I always chose the repertoire for my community choirs. Most people knew what my taste was, which is why they’d joined the choir in the first place.
But every now and then I would introduce a new song and it just wouldn’t take.
I used to pride myself on having a sense of what kind of songs my singers liked. Each choir was different, but each had a particular flavour.
Occasionally, when I introduced a new song, I could tell very quickly that the singers didn’t like it. Maybe the harmonies were too strange, the lyrics too difficult, or they didn’t like the tune.
When I started my first community choir way back in 1997, I initially avoided songs in foreign languages. But over time I would introduce the odd Georgian or Croatian song. They were almost always met with groans and eye rolling.
However, I persisted and would bring the songs back from time to time.
Then I noticed a strange phenomenon: what started out as a song that everyone really hated, eventually become one of the choir’s best-loved songs.
I wonder if the initial reaction was because they were difficult in some way (lyrics, harmonies, structure). Singers usually prefer to sing rather than learn, and need the quick satisfaction of nailing something.
But “difficult” songs take time. And one of the reasons they’re perceived to be “difficult” is that they are rich, complex and textured.
Once those kind of songs have been learnt, they are incredibly satisfying to sing. They are usually longer, with richer harmonies, and are a joy to sing.
So what might start out as a song that nobody likes, can easily end up being one of the favourites.
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If a song’s not working, when do you stop flogging the dead horse?
Just because a song is hard or you don’t like it doesn’t mean you should give up on it
Chris Rowbury
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