Why I write my blog “From the front of the choir”

I started this blog way back in December 2006. That’s 17 years of weekly blog posts!

I thought I’d make a little video to let you know why and how I got started.

How to get on with things when you’re just not in the mood

I’m not in the mood to write this blog today. But I need to.

How can you get on with things when you’re just not in the mood?

Pay as you go or regular fee upfront – what is the best system for singers in your choir?

Many choirs charge their members as and when they turn up: a pay as you go system.

photo by freeimageslive.co.uk - lensicle

But there are disadvantages to that approach, so other choirs operate a lump sum in advance system. Let’s look at the pros and cons of these and which might suit your choir best.

Problems arising when men and women sing the same pitch: 5 relevant reads

This is one of a series of summary posts around a specific topic, bringing together five relevant posts from the past.

This summary is about the difficulties and apparent strangeness of men and women singing the same pitch together.

What is a ‘community choir’?

The term ‘community choir’ is used a lot, but what does it actually mean?

There is no single definition, but I thought I’d look at some common characteristics.

Why harmony singers are (usually) lovely people

Not everyone likes to sing in harmony with others, but those who do are often really nice people.

photo by Richard Foster

Why is that? And is it a universal truth?

How to find specific topics on this blog

I’ve written over 900 articles on this blog since I started in December 2006.

photo by Bram Cymet

That’s a lot of information to wade through! Here’s a short guide to help you find what you’re looking for.

If it hurts to sing, then stop!

Often a singer will come up to me in a session and tell me their throat is hurting. I usually tell them to stop singing. 

photo by Marco Verch Professional Photographer

In this post want to look at what might cause pain or discomfort when singing and what you can do about it.

Why I became a choir leader

People often ask about my background, assuming that I have a musical education.

They are rather surprised when I tell them that my training is as a computer scientist, but I then spent over 20 years as a theatre maker and performer. So how did I end up as a choir leader?

Why your concert publicity isn’t working

We all want audiences at our concerts, so we have to let people know about them.

I’ve seen so many bad examples of concert publicity recently, I thought I’d write a few tips.

What is a ‘Natural Voice’ choir?

I am a member of the Natural Voice Network and all my work is based on their ethos.

But what exactly is ‘Natural Voice’ and how do Natural Voice choirs differ from other kinds of choir?

How do you know when your choir is performance ready?

Most choirs get to the point where they want to share the songs they’ve learnt with an audience.

Prepared by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images

But how do you know that the songs are in a good enough state to share?

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?

Don’t forget that your singers have come to SING!

It’s easy to forget, especially when preparing for a concert, that singers come each week to have a good old sing.

photo by Alex Beattie

They don’t want to be learning new material all the time or focusing on vocal development.

Choir starts back soon: is it time for re-invention?

Here in the UK, many choirs have a long summer break and start back in early September when the schools go back.

This may be the perfect time to try something new, a time for re-invention.

Which direction does your choir face?

Do your singers always face the same direction in your rehearsal space? What about outdoor performances?

Maybe it’s something you’ve not thought about, or have just got into a habit without much analysis.

What do do if you’re missing singing over the long break

Here in the northern hemisphere it’s (supposedly!) summer. Most choirs are having their long break.

I’m often asked by singers what they can do if their choir is not meeting for several weeks. Here are some answers.

Is there a difference between “men’s songs” and “women’s songs”?

I often come across choir leaders asking for “men’s songs” for the men in their choirs.

It make me wonder: is there a difference between “men’s songs” and “women’s songs” and what does that even mean?

How to ask a singer to leave your choir

Very occasionally there comes a time when you will have to ask a singer to leave your choir.

photo by id-iom

What’s the best (and kindest) way to do this?

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?