[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Whether it’s bringing up a family or long-term illness or a bad Singing experience, many people find it hard to get back into Singing when they...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   How many times have you been standing next to someone in your choir section and realised that they’re Singing something different from you? &n...

Singing in a choir is fun, it builds teamwork and confidence in people as they work together to accomplish a common goal. Singing also shares something unique from all other musical instruments: words. This means it is a powerful tool for memory and speec...

"How Can I Keep from Singing," arr. Gwyneth Walker. Based upon a Quaker hymn. Recorded live on Friday, March 15, 2013, at First Presbyterian Church, Pompano Beach, Florida. Performed by the Saint Mary's College Women's Choir and the Concert Choir ensem...  more"How Can I Keep from Singing," arr. Gwyneth Walker. Based upon a Quaker hymn. Recorded live on Friday, March 15, 2013, at First Presbyterian Church, Pompano Beach, Florida. Performed by the Saint Mary's College Women's Choir and the Concert Choir ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Conductor: Wallis Peterson, Accompanist: Gayle Giese. http://www.saintmarys.edu/music-womens-choir  

"The Singing Place" by Joan Szymko. Text by Lily A. Long. Recorded live on May 15, 2015, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Concert Choir ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Dir...  more"The Singing Place" by Joan Szymko. Text by Lily A. Long. Recorded live on May 15, 2015, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Performed by the Concert Choir ensemble of the Girl Choir of South Florida. Artistic Director: Wallis Peterson, Accompanist: Gayle Giese. Cold may lie the day, And bare of grace; At night I slip away To the Singing Place. A border of mist and doubt Before the gate, And the Dancing Stars grow still As hushed I wait. Then faint and far away I catch the beat In broken rhythm and rhyme Of joyous feet,— Lifting waves of sound That will rise and swell (If the prying eyes of thought Break not the spell), Rise and swell and retreat And fall and flee, As over the edge of sleep They beckon me. And I wait as the seaweed waits For the lifting tide; To ask would be to awake,— To be denied. I cloud my eyes in the mist ...    less

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Singing together creates a real sense of community. Sometimes a choir arises from an existing community, but other times the creation of a choir builds a ...

I wrote this in 1976 for the six Singing students of Pat Scanlon, a colleague of mine at West Heath School, who died from complications of Hodgkins Lymphoma. The first performance was at her memorial service. This performance, however was part of the me...  moreI wrote this in 1976 for the six Singing students of Pat Scanlon, a colleague of mine at West Heath School, who died from complications of Hodgkins Lymphoma. The first performance was at her memorial service. This performance, however was part of the memorial service in St Martin in the Fields, for Ruth Rudge, who was a very distinguished and lovely lady, and also my first boss. The ladies of the Occasional Choir, whose beginnings were as the Madrigal Choir at West Heath, which I co-founded, all those years ago, are the singers, including one of the six that took part in the very first performance. I am conducting, and Penny Walker, who now directs the choir is accompanying. Unfortunately less than half the singers are visible in the video.  less

[this is an updated version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Last week I wrote about 10 ways to be a better choir member. This was prompted by an earlier post on whether you need Singing lessons or not i...

[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...