What does a choir conductor actually do?

At a choral concert there is usually someone standing in front of the singers waving their arms about.

But what are they actually doing, and is there really any need for them to be there?

Why are community choirs getting older?

When I started my first community choir way back in 1997, most of the singers were in their 40s and 50s. 

photo by DG EMPL

Some of them are still in the same choir today, now in their 70s and 80s. But where are all the new, younger singers?

Mistakes, failure, and the value of getting lost

A couple of things recently reminded me just how important mistakes are when learning something new.

One was performer, song leader and composer Brendan Taaffe’s substack The most important thing you can do is fail, and the other was a voice, body and rhythm workshop I attended.

Not everyone will like what you do, but that doesn’t mean you’re not good at it

When someone doesn’t like what you do, it can make you wobble and start to doubt whether you’re any good.

But not everyone is going to like what you have to offer. Once you accept that, it’s easier to move on.

Why tricky warm-ups don’t always make a better choir

Recently, there’s been a spate of ‘tricky’ choir warm-up videos on Instagram.

They’re clever and challenging, but I can’t help wondering: do they actually lead to better choir performances?

Lost the joy of singing in your choir? Here’s what to do

Here in the northern hemisphere it’s cold, wet, dark and miserable. it’s the ‘slump’ end of the year before spring truly arrives.

Going to choir each week can help. But what happens if you lose the joy of singing?

How to revive a failing choir (Part 2): deeper causes and hard truths

In Part 1, I looked at some of the more obvious reasons why choirs begin to falter: the impact of Covid, ageing membership, toxic behaviour, over-ambitious projects, and too many concerts.

In this second part, I want to explore some of the longer-term and less visible causes — the ones that creep in gradually or hide behind apparent success.