Starting a Choir

The setup for the room is partly dictated by the space being used, but also the specific considerations for musical and therapeutic goals. A variety of setups were used:

• rows
• semicircle or circle
• sitting at tables
• using music stands

Other Thoughts on Seating & Room Configurations

• Most participants sing sitting down for at least part of the session. Choir leaders need to be mindful that some choristers need to be seated for all activities – some in wheelchairs. To ensure that the choir experience is fully inclusive, sessions should be designed to ensure full participation from seated.
• One choir leader noted that they “tried sitting around tables in a u-shape with music on the tables, but it felt like tables were a barrier between people. Tried a circle, but it didn’t fit the space. With a smaller choir, I think a circle would be ideal because in connects people more.”
• In another choir, tables were useful as a means of support, allowing participants to rest their arms on the tables for support and maintain better posture.
• If participants are reading the lyrics from a screen rather than sheet music or lyrics sheets, then the positioning of the chairs is important, as is the height of the screen.
• If instruments, such as hand-bells are being used, it is important to have the space to use them and somewhere to lay them between songs.
• In some choirs, choir members choose their own seats and in others they are assigned seats based on musical, physical and social criteria.
• Where volunteers are an integral part of the choir experience, they are usually interspersed throughout the group so that they can provide support where necessary.
• There needs to be appropriate space to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers where these are used by participants.
• One choir divides men and women in order to facilitate part-singing.
• Some choirs opt for a semicircle or circle as this allows participants to see each other and interact visually. This works in a small setting, with a small group. In a larger group, it is possible to have a couple of rows in a semi-circle so maintaining some eye contact between participants while using the available space effectively. This also has the advantage of creating more of a sense of musical support as participants can hear more voices singing around them, as well as sing other choristers.

Most of the choirs in the SingWell study include some sort of warm-up, chosen depending on the focus of the choir and the particular health needs of the group. Exercises include physical, cognitive, communicative and vocal warm-ups. For example, a choir designed for participants with lung disease or breathing difficulties has a particular focus on breathing exercises and physical warm-ups; an aphasia choir will focus on communicative warm-ups; a Parkinson’s choir does tongue-twisters.

Most of the choirs use at least some of the same exercises every week – with the addition of new ones to provide variety. All the choirs have an inclusive approach to the exercises, with modifications provided, such as participating standing or sitting.

Examples of warm-ups used by the choirs in the study

Physical

• stretching
• facial massaging
• relaxation, particularly neck and shoulders
• posture
• upper and lower body movement
• breath control and awareness

Vocal/musical

• pitch control
• lip trills
• vocal slides/glides and sighs for range – using different syllables
• dynamic variations
• melody playback
• melody clap back
• counting exercises
• vowel exercises
• tuning exercises – singing chords
• tongue twisters

Physical Movement with Singing

Some of the choirs include physical movement not only as part of the warm-ups, but also in conjunction with singing. Such choreographed movement provides physical and cognitive benefits. Some groups also use clapping or conducting rhythms. Some of the choirs include the additional use of instruments, such as hand bells or kazoos.

A variety of techniques are used to teach the songs and warm-ups depending on the goals and experience of choir members, including:

• Call and response
• Sheet music
• Lyrics only – either printed sheets or projected for ease of reading

Some choirs reinforce learning with mp3s or other audio-visual material to enhance practising at home. Material is made available through a choir webpage, SoundCloud or CDs. Most of the choirs expect singers to practice at home.

Many choir leaders use call and response with choir members repeating music phrases or warm-ups modelled correctly by the choir leader or volunteers either at the piano or singing.

In most health choirs, social time is a fundamental part of the choir session, providing support for choir members. Some choirs serve refreshments – organized by choir directors and volunteers.

In this study, directors commented that social time included:

• Social time before and after the choir
• A break half way through for water/catch up – often with coffee and other refreshments
• Socializing encouraged throughout, not just at breaks

Many choirs give performances – though not all. Most performances were casual and informal, offering an opportunity to share music with family and friends; some were sing-alongs. Reasons given for including an end-of-semester performance were:

• An opportunity to showcase their work from the semester
• A sing-along with family and friends
• Seemed like an appropriate goal for the choir
• Gave choir members something to work towards, and an opportunity to share the songs they learned with the public
• A great opportunity to raise aphasia awareness
• Social bonding is facilitated by working together towards a common goal

Some health choirs opt not to give public performances because choir members are not comfortable with the idea of performing either because of lack of musical confidence or an unwillingness to disclose publicly their medical condition; others gave individual choir members the option whether or not they wanted to perform in public. Even where choirs were involved in or many community choirs, emphasis is placed on the process of making music together rather on an end-product.

Concerts were organized by the choir directors, along with volunteers or facilitators.