Let your choir leader know if you have any special needs – they won’t know otherwise

I’m just back from leading a weekend of singing. One of the singers couldn’t read the lyrics I’d provided.

photo by Ian Watson

If only they’d told me beforehand I could have provided large-print words.

Don’t forget the basics when welcoming people who have never sung in a choir before

I started a new pop-up choir project last week. Several of the people who came had never sung in a choir before.



At the beginning of the first session I always try to make everyone welcome, and go through a series of pointers for those who might not have done much singing before. But I was surprised that I left out some of the basics!

Not done it for a while? Can you still do it? – the worries of singers and choir leaders

We’ve all been there. We don’t do something for a while, then start to believe that we’ve lost the knack.



It applies to singers, workshop leaders, song arrangers, choir leaders, song writers – in fact, pretty much all of us! How do we deal with this worry?

How to manage when your choir becomes too popular: waiting list or a new choir

Over the last two weeks I’ve looked at whether you can have too many singers in your choir and, if so, how you can cope with that situation.



In this final post on the subject, I want to look at two further strategies: closing your choir to new members and starting a new choir.

Strategies for coping with too many singers in your choir

Last week I asked Can you have too many singers in your choir? and gave several reasons why this might be the case.



This week I want to look at strategies for overcoming these.

Can you have too many singers in your choir?

Choirs are often looking for new ways to recruit more singers.

photo by Eesti.pl

But will there come a time when you choir is too full?

What’s the best way to present lyrics when teaching a song?

Unless a song has only a few words, singers will need to see the lyrics in some form.



What’s the best way to present lyrics for the most effective learning?

How to squeeze singers into a rehearsal space that’s too small

It’s not something that happens out of choice, but sometimes we end up with too many singers for the rehearsal space available.

photo by Bryan Ledgard

Here are some ideas on how to deal with the situation.

The importance of breaks in rehearsals and singing workshops

I read two separate articles last week, both about the importance of taking breaks whilst you’re working.

photo by Maximilian Schönherr

It seems to be counter-intuitive to “waste time” by taking a break, but read on and find out why it’s important.

Think you’ve forgotten how to sing or conduct? It happens to us all!

Many choirs are starting back after their long summer break.

photo by Eric Kilby

Do you ever worry that you’ve forgotten how to sing or lead a choir? You’re in good company.

Turning bad singing experiences into good singing lessons

Things go wrong from time to time, but it doesn’t have to be a bad experience.


It’s possible to consider things from a different perspective and find the positive. Here’s how.

What I did on my holiday: tapping into your problem-solving mind without even trying

You’re finally on holiday and have truly switched off.



But did you know that this is a great time to do some work without actually making any real effort? Here’s what I mean.

Stopping singers from zoning out when saying something important for the hundredth time

Nobody likes to hear the same old stories and jokes time and again.

photo by James Brooks

It’s the same with instructions you give to your choir. How do keep stop people zoning out, even though you need to say the same thing week after week?

It’s break time for many choir leaders, but how do you actually switch off?

I’ve written before about why taking time out is so important for choir leaders.

photo by Lance Anderson

But how do you actually switch off to make the most of your downtime?

Dreaming of the perfect choir (a light-hearted fantasy)

Last night I dreamt of leading a choir where everyone turned up on time every week fully prepared.



Unfortunately it was only a dream, but it got me thinking: what would the dream choir be like for choir leaders and for singers?

Choir’s on a break, so where do you sing?

Most choirs take a long break over the summer (which is currently here for a few days in the UK!).



But many singers complain: “What am I going to do without any singing for so long?” Don’t worry, there is help at hand.

How slow can you sing? – using speed as a rehearsal tool

Doing anything too fast can result in errors and inaccuracies.



By slowing a naturally fast song down, you can reveal all kinds of mistakes and problems.

When did you last tell your singers how grateful you are?

Your singers turn up to choir week after week without fail. It’s very easy to get caught up in the music-making and forget that they don’t have to be there.



It’s good to show your gratitude to your singers from time to time. Don’t take them for granted!

What do you do if you’ve not finished teaching a song before the end of the session?

Last weekend I ran one of my monthly drop-in sessions. I had underestimated the time it would take to teach a song so couldn’t finish it by the time the session ended.



What can you do in situations like that?

Why are so many people afraid to open their mouths and sing?

I believe that everyone can sing. But despite encouragement, there are many people who think that they can’t.

photo by Sophia Spring/The Observer

For them, just opening their mouths can be scary. Why is that, and what can be done about it?