Choirs versus workshops: the practical differences

I’m seeing lots of great warm-ups and singing advice online these days. But most of it is aimed at choirs which meet regularly.

Many of these ideas won’t work in one-off workshops. Let’s look at the different needs of each.

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?

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.

Warm ups for singers: 5 relevant reads

Last week I wrote about Why a warm up shouldn’t be just vocal exercises. 

This week I’m going to revisit five old posts which look at warm ups in more detail. This is one of a series of summary posts around a specific topic, bringing together five relevant posts from the past.

Why a warm up shouldn’t be just vocal exercises

Many of us choir leaders are constantly on the look-out for new warm up ideas.

Whenever I look on the internet, I always come across sheet music for vocalises. But these are only a small part of what a warm up should be.

Why is my throat sore after singing?

I ran a full day of singing last Saturday. At the end, a few people came up to say that their throats hurt.

Let’s look at why this might be and how you might avoid it.

Moving outside your comfort zone – comfortably

My partner is always sending me videos with ideas for singing warm ups, usually involving complex clapping or stepping.

I tell her that they will be too difficult for the singers I work with. But am I being too safe and under-estimating the singers’ abilities?

Looking for new warm up ideas? Don’t dismiss the old and familiar

I’m always looking for new ideas for the warm up start of my singing sessions.

But constant novelty is not necessarily a good thing. It can often lead to overlooking old, familiar, tried and tested exercises.

How to finish a choir rehearsal well

Everybody talks about the importance of warming up and properly preparing to sing before each rehearsal.

photo by spelio

But what about ending a rehearsal? Not as much attention is paid to that. How do we end so singers go away feeling great?

Novelty vs. familiarity – how to keep things fresh without alienating your singers

Familiarity breeds contempt. If you do the same thing over and over again it can become boring.

However, constantly introducing new things can be hard work and it can feel like you never arrive. How do we maintain a balance between these two extremes?

The pep talk I give before every singing workshop 1: preparing to sing

I give an introductory pep talk at the start of all my singing workshops.

The aim is to give out useful information, but also to reassure and relax the singers.

Are warm ups necessary for singers?

In a recent blog post, Robert Sussuma urges singers to “stop warming up, doing exercises, and practising.”

see source, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

He is being a little provocative, but it has prompted me to reflect on whether singers need to warm up or not before singing.

You sing with your whole body – not just your vocal apparatus

As a member of the Natural Voice Network (NVN), I share a belief that our voices are rooted in our bodies.

photo by Nottingham Trent University

But it’s not just the NVN, most professional singers believe this too.

Vocal exercises to help singers tune into a cappella harmony

I thought I’d share a few vocal exercises that I use to help singers tune in to a cappella harmony. 

© Susie Mendelsson

I often integrate these into the warm up sessions to get people listening more closely before we move on to learning harmony songs.

Why are we stretching when we’ve come to sing?

I believe that proper preparation for singing is vital.

But sometimes I forget to explain why to singers who come to my one-off sessions. This is what I should remember to tell them.

Choir leaders: how do you give individual attention in a room full of singers?

Often, as a choir leader, I notice one person who is not quite catching on for some reason.

How do I give that person individual attention when they are just one in a room full of singers? Here are some ideas that might help.

10 things singers can do at home when there’s no choir to go to

There are many reasons why you might not be able to get to choir and have to stay home.



How can you keep your choral and musical interests alive? Here are 10 ideas.

Back to basics: how to reawaken your passion as a singer in a choir

Do you find doing the same warm ups week after week a bit dull? Are you bored with the same old repertoire?



It might be time to revisit the basics of why you joined a choir in the first place and what inspires you as a singer. Read on to find out how to reinvigorate your singing as a choir member.

Back to basics: how to reawaken your passion as a choir leader

Ever found the same old warm up exercises a bit boring or ending up just going through the motions during a rehearsal?



It might be time to revisit the basics of what you’re doing as a choir leader and why. Read on to find out how to reinvigorate your choir leading.

Does interval training work?

There are many interval training exercises to help singers distinguish between, say, a perfect fourth and a minor third.



But do they actually work? Do the exercises carry over into the singing?