[this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]
Back in 2008, BBC television ran a series called Last Choir Standing, basically a knock-out choir competition.
On their website they held The Great Choir Debate, a series of questions about choirs and singing. Some of them were answered by choral specialists and then it was opened to the general public.
You can still pop over to the website and read the responses in the archives. Here are mine:
- What’s the one thing an untrained person can look for in a choir that indicates how good they are?
The size of the audience and the length of the choir’s waiting list. If the choir is any good – at whatever level and in whichever style – it will have a good following and loads of people wanting to join.
- Are there any surprising benefits from singing in a choir?
I don’t know about surprising, but there are clearly many benefits from belonging to a choir: health, maintaining mental agility, making new friends, developing music and listening skills, sense of achievement after performances, sense of belonging to a community, and more.
- What should a choir wear, and should points be deducted if they look terrible?!
Hmmmm …. one person’s ‘terrible’ is another person’s ‘chic’. Choir dress is a bit of a sore issue with me (see I hate a choir in uniform). I really don’t believe in uniforms, and certainly not robes! I don’t think it matters what a choir wears as long as there is a sense of cohesion to give the impression that everybody belongs to the same group and, most importantly, the people have made an effort (whatever that means to the individual). As to whether points should be deducted, I don’t believe in choral competitions any way, so no.
- Is there anything a choir shouldn’t sing?
Obviously there can be no generalisation here, I think it’s all down to taste (see Are ALL songs suitable for purely vocal arrangements?). I think it’s very, very difficult for a large choir to sing a lengthy ballad, especially those with flexible timing. It’s very hard for the group to stay absolutely in time with each other and to be able to articulate well enough. I also don’t think choirs should sing songs whose original version depends a lot on instrumentation (e.g. well-known guitar riffs), since that will involve impersonating instruments – something that I just don’t get!
- Should singing be compulsory in schools?
I think music should be compulsory in schools. Not sure everyone should be forced to sing though.
- Can anybody sing in a choir?
Yes. That’s not to say everyone is equally able to sing well, and not that everyone can perform to an acceptable standard, but everyone can sing.
- Should choirs include ‘choreography’ in their performance?
Since I believe that the voice is rooted in the body, I have long thought that there should be some element of movement when singing (see Singing and moving – at the same time!). Not necessarily full-blown choreography (which can be a bit distracting and becomes more musical theatre than a choral performance), but there should be some life in the singers and an indication that their bodies are connected to their singing. There was a lot of good choreography in Last Choir Standing, but there were some points where I just wanted people to stand still so I could listen.
- Is the world of choral singing competitive?
It doesn’t have to be, although there are many people who join choirs because of its competitive nature. Personally I’m against choral competitions (see Singing competitions are for losers).
- Is there anything conductors do that sets the alarm bells ringing?
Yes: lose their temper, shout, get stressed, be unclear or confusing, promote a ‘me’ vs. ‘them’ attitude. Choral conducting should be done in a calm, encouraging, supporting manner to get the best out of the singers (see Trust me, you know it makes sense). Conductors should also create a sense of shared responsibility amongst the whole choir.
- How many people does it take to make a choir?
I think there is a difference between an ensemble or singing group and a choir. I think a choir has to be at least 20 or so strong. It is possible to have just four singers to sing a four-part harmony, but it’s not a choir. There’s a similar situation in the orchestral world: a string quartet or chamber group is not an orchestra.
Over to you
What are YOUR answers to these questions? Do you agree with anything I've said?
I'd love to hear what you think. Do drop by and leave a comment.
Chris Rowbury: chrisrowbury.com
