Programme for Sunday

Delegates are invited as participating conductors, singers, and observers to a masterclass session led by renowned performer and teacher, Sarah Tenant-Flowers. Up to 3 conductors will direct fellow delegates and receive practical feedback and suggestions for developing singer-friendly gestures which get the best out of your choirs, as well as enhancing technique, clarity, relevance and communication skills. If you would like to take part as a volunteer conductor, please register your interest by contacting Elisabeth Brierley. The masterclass is aimed at Intermediate/Advanced level, so please provide a very brief summary of your experience to date and any issues with which you would like particular help. Repertoire will be confirmed in advance.

In the last of our repertoire discovery sessions, discover new music for community choirs singing in one or two parts. You'll be able to sing highlights with Jeremy, and you can explore the full range on our website. Bring your own tablet or i-Pad if possible to get the most out of the session.

* Shivani leads a session on engaging repertoire for teenagers so that they can leave their inhibitions at the door and feel confident and empowered on the way out. This session will include warm ups, stacking songs and a diverse range of cultural representation to get your singers engaged with the world through music.

Whether a soloist or choir member, clear and thoughtful delivery of text is crucial to an aesthetically satisfying performance. This session will address issues such as how to establish vowel uniformity, clarify consonants, offer a brief introduction to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and the importance of syllabic stress. Chris will work through a piece of music in the session and present practical strategies and techniques that can immediately be applied at the next rehearsal.

Whether you're part of a traditional choir set-up with a voluntary committee, or running choirs as a sole-trader, good business practice is essential if your choir is to thrive. Barry Holloway, Marketing Director of Making Music, is joined by two Musical Directors to offer contrasting perspectives on choir management. Caroline Sharpe runs the Caroline Sharpe Singers as a sole trader and Elizabeth Palmer is secretary of Leeds Festival Chorus, which runs on the more traditional committee-run model. There will be plenty of time for discussion.

* What do you need to lead singing successfully in the classroom? This wide-ranging practical session is for anyone leading children’s singing, whether in school or with choirs, exploring the skills and preparation needed in conducting, pedagogy, and vocal technique and resources for repertoire and musicianship.

Finish your weekend in rousing style with a sing led by composer and conductor Bob Chilcott. A founder member of abcd, Bob has enjoyed a lifelong association with choral music, as a chorister and choral scholar in the choir of King’s College, Cambridge, and as a member of the King’s Singers, before becoming a full-time composer and conductor in 1997. One of Bob's most celebrated and popular choral works to date, A Little Jazz Mass was first performed in 2004 by a choir of 400 young singers and jazz trio in St Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. Since then it has received countless performances and editions have been published for SSA, SAB and SATB, making it an accessible work for all types of choir.