The myth of the perfectly organised choir leader

If you’re a choir member, or thinking of starting a choir, you might imagine that all choir and workshop leaders have extremely ordered lives.

In my case, that’s absolutely not true!

That “fun warm-up song”? You might want to check it

I’ve seen several online videos recently of choirs using simple, fun songs as warm-ups.

It looks harmless enough. But some of these songs have dubious content, which I’m sure the choirs weren’t aware of. Even so, it’s our responsibility to check sources thoroughly.

Can anyone learn to sing?

Yes!

Just do it.

What does a choir conductor actually do?

At a choral concert there is usually someone standing in front of the singers waving their arms about.

But what are they actually doing, and is there really any need for them to be there?

Why are community choirs getting older?

When I started my first community choir way back in 1997, most of the singers were in their 40s and 50s. 

photo by DG EMPL

Some of them are still in the same choir today, now in their 70s and 80s. But where are all the new, younger singers?

Mistakes, failure, and the value of getting lost

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.

Not everyone will like what you do, but that doesn’t mean you’re not good at it

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.

Why tricky warm-ups don’t always make a better choir

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?

Lost the joy of singing in your choir? Here’s what to do

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?

How to revive a failing choir (Part 2): deeper causes and hard truths

In Part 1, I looked at some of the more obvious reasons why choirs begin to falter: the impact of Covid, ageing membership, toxic behaviour, over-ambitious projects, and too many concerts.

In this second part, I want to explore some of the longer-term and less visible causes — the ones that creep in gradually or hide behind apparent success.

How to revive a failing choir (Part 1): spotting the problems

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?

Do shared lunches at singing workshops really build community?

Whenever I ran a one-off singing day, I would always encourage people to bring lunch to share.

The idea was to create a sense of community and get people to socialise with each other. But I no longer do that. Here’s why.

The essential elements of a choir warm up

Most singers know they should warm up before singing — but what exactly should a warm up contain?

I’ve written before about why warm ups matter— see The singers who didn’t like warm ups (and what became of them) — but it’s worth looking more closely at what actually makes a warm up effective.

A simple vocal range check for non-auditioned choirs

When singers join a non-auditioned choir, they are usually expected to choose the voice part that suits them — without any help.

Over time, singers in community choirs can begin to wonder if they’ve chosen the right part. Here’s a simple way of carrying out a vocal range test with the whole choir.

Small changes make better singers and choir leaders

The second Friday in January is known as “Quitters Day” — the point at which most people abandon the goals they set in their New Year’s resolutions.

Apparently, only 9% of people successfully keep their resolutions and 23% quit in the first week. So how can you real, lasting progress as a singer or choir leader?

Choosing change: planning a new choir season

A new year and a new choir season don’t just bring change — they also bring choice.

This is often a moment to pause and reflect: what’s working, what’s not, and what might benefit from being done differently. For choir leaders in particular, it’s a chance to plan rather than simply react.

The shock of the new: how to cope with change in your singing world

It’s the start of a new year, a time when people make new plans and take on new challenges.

For singers and choir leaders, that often means dealing with change: new people, new spaces, new songs, and unfamiliar ways of doing things. Change can be exciting, but it can also feel unsettling.

How to have a merry (not tipsy) festive season: Lessons from a Georgian Feast

It’s that time of year when drinking a little more than usual suddenly seems normal.

Which is fine — until Uncle Geoff starts telling inappropriate jokes or Mum stumbles and sends all the roast potatoes flying across the floor.

Singing: the gift that lasts forever

Looking for a last-minute Christmas gift? Why not introduce someone to singing?

Image generated by Gemini AI

Unlike a box of chocolates or a pair of socks, singing lasts a lifetime.

Keeping the choir inspired while giving audiences their festive fix

I’m sure you’ve noticed that it’s that time of year again —  the time when so many choirs  are busy with Christmas concerts.

But will you be doing the same old Christmas songs that you wheel out year after year? The songs that your audience expects?