Be a Good Choir Singer
Singing in an ensemble is a skill you can acquire and improve. Here are factors that improve ensemble performance:
The tone quality of each individual singer’s voice. Please see the article on vocal technique
The ensemble’s unity:
Vowel color (blend) and diction
Rhythms and tempo
Attacks and releases
Dynamics, balances between sections, and phrasing
Emotional investment of every individual singer; physical appearance
Posture checklist for choir singers
Beginning with the feet, here are six things to think about when you are rehearsing and performing. Practice these items every time you rehearse and they can become second nature during performance.
Feet – stand with your heels close together and your toes slightly apart.
Knees – don’t lock them or you may faint. Every once in a while bend your knees slightly to make sure you haven’t locked them.
Hands – your hands are at your sides, not behind you, in front of you, and certainly not in your pockets!
Cheek bones – raise your cheek bones. Yes, it’s impossible; the attempt, however, will work wonders for your face and your singing tone.
Eyebrows – raise your eyebrows slightly. Young singers often tend to scowl while they are singing.
Top of the head – raise the parietal bone as high as you can. This is the back part of the top of your head. Don’t raise the front of your head – it will make you stick your chin out. If you raise the parietal bone as high as you can, almost everything else will fall into place: your shoulders, your chest, your spine, all those parts of your anatomy that need to be in place for you to sing well.
This blog article is taken from my book, Music Theory for Choral Singers.
