Two models for running your choir

• Posted by Chris Rowbury October 4, 2012 - Filed in Choir Post - 3,097 views

  [this is an updated version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]

   

  Last week I raised the question of Whose choir is it any way?

   

  

   

  © Copyright John Darch and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

   

  I looked at the different roles involved in running a choir and why some people might think that their role is the most important! This week I’m going to outline two possible models which attempt to balance the need for freedom of creativity with the practicalities needed to run a choir.

   

  model 1: lots of cooks

  One model of how to organise a choir is to hand out the many different roles involved to a range of individuals and groups.

   

  why this is a good thing:

  • spreading the load of responsibility
  • good for identifying the different jobs that need to be done
  • no one person is in charge
  • members of the choir feel more engaged

   

  why it can be a bad thing:

  • too many cooks!
  • rivalry between different groups/ individuals
  • easy to lose sight of the bigger picture
  • can create jobs which aren't real
     

  model 2: going it alone

  An easier solution, with less conflict, is to have just one person responsible for everything. Some choirs, especially smaller community choirs, just have a choir leader - no committees, no assistants, no treasurers.

   

  why this is a good thing:

  • everyone knows who is responsible
  • one-stop shop for complaints, suggestions, etc.
  • much easier for one person to keep the bigger picture in mind
  • the choir's identity is clearly defined

   

  why it can be a bad thing:

  • that's a lot of responsibility for one person!
  • even control freaks need help some time
  • the job might just be too big for a single person
  • nobody else gets a look-in: it's more like a dictatorship
     

  without whom none of this would be possible

  Before we forget, there is one vital element of any choir without whom the choir would simply not exist: the singers!

   

  It's very easy to lose sight of the fact that a choir needs singers more than it needs anything else. It's important to keep those singers happy and on board with any decisions that are made, whether they are about repertoire, finances, concerts or whatever.

   

  But more importantly, each choir member needs to feel some kind of 'ownership' of the choir. They need to feel empowered and reminded of how important each and every singer is.

   

  There are several ways of doing this, some more successful than others:

   

  • have a committee and regularly elect new choir members onto it
  • have a regular (annual?) meeting with the whole choir to discuss anything choir-related (if you have a constitution, then normally this will be your AGM)
  • make sure that whoever's in charge (committee, arts centre, musical director) can be contacted easily
  • encourage feedback from choir members
  • send out occasional questionnaires to gauge the views of the choir
  • keep the choir regularly informed of any decisions made on their behalf (a newsletter is good for this)
     

  who keeps the balance?

  In my view, it's the musical director who is the person best-placed to keep an eye on the bigger picture and make sure that everybody is happy (well, I would say that wouldn't I??!!). Next week I'll look at what I consider to be the roles and responsibilities of the musical director: How to be a good choir leader.

   

  who's in charge of your choir?

  Do you know who your choir belongs to? Are you happy with this situation? Can it be made any better? I'd love to hear how things work in your choir and if you have any other suggestions that I could add to this subject. Do leave a comment below.

   

   

  Chris Rowbury: chrisrowbury.com