We are into August, and of course nothing has changed in terms of rehearsals in person, but we are still progressing well. As a team, we are finding new ways to bring music into the living rooms of all our choristers through research and testing (almost like a vaccine…!!). Nothing will be like rehearsing in person, but as we are still unable to meet yet, we need to continue to provide new ways to learn music.

Recently, myself and Alison, with the help of our chairman Paul, have gone to our HQ to record videos of us note-bashing and conducting for the guys to follow and sing along. This has proven to be a step in the right direction, as they are able to watch me keep the tempo, help with breathing and bring them in at the right time. With the teach tracks already sent out months ago, there is plenty of content for the guys to use in order to learn the new songs.

Many artists have had to change their approach to work, and some are thriving with the transition to online tuition. A good friend of mine, Elinor Cooper, has put on virtual courses to help amateur singers improve their musicianship skills. You can find the variety of courses she presents on her Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/CooperElinor.

The Sixteen have been reproducing past performances of pieces from themselves and their youth choir, Genesis Sixteen,  onto their page. They also put a “spotlight” onto various ensembles as part of their ‘Sounds Sublime Online’ festival, showcasing some of the UK’s finest young vocal talent on July the 18th. They are still producing some great performances online, and it is well worth a browse if you have the time.

As a conductor, it is always useful for me to look for others in my profession giving advice on how to direct a choir well. Ralph Allwood has recently been giving lessons to some students on Instagram and sharing it live with the public. Having previously sung under his direction, I know that Ralph has a mind that is worth listening to, and he certainly knows his stuff – especially in the world of church music. Another artist worth looking out for!

I hope you are enjoying reading these recent blog posts. For us, it has taken us to good places online – We learned this month that RMC was included in a list of the top 25 choir websites from around the world, by Feedspot! Feedspot is a website trusted by companies such as Adidas, Microsoft, and Coca Cola, so this accolade is a big deal, especially as some of the websites have been online for over a decade! To see the other choirs mentioned, follow this link: https://blog.feedspot.com/choir_blogs/. Evidently, this is even more reason to follow our posts and visit our website more often!

Thank you for reading and stay safe!

Tomos Gwyn