Hi Guys, I don't normally post in this forum, I'm usually in Viva Organ.

Basically I am the main organist at my church, but we have this experienced guy who plays with us once a month. He took charge of the choir rehearsals and chose the items that the choir sang during services. He has since stepped down from his role as relief organist now leaving me in charge of the choir and all organist duties. Is there anything that I need to be a good choral director? I want them to take me seriously I'm only 16. They don't sing in harmony (only one can read music) which is one thing that I'd like to change (yes I have big plans lol), how would I go about this? and its full of women too, so we have no bass or trebles.

Hope you guys can help,

Dean

How many have you got? What sort of mix between sops and altos?
What sort of music do they sing already?

If you can recruit some men, there are arrangements of well-known anthems for SAmen for choirs who don't have enough men to have independent T&B parts.
If you can't, you might want to take a look at Carols for Choirs Book 4, which is upper voices only, with a view to teaching them something for Christmas. There are also books of anthems for upper voices - maybe try something like High Praise.

Teaching them to read music will help a lot. Take a look at John Bertalot's book '5 Wheels to Successful Sight-Singing'.
He's also written one called 'How to be a successful choir director' but I havn't read it so I don't know what it's like.

If you want to try to recruit some trebles, your best bet might be to start a junior choir and keep them separate from the adults, at least to begin with - especially if you want to get any boys while you don't have any men (the more they see it as a girl-thing, the harder it'll be to recruit/keep them).

Best of luck with it all,
T.

Hi Dean,
I would suggest that you take things quite steadily at first while they get to know you as their new conductor. Work at getting a good sound and on dynamics too. Choose something that they know and try to get the choir to follow you as you conduct. Then you might begin on some two part stuff. Don't try to introduce reading skills too soon. You may frighten some of them away. Work with what you have to start with. Some female singers have hang ups about singing alto. They all seem to think that they are sopranos in my choir! I get around this by naming them Ladies 1 and Ladies 2. Remember to get them doing some vocal warm ups before they begin working at pieces. Christmas is not so far away so perhaps you could begin working on something festive. Good luck.

Hi Dean! I agree with Petrat, start with some things they know already, and be prepared for people to say "That's not what the other guy did!". It's bound to happen but don't worry. Just tell them calmly that you are now the director and once everyone is doing the same thing (ie watching you and following you!) everything will sound lovely. If they say it a few times remain calm and reiterate this position (and you can go home and kick the wall or whatever afterward!!!!)

I have recently taken over a group from their long-standing conductor and while it can be tricky it can also be really really rewarding. Be respectful and calm, but authoritative and you should be fine, especially as a younger person conducting older people.

Choose your music carefully and don't do anything too over-zealous until you know they can do it. You need to take time to build everyone's confidence and small steps are usually far more successful than giant leaps.

Best of luck and enjoy! Let us know how you get on.

Good luck with that Deano. I became and organist and choirmaster at age 16 also (in 1963) and had a full 4 part choir. Tread carefully and earn their respect. Id slowly intorduce some two part stuff, as per the other posters suggestions. Make sure the two parts are well rehearsed separately before you put them together. But dont change things too quickly.

Thanks guys, most appreciated. I will try to implement these things into rehearsals step by step. What sort of warm ups do you suggest? We currently only Do-Re-Mi etc etc. I'd like to make things more interesting, and less chore-like. We only meet once a month and we have 12 ladies. As I'm organist I accompany them, otherwise I would sing bass.

As for something festive, I was thinking of teaching them O Holy Night to sing during the carol service. I don't think that'll too much of an ask for them. Any suggestions?

As for a junior choir, funny you should mention that because our youth are getting more and more involved in worship (I'm 16, others are round about my age, also contributing to music (drums, guitar), projector duty) and I've just come back from a meeting with those involved as we will be leading a service for the second time in Nov and a junior choir was mentioned. I will look into doing that.

Again many thanks guys,

Dean

Do you have a soloist who is up to it? Its a scary one as its so well known! There are lots of lovely two part arrangements of other carols (Sussex Carol, Silent Night, Away in a Manger) that may be more managable.

For warm-ups I am currently looking through Successful Warm-ups Book 1 by Nancy Telfer. It seems useful!

Well we have one member who can read music and I think she could probably be able to sing the melody. I'll look in my Carols for Choirs book. Last year the choir sang, Marys Boy Child and I kinda want to follow in that vein by choosing a well known song and working with that.

Found one! lol. I think for them Unto Us Is Born a Son will be easy enough to do. I won't even attempt to try and teach them the harmonies for this though.

Hi Deano,
Good luck with your choir.
A few specific answers: Warm ups: Google Singbook, and have a look at theirs; some good and fun ideas.

Getting reluctant readers to sing in harmony works best when it is something they know extremely well, - so well they have absorbed the simple melody from infancy, - so try something like Silent Night: They'll be so pleased and surprised at the beautiful sound they make that they'll persevere!

Also, when you are actually teaching them something new, they may learn faster from you singing it to them without organ.

Taize music is nice for simple natural harmony work.

Is it a CofE parish? What kind of service music do you sing? Is it all hymns, - anthems, - psalms, - prayers?
Modern or 'ancient?'

You've got guts taking this on, - they are lucky to have you,
V

Have a look out for canons as a good way to introduce the sensation of part-singing. There may be some in your hymnbook. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God" is the only one that comes to mind at the moment, but maybe others can suggest some more.

Its a URC church, we mainly sing before and after the sermon but I am starting to increase the number of anthems we sing in services. For example on Xmas day (I've planned right to the end of the year lol) the anthem will be A Great and Mighty Wonder. I might choose one for Remeberance Sunday but haven't had a look yet.


Dean