What makes singing in a choir or group rewarding?
1. Music that is fun to sing.
2. Music that is inspiring, touching, and meaningful.
3. The social enjoyment of working together with fellow choir members in a friendly setting to create something beautiful to share with others.
We hope this new choir book can help you with points 1 and 2, plus add the excitement of something new. Number 3 is what we're sure you're good at doing.
This may be just what your choir director needs!
Announce And Invite
PR experts have long realized that anything new can become a reason for a special event to hype something you want to promote. Why not use this opportunity to promote the choir? It's easy and it works. Here's how:
Announce that the choir has obtained some exciting, new music you'd like to introduce -- and/or -- announce that the choir is planning to perform some fun, new arrangements over the next several months. Invite everyone to come try them out, just for fun, whether they’ve ever sung in a choir or not. Entice them with refreshments: "New Music and Fresh Cookies!"
Promote it for a couple of weeks. Make sure those one or two (or three or four) people you've been especially hoping to recruit are invited, and perhaps even offered a ride by someone in the choir. Be sure to welcome teenagers, too! They can breathe a lot of life, energy, and talent into the choir. Some may need a little patience and nurturing, but others will surprize you at how quickly they're contributing.
Set aside a rehearsal just for this – probably at your regular time and location, to start them right into the routine.
Enthusiasm, Inspiration, and Fun
At that special rehearsal announce the choir’s plans for the next several months. Let them feel your enthusiasm for the choir and the positive influence a good choir can have. Music can encourage, inspire, and set a worshipful spirit and tone. That’s why we’re here. Plus, we’re really going to have fun together learning some wonderful music!
After this introduction, just sing through the songs you’ve planned . . . without stopping.
Before singing a song, perhaps have it played through once. You may even point out a tricky spot or two. But once you start, keep moving. Keep it lively, letting the mistakes fall away lightly as enticing challenges for future practices. Stay confident and assuring – and have fun!
Important: For this to work, the pianist has to know the accompaniment well. Everyone else can goof up, including the conductor, during these quick run-thoughs. That’s part of the fun. But the pianist has to maintain the foundation to keep the choir on track.
Little By Little
If this results in one or two new recruits, way to go! If the only immediate result is to increase the enthusiasm of your existing choir members, fantastic! Just do your best with those who come, and help them have an enjoyable experience. They’re your nucleus – don’t take them for granted. Others will come as they see how rewarding the choir is for those now participating. Just keep inviting them.
Warning: Be sure to look for music in comfortable voice ranges. Straining to sing arrangements that are written out of your range is miserable, and will drive people away. (These arrangements stay well within normal voice ranges.)
These songs are a lot of fun to sing, and very rewarding.
Promoting a book of new songs can help you:
• Recruit new participation.
• Rejuvenate long-standing, loyal choir members.
• Provide a wonderful fellowshipping vehicle.
• Let the choir know you appreciate and support them.
You’ll see. Enjoyable music has drawing power.