[this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   People sometimes welcome a distraction from watching rows of identically dressed choristers singing with books in front of their faces.   Photo by...

[this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Many people have no idea how a song is learnt by ear. They assume that written music is a must. But don’t forget that people have been singing (and l...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] There were two articles in the UK national press a few years ago, one bemoaning the fact that we don’t sing Christmas carols together as much as we u...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of songs from traditions across th...

[this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Despite an apparent re-awakened interest in singing, we don’t sing together like we used to.     TV programmes like X Factor, The Voice...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] Many of us wait until the mood hits us before we do something. But often the doing something is what changes our mood for the better.     Th...

OFFICINA CORALE STEFANO PURI,direttore Abbazia di Casamari. Dopo il concerto, dopo il bis, un piccolo fuori programma. John Tavener: "Mother of God, here I stand"

[this is an updated version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I was in the middle of planning a workshop and was checking through a few songs to make sure I had the correct lyrics, source, meaning, backgr...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Many’s the time I see Ann lean over to Gill (not their real names) to help her get her part right. And every time I see a pained expression on ...

[this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I realise that apart from my profile page on this blog, You probably don’t know much about me or my journey to become a choir and singing workshop lea...