Why do I sound much lower (or higher) than the person next to me when singing the same part?

In choral singing, you often hear the term blend. Much attention is given to the shape of vowel sounds to help achieve blend.



However, the timbre of voice is perhaps even more important than vowel sounds. Why do two singers sound so different when singing the same thing?

How to find the balance between easy and challenging songs in a drop-in singing group

A drop-in singing group is exactly what it sounds like: singers don’t need to make a regular commitment, but can drop in any time they want to.



I’ve written about before the pros and cons of these kind of groups. But here is what I’ve learnt from leading a monthly drop-in group for the last few years.

How to cope with too many male singers (a rare and unusual problem!)

It’s very common for choirs to be short of men. Most of my singing workshops attract far fewer men than women.



But sometimes – very occasionally – loads of men turn up unexpectedly. Which can be a problem too. Here are some ideas for what to do.

Why you need many different ways of telling your singers the same thing

As I started yet another singing workshop, I realised that I say pretty much the same thing in the introduction each time.



That got me thinking: if singers hear exactly the same thing too many times, they’ll just zone out. How can we avoid that?

Why are some ‘easy’ songs hard (and vice versa)?

Sometimes I start a singing session off with what I consider to be an easy song.

photo from Wellcome Images

But the group end up struggling and it turns out to be really hard! What’s going on here.

If you’re a man, do you have to be a ‘bloke’ in order to sing?

There are plenty of opportunities for men to sing together these days. They are called things like “Sing like a bloke” or you can even go to ‘BlokeFest’.



Does that mean that men have to be ‘blokes’ to sing? Of course not!

New singing weekends and new website!

I'm delighted to announce that  a brand new, full responsive version of my website will go live tomorrow, Tuesday 25 September 2018:

chrisrowbury.com

This will coincide with my twice-yearly newsletter going out to my mailing list where I'll be announcing all my singing weekends up until next June 2019.

The weekends will go on sale on my new website the same day.

If you'd like to go on my mailing list, just pop over to my website to sign up: sign up to Chris's mailing list.

I'd be grateful for any feedback you might have about my new website. It's lovingly hand-crafted by me from a responsive template that I bought. I hope it's easy to navigate and look at on mobile devices.

Do let me know if find anything clunky or can think of any improvements.

Many thanks.

Chris Rowbury

Website: chrisrowbury.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/ChrisRowbury

Twitter: Twitter.com/ChrisRowbury
Monthly Music Roundup: Tinyletter.com/ChrisRowbury

How to bring harmonies to life when teaching a song

To teach a harmony song to a group, you don’t want whole sections standing around waiting their turn.

photo by COD Newsroom

Not only should you break the song into chunks, but you should build the harmonies as you go along. Here’s how.

Keeping it fresh: 5 ideas to keep regular choir attenders engaged

We all have our favourite warm ups and our favourite jokes. But if someone comes to choir every week, they may soon get weary of our patter.

photo by Tobias Toft

How can you keep things fresh so choir members stay engaged? Here are some ideas.

How to prepare new choir members for their first visit

No matter how hard you try to make your choir a friendly, welcoming place, joining a new choir is like starting a new school. It can be frightening.

photo by Capture Queen

Here are some ideas that may help prepare new members for their first visit to your choir.

Getting ready to go back to choir: 5 ideas to help singers and choir leaders

Many choirs start back in September after their summer break.



Here are five things you can do to prepare yourself for a smooth re-entry, whether you’re a singer or a choir leader.

Choir leaders, are you doing too much for your singers?

I’m not looking for sympathy, but leading a choir can be hard work!

photo by Jean-Marc Volta

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Maybe you’re working too hard. It’s possible to do less and get the same results.

New season, new songs – how to find new repertoire for your choir

Here in the UK autumn is in the air. Choirs often start back in September, a time when new songs are needed.



I’m here to help! Here are some resources for finding new songs for your choir.

How to cope with singing in the heat

There’s been a real heatwave across Europe this summer. Which is great for those on holiday, but can be a bit much when we have to sing in such heat.



Here are a few things that might help you cope with the heat whilst singing.

How to find the right choir to join 2: is this the perfect choir for me?

Last week I looked at how to find choirs in your local area.

photo by Tom Brogan

Having found a potential choir to join, how do you know if it’s right for you? In this post I’ll help you find out.

How to find the right choir to join 1: finding choirs in your area

It’s summer break in the northern hemisphere and many singers are missing regular singing opportunities. They might be considering joining a new choir after the break.



September is also a time when adult education classes start up and people’s thoughts turn to trying new hobbies. If singing is your thing, how do you go about finding a suitable choir?

How to sing better 4: getting down to it, putting the hours in and professional help

I get asked questions like these a lot: “How can I be a good singer?” or “How can I sing better?”



Of course, it depends on what you mean by ‘good’ and ‘better’. In this series of four posts I’ll outline a few things that might help.

How to sing better 3: breath control, vocal range and singing in tune

I get asked questions like these a lot: “How can I be a good singer?” or “How can I sing better?”



Of course, it depends on what you mean by ‘good’ and ‘better’. In this series of four posts I’ll outline a few things that might help.

How to sing better 2: discovering your own voice and learning to love it

I get asked questions like these a lot: “How can I be a good singer?” or “How can I sing better?”



Of course, it depends on what you mean by ‘good’ and ‘better’. In this series of four posts I’ll outline a few things that might help.

How to sing better 1: getting started and not making excuses

I get asked questions like these a lot: “How can I be a good singer?” or “How can I sing better?”



Of course, it depends on what you mean by ‘good’ and ‘better’. In this series of four posts I’ll outline a few things that might help.