Why too much rehearsal can be a bad thing

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: Georgia, USA, Bulgaria, South Africa – including some pretty smart dance moves! No lyrics and no sheet music in hands.



There were about 20 singers who’d come together only a week before to learn around 30 – 35 songs. They worked for up to seven hours each day to learn the songs. That’s about one song every 1½ hours. A pretty impressive feat.

Does your choir need a constitution?

This post is part of a series of occasional Questions and Answers. Just contact Chris if you want to submit a question.

Sue wrote in to ask:
“As a self-funded community choir, do we need a constitution?”



The short answer is “No”!

Unless ... you're applying for funding or opening a business bank account. In which case you will also have to have a committee with posts such as treasurer, etc.

How to cope when singers miss choir sessions

What’s great about a group of singers who meet regularly is that you can grow and develop together, improving skills and techniques week on week.

Photo by Listen Missy!

But what happens if not everyone comes to every session?

How long does it take to learn a song?

Of course it depends on how complex the song is and how many verses there are.

Photo by Frodo Babbs

But how long does it take to really get a song under your belt so you can sing it confidently without referring to either lyrics or sheet music?

How to answer the question: “What note is that?”

We’re in the middle of learning a song. People are struggling a bit. Then someone asks: “What note is that?”

Photo by photosteve101

A seemingly simple question, but how on earth do you answer it?