Choral singing is a peculiar thing. The whole premise is based on individuals each doing their part while staying aware of what’s happening within the group. To create a successful ensemble, members need to both be independent and to collaborate. Every group has its own culture, and its own pace and customs, but there are habits that you can cultivate that will benefit any ensemble. I’ll skip the most obvious ones, such as: don’t chatter during rehearsal; note your trouble spots to work on independently; be a good rehearsal neighbor. (Do you like how I skipped them without skipping them?) The habits here will help you get out of your own way and get more out of your rehearsal time.
Here are ten tips for how you want to show up to sing in an adult choir.
1. On your way in the door of your rehearsal space (if not sooner), set your phone to SILENT.
Basically, if your music folder is open, your phone should be shut off. That marimba ringtone doesn’t add anything to the piece you’re rehearsing! Put a note inside your folder if you need help creating the habit.
2. Take advantage of the warm-up to get your ears ready as well as your voice.
What are you noticing and how does it feel? Focus as much on how you’re producing as what you’re producing. There are no awards for “most beautiful warm-up!” Use that time to try out the different things in your toolbox and see what the effect on your sound is.
3. Don’t hum back your starting pitch.
That’s for barbershop groups in corny sitcoms. Practice holding the pitch in your head, because that’s what is necessary in a performance situation.
4. Pay attention — and keep paying attention throughout rehearsal.
Notice what your director might be asking for from another section and be ready for your section to be next. The sections that are being rehearsed are being told things that, 99% of the time, will apply to you, so get ahead of the game by paying attention.
5. If someone asks where you’re starting, simply lift your score and point to your page number or measure.
We’re all great at interpreting non-verbal cues, so there’s no need to say it out loud! If you need to ask where you’re starting, do it the same way – if you politely lean and tap your neighbor’s score, I promise they’ll understand! They want you starting in the same spot just as much as you do.
How to answer when it needs to be quiet
Just point
6. Don’t sing along with the director’s demonstration.
We know, we know, you heard it all the first time, but your director doesn’t need your help! 🙂 Other singers need to be able to hear it without other sounds interfering.
7. Do all the things to make your own score as helpful as possible.
Write in markings as you go, of course, but also use your highlighter to draw your eye to your line or draw a box around tiny rehearsal numbers. (Some scores make finding your line a scavenger hunt!) Write in a translation if it will help you express the text; mark “turn early” if the next page calls for softer dynamics. If the text is in two languages, use correction tape to take out the one you’re not singing. A fresh, unmarked score is just square one; the markings you add are instructions for how your group is going to take it off the page.
8. During solos, put your attention on the soloist.
Focus your attention on the soloist when they are singing—rather than following measure by measure in your score with your head down. If you haven’t been tapped to take over (in the unlikely event the soprano faints on her high A), all you need is to have your score open to your next entrance. Pro Tip: Use a sticky flag to mark it! Remember, this is show biz!) When you observe the soloist, especially when the soloist is standing within the chorus, the audience is cued to do the same thing and can find them more easily.
9. Remember that these are rehearsals for performance day, not drills.
You are training yourself for your performance and your habits will come along with you. Prepare your pitch and onset before you start using your voice. Breathe in slowly and fully in time for your entrance instead of gasping right before the downbeat. Notice where you’re relying on another section’s part for your cue instead of counting the beats; the acoustics in your performance space might not allow you that luxury. Even though it’s “just a rehearsal,” take advantage of that time to create the habits that will help you give your best performance!
10. Be responsible for keeping your own calendar.
Note the important dates, times, and locations as soon as you get them. If your organization uses a sharable calendar, like the one in Chorus Connection, subscribe to it! That will automatically push events and updates to your own calendar. Save surprises for the things that really are unpredictable—and remember choir is a team sport and everyone is relying on your commitment, musicianship, and attendance.
BONUS: (Just for me!) Please, please, please: do whatever it takes to keep your metal water bottle from clanging on the floor!
This is my biggest pet peeve: a metal water bottle gets knocked over and creates a clanging interruption to the rehearsal. Keep it in your bag; put a sock on it; or crochet yourself a beautiful bottle cozy. Do anything to prevent that GONG that makes everyone jump!
Okay, that’s my list. What healthy habits (or pet peeves!) did I leave off the list that make you a better choir member?
Dee Dee Miles is currently the Concert Manager of Princeton Pro Musica and an alto chorister. Over the course of 30+ years in the roles of concert manager and chorus manager, as a member of the marketing committee, and in 7 years as a program coordinator in higher education, Dee Dee has honed myriad organizational leadership skills, chief among them, group communications and logistics planning. She is proud to have earned the title “eliminatrix of ambiguity.” Dee Dee’s other interests are embroidery, the ukulele and autoharp, and solving problems large and small with spreadsheets.