If a song’s not working, when do you stop flogging the dead horse?

Sometimes I bring a great song to choir and for some reason the singers really struggle with it.

photo by Clear Path International

How do you decide whether to persist with a song until it comes right, or just abandon it and move on? Let’s look at the options.

If the energy in your choir is low do you go with the flow or wake everyone up?

I ran a whole weekend of singing recently and when the Saturday evening session rolled round everyone was understandably very tired.

photo by Son Lee

This slot has always been problematic: do I do simple songs, slow songs or high energy wake-up songs? Do you go with the flow or try to wake everyone up?

You can’t avoid feelings of apprehension at the start of a singing workshop

I’ve just come back from my annual visit to the English Lake District to run my summer singing weekend.



On a weekend workshop I always find the first session on the Friday night tricky. There is an air of trepidation and hesitation that’s impossible to avoid. Why is that?

Why do some audience members insist on sitting at the back of concerts?

[Spoiler alert: I don’t know the answer!]

Whether it’s an indoor or outdoor venue, unless there are allocated seats there will always be a few audience members who insist on sitting as far away as possible.



They sit there straining to hear and see what’s going on. Why on earth do they do it?

How to find a suitable choir to join

Someone was looking to find choirs in our area. They Googled a bit, but they didn’t find my choir even though it’s mentioned on several websites.

Hackney Singers

This made me realise that there’s an art to Googling choirs and maybe some directories that people don’t know about. Here’s a guide to finding the right choir for you.

“This is the right space, and these are the right people” – working with the singers you’ve got, not those you hoped for

A singing session is coming up and you’re excited. It will be in a grand hall with loads of singers!

photo by Pierre-Henry Muller

But the day comes and it’s a tiny space and only a handful turn up. How can you manage your expectations and work with what you’ve got?

Why singing together is a great healer

The world can be a scary and upsetting place. Here in the UK we’re witnessing political infighting, uncertain futures, austerity measures and a rise in racism.

photo by Dainis Matisons

But singing together can be a great antidote. Here’s why.

How to plan a singing workshop when you don’t know who’s coming

Most weeks when I lead my choir I know which singers are going to turn up.



But when I run a one-off workshop, I often don’t know who will be coming. How can you be prepared for the unknown?

What you can learn from singing workshops to become a better singer or workshop leader

None of us is perfect. There are always things we can do to improve our singing or teaching abilities.



We can learn how to do that at every single rehearsal or singing workshop we attend. Here’s what I learnt from a recent singing workshop – and how you can too.

Choir committees and how to handle them 3: the advantages of a good committee

I’ve written about the things that can go wrong with choir committees, now it’s time to celebrate the good bits.

photo by Sebastiaan ter Burg

A good committee can be a huge benefit to any choir.

Choir committees and how to handle them 2: when committees go bad

Having a good committee can be a huge benefit to a choir.

By Abraham Teniers

But having a bad committee can be horrid and even destructive. Here are some common problems and how to deal with them.

Choir committees and how to handle them 1: what is a committee for?

Many choirs have committees. These are usually made up of choir members and exist to help the choir run smoothly.



At least that’s the idea, but sometimes things can go wrong and your committee can become a hindrance. Here are some tips on how to make the most of your committee.

Front, back or side? The best place to stand in your choir

When you first join a choir it’s very tempting to stand on the back row and hide until you feel more confident.

photo by Pam Fray

But did you know that’s the worst place for a beginner to be? Here’s why.

Why learning songs with foreign lyrics need not be scary

I teach songs from all over the world, often in foreign languages. But people are always asking me for more songs in English.



Why is this? Especially since singers usually find the songs with English lyrics harder!

How male singers can successfully pitch from a woman (and how women can pitch from a man)

As we saw last week, many singers struggle with finding (and keeping) their starting notes.

photo by Albin Olsson

What can make it even harder is if a man is trying to pitch from a woman, or vice versa. Here’s what happens and how you can overcome any difficulties.

Finding (and keeping) your starting note

Many singers struggle with finding their starting note. Once they’ve nailed that, they’re off and it’s no problem.



How can you make sure you’ve got the right starting note and, more importantly, how can you keep hold of it before the song sets off?

I know over 600 songs so how come I can’t think of one when someone asks?

I added it up the other day and I’ve taught over 600 songs in 3- and 4-part harmony over the last 15 years or so.

photo by Eric Kilby

But when someone unexpectedly asks me to teach or sing a song, I can’t think of one! What’s that about?

Neither fish nor fowl – why most singers don’t fit neatly into SATB boxes

You know the situation: one harmony part goes too high for you, but the other option goes way too low.



The fact is that most of us don’t fit neatly into SATB boxes. What are we to do?

When nobody comes to your concert or workshop – how to avoid or recover from a marketing fail

You’ve put all the time and hard work into publicising your next concert or workshop, but then hardly anybody turns up.



How do you figure out what went wrong? It’s all about the what, the when and the where.

Stuck in a rut? 10 ways to revitalise your choir

It happens to the best of us: choir used to be fun, but now it seems to have lost its sparkle.



What can we do to get out of a rut? Here are 10 ways to revitalise your choir.