When I started my first community choir way back in 1997, most of the singers were in their 40s and 50s.
Some of them are still in the same choir today, now in their 70s and 80s. But where are all the new, younger singers?
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.
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.
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?
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?