I wrote last week about how No choir can be all things to all singers. Some singers prefer sheet music, others learn best by ear. Some love movement and performance, others just want to stand still and sing.
Here are some of the most common tensions that arise — and a few ways to navigate them.
You can’t please all your singers all the time (see Keeping a choir happy – you can’t please everyone).
There will inevitably be times when some singers want one thing while others want something very different. How do you keep everybody happy?
In my experience, when it comes to moving and singing at the same time, men seem to find it hardest.
Why is this, and are there ways to help?
It’s important for singers to feel wanted and to know that they play an important part in their choir.
But if nobody notices you, how will you ever shine?
When I ran community choirs, I used to insist that singers stood during rehearsals. But some complained that their legs ached by the end of the evening.
Now I usually get people to sit for singing sessions. But recently some singers have complained because they prefer to stand! Is there a middle way to keep everybody happy.
If you’re a choir member, or thinking of starting a choir, you might imagine that all choir and workshop leaders have extremely ordered lives.
In my case, that’s absolutely not true!
I’ve seen several online videos recently of choirs using simple, fun songs as warm-ups.
It looks harmless enough. But some of these songs have dubious content, which I’m sure the choirs weren’t aware of. Even so, it’s our responsibility to check sources thoroughly.