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Will my choir still be there when lockdown is over?
Some choirs decided to stop all activities when the pandemic started.photo by Cory DoctorowAs restrictions begin to ease in many countries, singers are wondering: will my choir still be there?...
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Don’t be put off by the word ‘choir’ – there are plenty of different kinds...
Many people are put off by the word ‘choir’. It can mean that people feel excluded from singing with others because of their preconceptions.The choir of St. Peter's Bournemouth‘Choir’ can take many...
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Even if all your singers are vaccinated, there are still risks
There has been some talk of insisting that singers are vaccinated before they can attend choir.photo by U.S. Secretary of DefenseNot only is this problematic, but even if all your singers are...
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How to honour the source of a song (and why it’s important)
Many songs get handed down by ear and labelled ‘traditional’ without any clear understanding of where they come from.It’s important to honour the source of all songs and the cultures they originate...
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Honouring the song 1: where does the song come from?
When honouring the origins of any song, you need to be as precise as you can about where the song came from. It might be hard to find out, but there is no excuse for being lazy and saying something...
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Honouring the song 2: what does the song mean?
When you learn a song — especially if it’s by ear — you take on trust what you’re told about the song’s meaning. This is particularly relevant if the song is in a foreign language. But meaning is a...
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Honouring the song 3: can you teach or perform the song accurately?
When using songs from cultures different to ours, we have the responsibility to teach or perform them as accurately as we can. We honour the song by being as authentic as possible when pronouncing the...
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Honouring the song 4: what is the cultural and historical context of the song?
Just because we can sing a song, doesn’t mean that we should sing it.It is important to honour the cultural and historical origins of a song so we know whether it’s appropriate to sing it in a...
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Honouring the song 5: who wrote or arranged the song?
I’ve written before that even if it’s a folk song, somebody wrote it. The identity of that individual may have been lost over time, but to honour the song, you still have the responsibility to try to...
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Honouring the song 6: summing up and further resources
This is the last in my series of how to honour the source of a song.photo by WorldFishI’m going to sum up briefly give an overview of the process and point you to some further resources which might...
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Skills you’ll need to brush up when your choir rehearses again in person
Here in England, we’re limited to a maximum of six singers rehearsing indoors.photo by allan harrisWhen restrictions are finally lifted (in three weeks we hope), many choral skills will have gone rusty...
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Finding positives from the pandemic when your choir finally gets back together
It has been said that every setback is an opportunity in disguise. Singing together has had many setbacks during the pandemic and choirs have been affected badly.Here’s how you can turn those obstacles...
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How to be a really successful singer or choir leader – deliver more than...
If you want to be a real success, it’s not enough to just do the job at hand. You need to deliver more than is expected.What does that mean for singers and choir leaders?Most choir directors and...
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The healing power of choirs: how singing together is good for your mental health
I’ve written before about the general and well-known benefits of singing in a choir: Why you should start the year singing – and then sing some more!In this post I’d like to look at how singing...
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How to ensure that your choir is inclusive as Covid restrictions start to lift
Even though we’re still in the midst of a pandemic, some countries are slowly beginning to lift Covid restrictions to varying degrees.When your choir is finally able to rehearse indoors once again, how...
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Why you can only focus on one thing at a time when singing
Singing can be daunting at first because there are so many things to remember: posture, breathing, smiling, tuning, balance and so on.But if you try to focus on all these at once, it will end in...
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Can only singers lead choirs, only music readers arrange songs and only...
Many choir leaders demonstrate and teach songs by singing them. But can you lead a choir without being able to sing? Similarly, do you need to be able to read music to be a song arranger, or be a...
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Are only ‘singers’ allowed to sing?
Following on from last week’s post (Can only singers lead choirs, only music readers arrange songs and only musicians be songwriters?), it’s time to consider ‘singers’. I think most of you know by now...
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We all want to be seen and heard – so join a choir!
One of the most powerful human needs is to be seen and heard.We all want to feel valued, important and that we matter. Being in a choir does all that and more.when nobody is listeningWe’ve all had that...
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The more trust there is in your choir, the more trustworthy people become
Can you trust that your singers will do their best in the concert? Do you trust your choir leader to not harm your voice?Rather than wait until you feel somebody is ‘trustworthy’, assume that you can...
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