Why my choir doesn’t sing carols at Christmas

‘Tis the season to be jolly! Most choirs are busy rehearsing for their Christmas concerts.

photo by Prayitno

But my choir, The OK Chorale, isn’t. Here’s why we don’t sing Christmas carols.

6 facts about singing to help first-time singers

At my monthly singing session recently someone came up to me at the end to say she was worried about not having enough breath for the long phrases.

photo by Tsahi Levent-Levi

It turned out she was new to singing (it was only her second time!). I realised that a lot of new singers come with many preconceptions, some of which can put people off coming back. Here are six facts that may help you stay with it and not get discouraged.

Does your choir need ground rules?

Occasionally somebody in your choir may behave in a way that is not acceptable. It could be inappropriate language, disrupting a rehearsal or simply singing louder than everybody else.

Example of choir rules used by Brigid Sinclair from New Zealand

If you don’t have any ground rules in place, it makes it harder to deal with such behaviour.

How to introduce harmony to a group of novice singers

I’m often asked for examples of simple harmony songs that might work with a group of inexperienced singers or people who have not sung before.



Rather than recommending specific songs, I always suggest a particular path into harmony. I thought I’d share that with you.