[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...

[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...

[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...

Greetings to all SSAA choirs and conductors,   Are you on the lookout for an extraordinary piece that will elevate your choir's repertoire and leave an indelible mark on your audience? As a composer deeply passionate about choral music, I've always...

One of the most common mistakes that choruses and choirs make when they create their websites is also one of the most obvious 'doh' moments possible.  It's so obvious that you might not even think of it, but it's surprising how many websites are mis...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I often get people writing to me for advice about choirs. Some of them don’t agree with the direction their choir leader is taking them, some ...

In this special Oxford Series episode, I catch Dr. Zanaida Robles for a conversation about her philosophy as a composer, as well as the way all of her musical and personal identities mingle to create a context for her music making. We discuss the composit...  moreIn this special Oxford Series episode, I catch Dr. Zanaida Robles for a conversation about her philosophy as a composer, as well as the way all of her musical and personal identities mingle to create a context for her music making. We discuss the compositional process, including the philosophy she holds related to the "end product" for singers. Namely, the importance of the singers exploring their own communities and connections WHILE also exploring the music. We also bounce ideas back and forth related to composers having to be careful about "over refining" a composition, as well as the music world's attempt to balance goals of equity with the human need for each composer to be valued based on their OWN music and individual expression. You won't want to miss this conversation!If you enjoy this content, please consider supporting the show at http://www.patreon.com/choralosophy for as little as 3$ a month AND receive subscriber only content there. Please support our sponsors by checking out these sites. Be su  less

[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...

I. A WATER WHEEL TURNS Inside water, a water wheel turns. The star circulates with the moon. We live in the night ocean wondering, What are these lights? Texts by Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks © 1995 Coleman Barks. Used by permission. ...  moreI. A WATER WHEEL TURNS Inside water, a water wheel turns. The star circulates with the moon. We live in the night ocean wondering, What are these lights? Texts by Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks © 1995 Coleman Barks. Used by permission. Performed by the Millennium Consort, Martin Neary, conductor, and the Pomona College Choir, Donna Di Grazia, director. Water Ruminations is a setting of six poems by the thirteenth-century poet Rumi, in English translations from the Persian by Coleman Barks, for double choir and organ. The poetry sings of literal and spiritual connections between water and sky, a drop of water and human life, flowing water and love, drinking water and its container, the giddiness of spring and rolling seas, and the ocean's gifts and singing. Its images, from 800 years ago, speak to us with both vivid immediacy and transcendence. The idea for the piece originated with the Mellon Elemental Arts Initiative, which proposed funding activities that would involve students in ar...    less

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] [NB this post is about UK copyright laws. Although the situation will be similar in other countries, the various copyright and performing rights agencies a...