[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from almost 30 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of songs from traditions ac...

[this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I realise that apart from my profile page on this blog, you probably don’t know much about me or my journey to become a choir and singing workshop lea...

www.creativityaustralia.org.au Singing is the language of the heart. For centuries, song has played a key role in community, culture and story-telling worldwide. Yet how many people dare to sing freely these days... apart from in the shower? Community s...  morewww.creativityaustralia.org.au Singing is the language of the heart. For centuries, song has played a key role in community, culture and story-telling worldwide. Yet how many people dare to sing freely these days... apart from in the shower? Community singing empowers voices that have been silenced, unleashes creative potential... and that's just the start. Please like, share and comment on our videos to celebrate the joy of song! WHAT WE DO Every week, Creativity Australia's With One Voice choirs inspire people from more than 40 nationalities, aged 9 to 90, to sing Side-by-Side. Age, race, language, religion, disability and disadvantage fade away. Everyone is welcome. WHY WE DO IT For some, choir is a way to de-stress after work. For others, it's a first glimpse into Australian life after arriving here as a migrant, asylum seeker or refugee. For others, it's an opportunity to connect to networks, skills and employment. It's all about joy, freedom and inspiration. When diverse voices sing together, peopl...    less

"INCERTITUDE" by Santiago Veros Lyrics by Charles Anthony Silvestri A piece commissioned for the Central Bucks High School-West Choir of Doylestown, Pennsylvania by Dr. Joseph Ohrt. Music Copyright ©2019 Santiago Veros Recording Copyright ©2019 Sa...  more"INCERTITUDE" by Santiago Veros Lyrics by Charles Anthony Silvestri A piece commissioned for the Central Bucks High School-West Choir of Doylestown, Pennsylvania by Dr. Joseph Ohrt. Music Copyright ©2019 Santiago Veros Recording Copyright ©2019 Santiago Veros Recorded by Matthew Curtis (vocals) Purchase scores here: http://bit.ly/2v9bMht UpComing interpretations: April 26 St. James Cathedral, Chicago May 4 Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia May 16 Central Bucks High School-West, Doylestown May 18 Trinity Cathedral, Trenton *for interest in commissioning, please contact the composer at contact@santiagoveros.site  less

BEING MORE THAN THE SUM OF YOUR PARTS:   "I can't make it to rehearsal Tonight, but it's ok, I know all the notes, it won't make a difference if I'm not there"   ...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Having written about starting your own community choir, in 2011 I put my money where my mouth is and started a brand new singing group – my first in...

What happens when a piece of music dares to become a manifesto instead of just a melody? Back in 2019, I received a commission for a new work centered on diversity and divergence. The story behind the commission is shrouded in a bit of myth—layered...

Dance song. 1. Hey people, people, Here is your liberty 2. Vibrant is the lilac tree, My beloved is a partisan 3. On the other Side of the Morave (river in Croatia) a girl is reading the newspaper This outdoor performance was the culmination o...  moreDance song. 1. Hey people, people, Here is your liberty 2. Vibrant is the lilac tree, My beloved is a partisan 3. On the other Side of the Morave (river in Croatia) a girl is reading the newspaper This outdoor performance was the culmination of a six-week project which creates a choir from scratch for one night only. Each winter and summer, Chris Rowbury gathers a random bunch of singers from in and around Ipswich. There are no auditions and all songs are taught and learnt by ear. Usually eight songs are learnt in six two-hour sessions and in the summer are performed outdoors near Ipswich. http://chrisrowbury.com  less

Set performance of London City Singers at the 2013 TEDxWhitehallWomen