[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   When I was a student, I’d sit in lectures scribbling down everything that the lecturer wrote on the board. Like most people there, I understood...

[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 ...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   It’s the final rehearsal before your big concert. The warm up is over and everyone is ready to go. But a handful of singers (the usual suspects...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] The world can be a terrible place sometimes as we’ve seen in the news lately. It’s hard to imagine how a single person can make a difference. Ch...

PROGRAM NOTES: While reaDing James Weldon Johnson’s poem for the first time, I was immediately reminded of all the difficult times that music has helped me through. How I wrote the composition Hope to process a miscarriage, or how I wrote I Will Lift My...  onclick="$(this).getParent().getNext().style.display='';$(this).getParent().style.display='none';">moreone;">PROGRAM NOTES: While reaDing James Weldon Johnson’s poem for the first time, I was immediately reminded of all the difficult times that music has helped me through. How I wrote the composition Hope to process a miscarriage, or how I wrote I Will Lift My Eyes at a time when multiple family members, both young and old, were being diagnosed with cancer. No matter life’s challenges, music has always been an outlet for me to cope and heal. It has helped me to persevere and fight through some of life's most difficult moments, ultimately making me a stronger person. The world can be a challenging place, but each of us are warriors—armed with the gift to sing, and filled with the fire, passion, drive, and grit to conquer anything. CREDITS: "The Gift to Sing" For SATB and piano Music by Zachary J. Moore Words by James Weldon Johnson Chamber Choir, Goose Creek High School Emily Reeves Bohl, conductor Ken Myers, collaborative pianist Josh Bohl, recorDing engineer Zach Moore, mixing and mastering  onclick="$(this).getParent().getPrevious().style.display='';$(this).getParent().style.display='none';">less

[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...

[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 ...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   The fact is that pretty much anyone can lead a choir. Some do it better than others and some do it worse, but it’s not rocket science. However,...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] How do you know if a choir session or singing workshop or performance has been a success? photo by shadowkilla_tk And if it has gone badly, how does that...

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir] If you’re like me, you’re always tempted to add harmonies to the simplest of melodies, whether it’s singing along with others or arranging a...