[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I went to see a concert by Village Harmony this week. It was over an hour long and included an amazing variety of songs from around the world: Georgi...

This will be the 17th time that we return to capital of Hungary. If you still hesitate about this event, now you can see deeper in the scene by participants of earlier Budapest International Choir Competition & Festival. “You created a plac...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] We’re always told to focus on the meaning of the lyrics when singing a song in order to communicate it properly and to give some emotion to our delivery...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 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 across th...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 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 across th...

2012十週年音樂會 高雄市文化中心至德堂 2012-11-16 指揮: 朱如鳳 伴奏: 許溎芳 詞：馬偕 曲：鄭智仁 編曲：鄭智仁、萬益嘉 1872年，加拿大傳教士馬偕（1844-1901）登陸打狗後北上淡水，在當年艱困的環境下傳教行醫並娶平埔族女子為妻，1880年建立滬尾偕醫院，亦即馬偕醫院前身；1895年出版的《福爾摩沙紀事》（Far from Formosa）書中記錄他返加拿大述職並吐露他對台灣深刻的愛。 人生的最後，長眠於他衷心所疼愛的台灣土地--現今淡水中學內，竹...  more2012十週年音樂會 高雄市文化中心至德堂 2012-11-16 指揮: 朱如鳳 伴奏: 許溎芳 詞：馬偕 曲：鄭智仁 編曲：鄭智仁、萬益嘉 1872年，加拿大傳教士馬偕（1844-1901）登陸打狗後北上淡水，在當年艱困的環境下傳教行醫並娶平埔族女子為妻，1880年建立滬尾偕醫院，亦即馬偕醫院前身；1895年出版的《福爾摩沙紀事》（Far from Formosa）書中記錄他返加拿大述職並吐露他對台灣深刻的愛。 人生的最後，長眠於他衷心所疼愛的台灣土地--現今淡水中學內，竹林搖曳的墓園。2001年，後人為紀念馬偕逝世百週年，將馬偕書中的心意撰寫有：英文版〈最後的住家〉（My Final Resting Place）；華語版（墓園石碑）及台語版，並委由主內李奎然前輩譜曲發表。至今，共有6位作曲家為台語版〈最後的住家〉譜曲（李奎然、鄭明堂、金希文、何嘉駒、陳永鑫、鄭智仁）；筆者內心非常感佩這位外國傳教士奉獻台灣這塊土地的精神，故在不同的時空，以當年馬偕同樣的心境為〈最後的住家〉台語版譜曲。 2010年11月7日，作曲前筆者陪家父 瑞堂醫師返母校淡水中學拜訪馬偕墓園，與父親在細雨微風中憑弔這位心懷台灣的故人；除了蒐集詩篇史料，也請教過二十多位資深教會人士、台語專家；詩篇在完成譜曲後同時打上羅馬拼音，讓人得以依循傳唱。謹以此曲獻給每一位疼惜台灣這塊土地的人。 （鄭智仁自述） 【歌詞】 我全心所疼惜的台灣啊，我的青春攏總獻乎你。 我全心所疼惜的台灣啊，我一生的歡喜攏佇遮。 我在雲霧中，看見山嶺，從雲中隙孔，觀望全地。 波浪大海中，遙遠的對岸，我意愛佇遮，眺望無息。 我心未通割離的台灣啊，我的人生攏總獻乎你。 我心未通割離的台灣啊，我一世的快樂攏佇遮。 向望我人生的續尾站，佇大湧拍岸的響聲中。 在竹林搖動的蔭影內，找著我一生，最後住家。  less

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] On the face of it, a workshop or concert can be a resounding success.   photo by Andy Armstrong   But ask individuals about how they think ...

[this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Last week I wrote about men and women singing the same not together and how that might feel strange: Singing the same note – differently!.   ...

[this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I came across an interesting article on Canada’s CBC Radio 2 blog a few years back. It was entitled Why do you sing? and attracted several comments f...

[this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   What is it with blokes and singing? In most open-access adult workshops that I run, only 10% of the participants are men (and it seems to be getting le...