more

  • Starting over – going back to choir after a long break

    Added September 23, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1151 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   After the long summer break, I used to arrive really early at the first choir session, sit by the door, and worry that nobody would come back.   Photo by kabun   I worry less now, but there are still many things to consider after you... read more

  • Men's harmony singing improvers weekend 13-15 November, Cambridgeshire

    Added September 16, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 2115 views - 0 comments
    I'm always trying to get more men singing.   For some reason some men don't like mixed group, but prefer to sing with their own kind. I must admit that there is something special about hearing all male (or all female) voices in harmony together - it has another dimension from a mixed choir.   I thought I'd offer a chance for men to si... read more

  • What songs do atheists sing?

    Added September 16, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1054 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I’ve been asked to create a choir specially for an inter-faith event.   Photo by Catholic Church   There will be contributors from Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and more. Plenty of songs to choose from. But w... read more

  • Name that tune! – earworms, musical memory and other strange phenomena

    Added September 10, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 893 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Sometimes I only have to hear two notes of a song and I know what it is.   Photo by bishib70   Often I join in with someone singing a song only to realise that I’m singing a completely different one. What’s going on here?... read more

  • Putting the hours in – are singers born or made?

    Added August 26, 2015 by Chris Rowbury - 1067 views - 0 comments
    [A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I had a girlfriend who believed that we are all capable of anything if we just put enough effort in.   Photo by _foam   She believed that if you fail at something or are not very good at it, then you just don’t want it that muc... read more