Singing

There will always be people in a choir who inspire others for very different reasons: They: have a beautiful voice have a strong and secure voice that is easy to follow and gives confidence always seem to know what they are doing have learnt the songs off by heart encourage new members wear interesting/different clothes […]

Although a lot of choirs are not professional ones it should be everybody’s aim to be as professional as possible. The objective of a rehearsal is to learn the songs as well as having fun and having an opportunity to chat to each other. During a rehearsal the MD has a tough job in keeping […]

A lot of new and inexperienced choir members might lack confidence when it comes to singing at an actual performance. Some so much that they happily turn up to rehearsals yet never join in the performance. Even professional singers have stage fright yet they have learnt to manage it so that it doesn’t affect their […]

The most common places of tension for singers is in the shoulders, jaw, root of the tongue and the throat. There are numerous exercises to try to alleviate these tensions which can all be found on YouTube. I however have found a much easier and quicker way to release the tensions in one go. Why […]

At rehearsals I notice a lot of throat clearing and coughing (not related to having a cold). Every throat clear causes minor damage to your vocal chords which are only about 1/2 inch long and very very delicate and repetitive throat clearing can cause permanent damage to them. The need to throat clear is because […]

As we age the collagen becomes less in our muscles and connective tissue. The tongue is a comparatively large muscle and goes all the way down the throat. With age the tongue drops further back in the throat and makes our speech less clear and articulate. We also hold a lot of tension in the […]

Warms up should warm up the body, the brain, the voice and the breath. You should also make sure you are properly hydrated with lukewarm water or some warm tea. Coffee dehydrates the voice and fizzy drinks can cause you to burp. Do not drink ice cold drinks as that shrinks and tightens the muscles […]

Each phrase must be started with care and confidence. Watch the MD and count so you are ready to start when you have to, the first note is very important as it sets up the rest of the phrase. Do not launch into the first note hoping for the best but prepare it as follows: […]

The whole point of a song is to get a meaning across and this happens with the music and the text. Do you know what you are singing about? If the song is in a foreign language make sure you know exactly what the text means as well as working on the correct pronunciation. There […]

At the point of a performance all you should be doing is enjoying yourself, focussing on the text and watching the MD. All the rehearsals are done and you should trust your voice and body to do what is needed. Now is not the time to be worrying about technique and things said during rehearsal […]