If you’re lucky, your choir goes from strength to strength: numbers grow, standards improve, and the sense of community deepens.
But sometimes things start to slip. Numbers fall, confidence drains away, rehearsals lose their energy, and going to choir begins to feel like a chore rather than a pleasure. When that happens, what can you do?
Decline usually happens gradually. Singers become restless and unfocused, the mood drops, and the whole thing feels harder work than it used to. There are many reasons why this might happen, but there are also solutions. The key is to notice what’s going on early and not let it drag on too long. The longer you leave it, the harder it becomes to turn things around.
Here are five common causes of choir decline, along with some suggested remedies.
Covid
Many choirs saw their membership drop sharply after the pandemic, and for some the numbers have never recovered. Singers also lost confidence during the lockdowns. There are subtle neurological effects at play too (such as “brain fog”) caused by repeated viral infections, along with increased vulnerability to respiratory illness. Even several years on, these effects are still noticeable.
Solution
Use simpler songs and go back to basics to rebuild
confidence and accommodate reduced concentration. Be flexible about absences
due to illness. Include breathing exercises to support lung health. And step
up recruitment efforts to restore numbers (see
How to recruit singers to truly reflect your local community).
Ageing choir
If a choir doesn’t regularly recruit new and younger members, it will inevitably become older. Reduced mental agility can make learning songs and remembering lyrics harder. There will be more absences because of illness and hospital appointments, and some singers will leave simply because it becomes too much for them.
Solution
Put more energy into recruiting new singers (see
Are your choir members ageing? If you don’t recruit new singers, your choir
may die). At the same time, make sure part of your repertoire remains simple enough
not to alienate older members.
Toxic choir member(s)
New recruits can bring a healthy injection of energy into a choir. Occasionally, though, one or more singers turn out to be disruptive. They may challenge the leadership, talk constantly, sing too loudly, or fail to work as part of a team. Left unaddressed, this behaviour can spread and affect the mood of the whole group.
Solution
Deal with the problem early and directly. A toxic
atmosphere rarely resolves itself on its own. See
How to deal with a toxic choir member
and
Toxic choir (and committee) members – how to stop them spoiling it for
others.
Over-ambitious projects
Choir leaders tend to be full of ideas, and this can keep a choir fresh and energised. But sometimes an idea or project is a step too far and challenges the choir more than it can cope with. This can knock confidence and lead to frustration. Stretching singers is healthy; making them feel constantly out of their depth is not.
A good leader recognises when something isn’t working and adjusts. Others carry on regardless and may end up losing singers.
Solution
Aim for a balance between challenge and security. Take
smaller steps when developing new projects and avoid running too fast. See
Moving outside your comfort zone – comfortably.
Too many concerts
Some choirs rarely perform, while others have several concerts each year. There will always be singers who want more opportunities to perform, especially after a successful event. But too many concerts can put the choir on a permanent treadmill: always rehearsing for the next performance, with no time for play or exploration. Choir can lose its sense of fun and start to feel like work.
Solution
Perform regularly if you wish, but leave space for
enjoyment and new repertoire. Make it clear that singers don’t have to take
part in every performance. See
Balancing fun with rehearsing for concerts
and
How to get off the concert treadmill – 8 questions to help you keep
perspective.
These first causes of decline tend to be the most visible: practical pressures, overwork, and problems that need fairly direct action. But not all difficulties show themselves so clearly. Some develop slowly and quietly, rooted in attitudes, habits, and expectations rather than events.
In Part 2, I’ll look at some of the deeper and more subtle reasons why choirs struggle — and what you can do about them.
Chris Rowbury
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