Choir guidelines

[organist]

Any suggestions for guidelines for choirs during practices and services?

[organist]

And chat and argue and moan .... Don't get me started!

[docmattc]

I'd like mine to value their role as musicians sufficiently greatly that they don't feel the need to clear off at the drop of a hat and read and/or act as extraordinary ministers.

[organist]

Exactly - mine double as readers which is not a problem and also run Fairtrade once a month, put up posters and notices, etc. I do try to be humourous and lighthearted at practice but there are some days.....

[Hare]

Yes, can identify with that one, Doc Matt.
But give them a break – our lot only know a month in advance when it's their turn to be eucharistic ministers – that's not time for them to tell me why they can't sing a particular communion processional.
Or is it more to do with the fact, that so many if the few people in the parish willing to do anything, help out with the music too?

My choirmembers who are EM's often get called to stand-in for an absentee as they are singing the Agnus Dei!

[Dot]

Choirs need to sit so that their words can carry and be understood by the congregation. The choir that faces our congregation sideways-on are easily interpretable. The choir that sits facing forward with their backs to many of the people are too often undecipherable. Last night they sang the psalm in this fashion, and the only word I could interpret was "Jerusalem" apart from those of the response, which were printed out for us.

Dot

[lesley wright]

Choirs need to sit so that their words can carry and be understood by the congregation. The choir that faces our congregation sideways-on are easily interpretable. The choir that sits facing forward with their backs to many of the people are too often undecipherable. Last night they sang the psalm in this fashion, and the only word I could interpret was "Jerusalem" apart from those of the response, which were printed out for us.

Dot

This nicely makes the point that choir trainers need constantly to remind their members that they must enunciate to the nth degree, even if they think it makes them look ridiculous.
L

[JW]

Commitment to turning up more than once a month? Oh, and the odd rehearsal?

[Mithras]

I try to emphasis that we leave our personalities at the door - that is, I don't want to hear individuals' voices.

Swooping is banned.

For an 11.00 Sunday Mass we meet at 10.15 for 25 minutes (in addition to our regular Friday rehearsal); this gives us plenty of time before Mass to relax, look for lost music and spectacles, and I can have a brief word with the cedlebrant and give out music lists to the servers and readers who can't see the hymn boards from the sanctuary.

As we sing from a west gallery (don't say "unliturgical" please; everyone says the sound carries much better) a chorister who is also a Eucharistic Minister goes down at the Our Father and we have communion in "relays" - if we sing a Taize chant or something I ensure that at least 4 voices remain to carry the music.

And how many times have you rehearsed a motet for the best part of an hour only to be told by one of the two basses that he" won't be there on Sunday"?

Anyway, next time round I'm going to ask to be a Buddhist cos they don't have choirs.

[VML]

This sounds to me very well organised and thought out, particularly with regards to the reception of HC.
We have only one swooper, and she is not a very frequent attendee.

[Nick Baty]

we sing from a west gallery (don't say "unliturgical" please; everyone says the sound carries much better

Not necessarily "unliturgical" but terribly difficult. You're a long way from the cantor/psalmist/animator. And tricky to bring in choir and assembly at the same moment.

[Nick Baty]

Swooping is banned.

I positively encourage swooping! And I want lots of it when they sing Sweet Sacrament Divine at my Funeral Mass. (And, yes, I know it's unlikely I can have it but I can dream...)

[Hare]

Advice please!

Not a unique problem I am sure, but I am faced with an elderly choir member who, due to ill health and increasing deafness, cannot hear the accompaniment, or those around her. She is therefore basically singing everything out of tune - whether singing in unison, or harmony (she was, in her day, a competent alto). In a small choir (8 voices) this is very noticeable, and this morning, a few heads in the congregation turned at times, to see what was happening.

What have others done in similar situations please? All help gratefully received.

[organist]

Hare you have a problem. But basically it is the lady who has the problem and you might try discussing it with her privately. Or maybe she has a friend who could gently point out the problem? Some choir members cannot be dislodged - even the power of prayer...... My Dad often spoke of altos who were like bullfrogs in the bullrushes when he moved to a new church. They did eventually retire! I think they could not cope with new music. Sopranos with vibrato - very awkward. In the end I suppose we must go with Gelineau who says that if one person does not sing creation's voice is incomplete! Or something like that?

[musicus]

Advice please!

Not a unique problem I am sure, but I am faced with an elderly choir member who, due to ill health and increasing deafness, cannot hear the accompaniment, or those around her. She is therefore basically singing everything out of tune - whether singing in unison, or harmony (she was, in her day, a competent alto). In a small choir (8 voices) this is very noticeable, and this morning, a few heads in the congregation turned at times, to see what was happening.

What have others done in similar situations please? All help gratefully received.

We had a similar situation in our parish a couple of years ago, which had been getting progressively worse, but in that case the lady concerned - aware that her increasing deafness was causing problems - made her own decision to leave the choir, before we were faced with the problem of how to deal with it. Perhaps your choir member is not unaware too, and might be receptive to a diplomatic approach? As a former 'competent alto', she would probably understand a straightforward approach from the music leader. Maybe the key is to keep it all about the physiological and musical facts, while being very careful not to dent her self-worth.