Monday, December 25, 2023

The Sheffield carols

What could be more true to the spirit of Christmas than standing in a crowded pub and singing Christmas carols?

Especially if the tunes are only to be heard in a few towns and villages near Sheffield, in South Yorkshire.

Monday, December 18, 2023

If you don’t know the songs that well, should you sing in your next concert?

We’ve all been there: a big concert is coming up and we feel under-prepared.

Should we just duck out, or soldier on and busk it? Here’s what I think.

Monday, December 11, 2023

How to look after your voice (especially in the winter): 5 relevant reads

This is one of a series of summary posts around a specific topic, bringing together five relevant posts from the past. 

This summary is all about looking after your voice, especially in the winter months or when you have a busy concert season or if feasting is involved.

Monday, December 04, 2023

Why I write my blog “From the front of the choir”

I started this blog way back in December 2006. That’s 17 years of weekly blog posts!

I thought I’d make a little video to let you know why and how I got started.

Monday, November 27, 2023

How to get on with things when you’re just not in the mood

I’m not in the mood to write this blog today. But I need to.

How can you get on with things when you’re just not in the mood?

Monday, November 20, 2023

Pay as you go or regular fee upfront – what is the best system for singers in your choir?

Many choirs charge their members as and when they turn up: a pay as you go system.

But there are disadvantages to that approach, so other choirs operate a lump sum in advance system. Let’s look at the pros and cons of these and which might suit your choir best.

Monday, November 13, 2023

Problems arising when men and women sing the same pitch: 5 relevant reads

This is one of a series of summary posts around a specific topic, bringing together five relevant posts from the past.

This summary is about the difficulties and apparent strangeness of men and women singing the same pitch together.

Monday, November 06, 2023

What is a ‘community choir’?

The term ‘community choir’ is used a lot, but what does it actually mean?

There is no single definition, but I thought I’d look at some common characteristics.

Monday, October 30, 2023

Why harmony singers are (usually) lovely people

Not everyone likes to sing in harmony with others, but those who do are often really nice people.

photo by Richard Foster

Why is that? And is it a universal truth?

Monday, October 23, 2023

How to find specific topics on this blog

I’ve written over 900 articles on this blog since I started in December 2006.

photo by Bram Cymet

That’s a lot of information to wade through! Here’s a short guide to help you find what you’re looking for.

Monday, October 16, 2023

If it hurts to sing, then stop!

Often a singer will come up to me in a session and tell me their throat is hurting. I usually tell them to stop singing. 

In this post want to look at what might cause pain or discomfort when singing and what you can do about it.

Monday, October 09, 2023

Why I became a choir leader

People often ask about my background, assuming that I have a musical education.

They are rather surprised when I tell them that my training is as a computer scientist, but I then spent over 20 years as a theatre maker and performer. So how did I end up as a choir leader?

Monday, October 02, 2023

Why your concert publicity isn’t working

We all want audiences at our concerts, so we have to let people know about them.

I’ve seen so many bad examples of concert publicity recently, I thought I’d write a few tips.

Monday, September 25, 2023

What is a ‘Natural Voice’ choir?

I am a member of the Natural Voice Network and all my work is based on their ethos.

But what exactly is ‘Natural Voice’ and how do Natural Voice choirs differ from other kinds of choir?

Monday, September 18, 2023

How do you know when your choir is performance ready?

Most choirs get to the point where they want to share the songs they’ve learnt with an audience.

But how do you know that the songs are in a good enough state to share?

Monday, September 11, 2023

How to finish a choir rehearsal well

Everybody talks about the importance of warming up and properly preparing to sing before each rehearsal.

photo by spelio

But what about ending a rehearsal? Not as much attention is paid to that. How do we end so singers go away feeling great?

Monday, September 04, 2023

Don’t forget that your singers have come to SING!

It’s easy to forget, especially when preparing for a concert, that singers come each week to have a good old sing.

photo by Alex Beattie

They don’t want to be learning new material all the time or focusing on vocal development.

Monday, August 28, 2023

Choir starts back soon: is it time for re-invention?

Here in the UK, many choirs have a long summer break and start back in early September when the schools go back.

This may be the perfect time to try something new, a time for re-invention.

Monday, August 21, 2023

Which direction does your choir face?

Do your singers always face the same direction in your rehearsal space? What about outdoor performances?

Maybe it’s something you’ve not thought about, or have just got into a habit without much analysis.

Monday, August 14, 2023

What do do if you’re missing singing over the long break

Here in the northern hemisphere it’s (supposedly!) summer. Most choirs are having their long break.

I’m often asked by singers what they can do if their choir is not meeting for several weeks. Here are some answers.

Monday, August 07, 2023

Is there a difference between “men’s songs” and “women’s songs”?

I often come across choir leaders asking for “men’s songs” for the men in their choirs.

It make me wonder: is there a difference between “men’s songs” and “women’s songs” and what does that even mean?

Monday, July 31, 2023

How to ask a singer to leave your choir

Very occasionally there comes a time when you will have to ask a singer to leave your choir.

photo by id-iom

What’s the best (and kindest) way to do this?

Monday, July 24, 2023

Novelty vs. familiarity – how to keep things fresh without alienating your singers

Familiarity breeds contempt. If you do the same thing over and over again it can become boring.

However, constantly introducing new things can be hard work and it can feel like you never arrive. How do we maintain a balance between these two extremes?

Monday, July 17, 2023

Don’t forget travel time when charging for an event

People often ask how much they should charge for leading a workshop or concert.

They usually focus on the professional fee for the contact hours, but forget any travel time involved.

Monday, July 10, 2023

How to avoid new choir members feeling left out in the breaks

I always thought I ran friendly, welcoming choirs (see How welcoming is your choir?). There was always someone around to buddy new members so they wouldn’t feel left out.

photo by theirhistory

But then one day, a new member said to me that standing around in the break felt like being the new kid in the playground at school.

Monday, July 03, 2023

The benefits and drawbacks of working in a circle when singing

I like to outsource elements of my teaching practice when leading singing days.

I allow the singers to put chairs out (or not), and to decide how they want to stand. Often, it ends up being a circle. But is that the best way to sing as a group?

Monday, June 26, 2023

In a choir, it’s not about singing loud vs. soft – it’s about balance

I’ve written before about How to know how loud you should sing in a choir.

photo by Malingering

But as a choir member you are working as part of a team, so it’s not entirely up to you. It’s all about balance.

Monday, June 19, 2023

Your mouth knows more than your brain does

I’ve pointed out before that too much thinking is bad for singers. See The curse of confusion: why thinking is bad for singing.

In fact, your mouth knows far more than your brain does when it comes to songs!

Monday, June 12, 2023

Always have a spare song up your sleeve

No matter how well you plan your singing workshop or performance, you can find yourself with an unexpected slot that needs filling.

Which is why you should always have a spare song or two up your sleeve.

Monday, June 05, 2023

The pep talk I give before every singing workshop 4: what if you already know one of the songs?

I give an introductory pep talk at the start of all my singing workshops.

The aim is to give out useful information, but also to reassure and relax the singers.

Monday, May 29, 2023

The pep talk I give before every singing workshop 3: learning songs (it takes time)

I give an introductory pep talk at the start of all my singing workshops.

The aim is to give out useful information, but also to reassure and relax the singers.

Monday, May 22, 2023

The pep talk I give before every singing workshop 2: nobody knows what’s happening

I give an introductory pep talk at the start of all my singing workshops.

The aim is to give out useful information, but also to reassure and relax the singers.

Monday, May 15, 2023

The pep talk I give before every singing workshop 1: preparing to sing

I give an introductory pep talk at the start of all my singing workshops.

The aim is to give out useful information, but also to reassure and relax the singers.

Monday, May 08, 2023

Why you might need lyric sheets for even simple songs in English

I usually try not to use lyric sheets at all. I’d rather have singers with their heads up, watching me and each other.

But sometimes, if a song is in a foreign language, or has lots of words, I’ll put lyrics up.

Monday, May 01, 2023

Don't wait for the day when you'll finally be ready - the time is now!

Many of us are waiting for "the day" when everything finally falls into place and we can truly think of ourselves as a singer or choir leader (or writer or parent or ...).

But what if I were to tell you that day will never arrive?

Monday, April 24, 2023

Singer or choir leader, you are not as indispensable as you think

Whether singer or choir leader, your choir can’t do without you. You are what makes it.

photo by Kathryn

Yet, at the same time, you can be replaced. You are not indispensable.

Monday, April 17, 2023

Procrastination: harnessing your subconscious to help with creative tasks

I’m a big procrastinator. I leave everything until the last minute. If I didn’t have deadlines, I would never get anything done!

But I’ve come to realise that this is my way of working and it has good results. Here’s why procrastination is not necessarily a bad thing.

Monday, April 10, 2023

10 ideas to help you balance stress with enjoyment when putting on a singing event

A little stress can be good for us. It helps us to get things done or to focus on something that needs our attention. 

But too much stress can affect our mood, our body and our relationships. How can we put on a successful singing event without getting too stressed out?

Monday, April 03, 2023

The secret world of … the fifth SATB harmony section

This is a series of five posts looking in a light-hearted way at the different types of singers in a typical community choir. 

You might have thought that SATB choirs (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) have just four different voice sections, but you’d be wrong. There is a fifth section known as the Floaters (or Flexitarians).

Monday, March 27, 2023

The secret world of … Basses

This is a series of five posts looking in a light-hearted way at the different types of singers in a typical community choir. 

I've covered Sopranos, Altos and Tenors. For the last SATB section, here are the Basses. Enjoy! In my final post I deal with Floaters.

Monday, March 20, 2023

The secret world of … Tenors

This is a series of five posts looking in a light-hearted way at the different types of singers in a typical community choir.

I've covered Sopranos and Altos so far, now here are the Tenors. Enjoy! In other posts I deal with Basses, and Floaters.

Monday, March 13, 2023

The secret world of … Altos

This is a series of five posts looking in a light-hearted way at the different types of singers in a typical community choir. 

Last week it was the Sopranos, now here are the Altos. Enjoy! In other posts I deal with Tenors, Basses, and Floaters.

Monday, March 06, 2023

The secret world of … Sopranos

This is a series of five posts looking in a light-hearted way at the different types of singers in a typical community choir.

First up are the Sopranos. Enjoy! In other posts I deal with Altos, Tenors, Basses, and Floaters.

Monday, February 27, 2023

You can never be too humble to go back to basics

As singers and choir leaders we grow and develop skills over time. We leave behind us things we consider to be only for beginners.

But no matter how elementary something is, we can always learn something new by revisiting it.

Monday, February 20, 2023

Are written lyrics a hindrance or a help when learning a song?

Many choir leaders hand out sheet music or lyric sheets to their singers when teaching a song.

But does this do more harm than good? Is it better to learn the lyrics by ear?

Monday, February 13, 2023

The concert was great, so why do I feel like a failure?

Sometimes a performance is a blinder. There is a standing ovation and cries for more.

photo by svenwerk

And yet … it is possible to come away feeling that it’s all gone wrong. How is this possible?

Monday, February 06, 2023

Everything you need to know about choral jargon (but were afraid to ask)

If you’re new to the choral world, you might find some of the terms used a bit unfamiliar.

Don’t worry, I’m here to help! Here’s a glossary of some of the more common choral jargon.

Monday, January 30, 2023

The good enough singer

Last week I wrote about the notion of being “good enough” and how it could be applied to choir leaders: The good enough choir leader.

This week I want to look at how singers can usefully use this idea.

Monday, January 23, 2023

The good enough choir leader

We all aim to do the best we can. But if we wait until we’re perfect, we’ll never get anything done!

photo by Rich Bowen

It’s OK to be “good enough” at what we do. Here’s why.

Monday, January 16, 2023

What not to do with your head when singing very high or very low notes

It is human nature for our heads to go up and down as we sing extreme notes.

photo by jaime.silva

If a note is very high, we tilt our head up to reach for it. If a note is very low, we tip our head down. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help us to reach those notes. In fact it makes things worse.