Silence: the other half of singing

At the end of a recent residential singing weekend I was acutely aware of absence when everyone had left. The silence was almost painful.

It got me thinking about the different kinds of silence in singing.

The different silences in singing

Silence is not just the absence of sound.

photo by Thomas Leuthard

When singing as a group, there are several kinds of silence, each with its own quality.

Why silence is important to singers, singing and choir leaders

I came across an interesting article the other day: Quiet, please! The remarkable power of silence – for our bodies and our minds.

It got me thinking about how vital silence is for singers, singing and choir leading.

The sound of silence – rediscovering the art of listening

With far fewer people around at the moment, I am starting to hear things that I don’t normally notice.



It made me realise that in our usually busy daily lives, many of us have lost the art of listening. It’s time to reconnect with the world.

Having a “no music day” can improve your music-making

I’ve just returned from a week away. During that time I heard virtually no music and didn’t sing a single note.



It got me thinking about how having a break from music can reinvigorate our music-making practice.

10 exercises guaranteed to get your singers listening more carefully

I went to a workshop recently run by the amazing Su Hart who has spent around 25 years working with the Baka people of Central Africa. Living in the rainforest as they do, listening well is literally a matter of life or death.

photo by Rex Bennett

Su’s workshop reminded me yet again that singing is all about listening. But how can we get our singers to listen to each other better? Here are 10 exercises to get you started.