Join us for for an energising day of singing, learning, sharing and networking with choir leaders. This day is open to anyone with an interest in choir leading and is especially suitable for those working with adult and youth community choirs as well as primary/secondary school choirs.
We kick off the day with Quick Fire energisers, move and groove, improvisation, technical vocal exercises, mash ups and quick to learn songs to gather and warm up your choir room led by Creative Choir Leader Founder, Beth Morgan and the Inspire Club Choir Leaders
Then we will enjoy an 75min A cappella Singing workshop led by phenomenal communal singing animateaur, James Sills, MD The Sofa Singers, TedX speaker, singer with The Spookymen’s Chorale and author. You can access this workshop with a stand alone ticket.
In the afternoon session, we are offering three 45min options for choir leaders to choose from:
Elise Evans, MD of pop choir Anthem Voices, will facilitate a session on Choir Choreography – how to stage simple but effective choir choreography that enhances your performance. Be prepared to move!
An a cappella Vocal Painting workshop, where we will taste a specially developed system of sign language creating possibilities for “instant music” and also for improving rhythm, intonation, blending, expression and performance, with Denmark RAMA trained choir leader, Wendy Sergeant
Matt Finch, choir and musical theatre MD and composer, explores how you can introduce simple scores and light classical music to your community choir.
The final session of the day will include a guided networking session where you can meet and learn from the experiences of the other choir leaders.
“It’s been the best event I’ve been to in my 9 years as a choir leader. I love how you’ve crated a non snobbery atmosphere. It was well packed full with lots of practical tips”
“Can’t wait for the next one! Thank you to everyone for making it literally the best training day I have been to”
“Just amazing! I came home inspired, buzzing and full of confidence, ideas and a bunch of new friends!”
Age: 18 years+
What’s included: All workshop sessions, score and audio resources, refreshments, a light lunch and afternoon tea.
Day Schedule:
9:30am Coffee
10:00 Welcome
10:05 Quick Fire Vocal Activities led by Beth Morgan and Inspire Leaders
11:15 Break
11:30 A Cappella Singing Workshop led by James Sills
12:45pm Lunch Break
1:45 Session Option Block
2:30 Tea break
2:45 Guided Networking session
3:30 Final Session including a Big Sing and wrap up.
DAY TICKET COST:
£55.00 Inspire Club Member Ticket
£75.00 Non-Inspire Member Ticket (Early Bird discount £65 available until 28th April using the code ‘INSPIRE2024’)
£15.00 James Sills A Cappella Singing Workshop only
FULL DAY TICKETS: DEADLINE TO BOOK: FRIDAY 17th May 2024 (to allow for catering purposes)
More session info:
10:05am (70 mins) SESSION 1
Quick Fire Vocal Activities for your Community Choir
Sing before speaking to your choir!
Beth Morgan and the Inspire leaders will share with us best practise warm ups, ice breakers, quick songs and technical exercises that they use with their community choirs. Learn from the people who inspire singing in our local communities.
11:30am (75min) SESSION 2
A Cappella SInging Workshop with James Sills, author of “Do Sing: Reclaim Your Voice. Find Your SInging Tribe”
James’ workshop will be all a cappella with a focus on listening, blend and groove. Teaching everything by ear, he will draw upon different global traditions as well as some classic pop. His session will offer an insight in the inclusive approach he has developed over the last decade, drawing upon his experience of leading community choirs, workplace wellbeing sessions and corporate workshops.
1:30pm (45mins) SESSION 3 Option A
Innovative Choir Leading: A Cappella Vocal Painting with Wendy Sergeant
Join Wendy who will give you a taster session on Vocal Painting – a specially developed system of sign language creating possibilities for “instant music” and also for improving rhythm, intonation, blending, expression and performance developed by Professor Jim Daus Hjernoe Royal College of Music in Denmark (RAMA)
1:30pm (45mins) SESSION 3 Option B
Choir Choreography! Making movement easy for your singers!
Enjoy a fun session with expert pop choir leader and musical theatre pro, Elise Evans. Learn how to stage simple but effective choir choreography that enhances your performance!
1:30pm (45mins) SESSION 3 Option C
Introducing simple scores and light classical repertoire to your community choir
Thought about introducing something a bit different – and lightly classical – to your community choir’s repertoire list? But have you discovered that some scores are easier for your singers to navigate than others? Leader of 9 community choirs, ranging from daytime wellbeing to semi auditioned SATB, and the Bath Light Opera Group, Matt FInch know a thing or two about the best way to appoach this topic. And get the very best out of your singers!
2:30pm (60mins) SESSION 4
Networking groups and afternoon tea
Ever wanted to sit down with other choir leaders and pick their brains about choirs?
In our choir leader networking huddles, you can do just that. It’s a chance to meet new colleagues, ask advice and gather ideas.
“What would you do if….?”
“How can I…..?”
Have you ever…..?
PLUS, we’ll be enjoying our afternoon tea at the same time!
Learn more about our guests and Inspire Leaders…
James is a musician, author and TEDx speaker who is on a mission to get people singing. He is a passionate advocate for the holistic benefits of communal singing and over the last decade has brought together thousands of people together at events and gatherings around the world – from choirs to conferences, workshops to workplaces, festivals to football stadiums. James uses singing to build connections, improve wellbeing and to spark joy, creating a transformational experience for all participants.
His first book, ‘Do Sing: Reclaim Your Voice. Find Your Singing Tribe’ was published in September 2019 by the Do Book Company and is described by Cerys Matthews as ‘an open door to the joyous world of singing’ and has inspired readers around the world.
Throughout his career, he has strived to create new and innovative ways for people to come together to sing. This includes founding Wrexham One Love Choir – Wales’s first homeless choir and The Sofa Singers – an online singing community. In 2020, James was awarded a Points Of Light Award from the UK government in recognition of his work to combat feelings of isolation during the Coronavirus pandemic through The Sofa Singers.
His media experience includes appearances on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC One, BBC Worldwide and NBC (US). He has also appeared in most major UK newspapers and lifestyle magazines. Currently, James writes a monthly column for Psychologies, the UK’s best selling wellbeing magazine, entitled ‘Sing For Your Life.’
James is also member of international a cappella troupe, the Spooky Men’s Chorale, with whom he has toured internationally for the last decade.
Beth is known online internationally as The Creative Choir Leader. Her CCL newsletter, blog, website, Facebook group and online membership The Inspire Club supports over 1.5K choir leaders from around the world. In this role she has worked with Deke Sharon (Pitch Perfect), John Rutter, Bob Chilcott, Karen Gibson (The Kingdom Choir), Kim Samuels (Renewal Choir), Roger Emerson (world’s top selling arranger for pop choral music), Suzzi Vango (How to Make Your Choir Sound Awesome), Greg Link (Apollo 5) and Joanna Tomlinson (National Youth Choir of Great Britain) to name but a few.
Leading choirs for 30 years, Beth is formerly the Musical Director for the Bristol Military Wives Choir (2015-2024) and the founder of The Great Day Choir (2017-present) Beth is in demand as choir workshop leader and specialises in women’s voices. In September, she will be launching her 6th community choir singing an innovative mix of jazz, disco, soul and contemporary pop.
Beth has a Bachelor of Music from the University of Queensland. She has taken conducting training with Choral Music Experience and Sing for Pleasure. In 2022, she was a participant in The Inspiration Course in Innovative Pop and Jazz Choral Directing at the Royal Academy of Music Vocal Centre, Aalborg, Denmark.
Elise Evans trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, London graduating in 2011.
Once graduated, she went on to work on board Thomson Cruise Ships working as a presenter/vocalist completing three contracts. Since 2013, she has worked in numerous professional productions and pantomimes all over the West Midlands.
Elise also works extensively as a presenter across radio and live events in the West Midlands. She has been heard across the airwaves on both commercial and BBC radio stations including Capital, Heart & BBC WM. She is currently the weekend host of the mid morning show across BBC WM & BBC CWR and also pops up on Absolute Radio Country. Through her extensive radio work Elise has been fortunate to interview lots of different people from the Mayor of the West Midlands to Priscilla Presley! Some of her favourite conversations have been with Olly Murs, Little Mix, Busted, McFly, Lenny Henry, Rob Beckett, Micheal Ball, Craig Revel Horwood and many more Strcitly stars!
One of Elises proudest moments was being stadium announcer at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games where she was the voice of the opening ceremony, a huge televised event that was watched by a billion people across the world. She even introduced the now King and Queen into the Alexander Stadium!
As well as her professional media work, Elise is the Artistic & Musical Director of Anthem. A singing company based in Wolverhampton. With a community choir, various singing workshops and private tuition, Anthem prides itself on providing excellent singing classes to members of the community and beyond! Anthem choirs have performed on many prestigious stages including the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Birmingham Symphony Hall and The Palace Theatre, Redditch. In 2022, our flagship choir Anthem Voices were chosen as one of the choirs to sing in the Opening Ceremony for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Matt is a composer, arranger and choral director of many different styles of music.
His compositions have included 5 musicals, one of which (MissRed) has received many performances, including at the Edinburgh Fringe where it received 5 star reviews. He has also composed several anthems for choirs, including a 1 hour Christmas Carol Suite for Choir & Jazz ensemble. Matt has also composed music for an epic production of His Dark Materials at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall and composed music for 3 or 4 other plays.
As a choral Musical Director Matt currently leads 9 choir rehearsals a week and is also the Musical Director of Bath Light Operatic Group who perform a full scale musical in the Bath Theatre Royal. Over Lockdown Matt started to work with RunBySingers choir holidays and directed online recordings with over 900 singers of Mozart’s Requiem, Rutter Gloria, Brahms Requiem, Durufle Requiem and Vivaldi Gloria. Last year he was fortunate to be the conductor for a “live” performance of Vivaldi Gloria in the magnificent city of Venice.
Future projects include a Musical Theatre evening with a 40 piece orchestra and choir, a new “community choir” choir musical, and taking his choir to Aid En Provence for the annual music festival.
Matt also loves playing & teaching the piano, and in particular loves not playing the notes that are written but something very close! Matt leads most of his choirs from the piano standing up, so conducting and playing means that what is written on the page is not always played!
Wendy Sergeant is a choir director, singer and vocal arranger from Portishead. She has been teaching singing and leading choirs for over 20 years. She studied at the Royal College of Music in Denmark (RAMA) from 2020 to 2022 on the “ Innovative Choir Leading Master” course led by Professor Jim Daus Hjernoe which has transformed her approach to choir leading. Wendy directs several large community choirs in North Somerset as well as running singing workshops across the UK. She also directs and sings with 16 piece a cappella group “The Chandeliers”. She is well-known in the community choir scene for being an up-beat, inspiring teacher and arranger. She is most at home in a gorgeous chord with a funky groove!
Food and refreshments
Included in your day ticket is:
Morning Tea/Coffee on arrival
Cold Lunch Buffet
Afternoon Tea
Healthy snacks and water available all day
Venue and transport links:
Tyndale Baptist Church, Whiteladies Road, Redland BS8 2QG opp. Clifton Down Station.
Transport links:
Car: M4, M5, M32 to Bristol City Centre. BS8 2QG
Closest Parking: Free street parking weekends on Whatley/Chantry/Alma Road and close streets that side of Whiteladies Road. Clifton Down Station Car Park.
Please note that these is limited parking at the venue. If you are a blue badge holder, please contact info@thecreativechoirleader.com to reserve a space.
Train to Bristol Temple Meads Station. Change to Severn Beach service to Clifton Down Station (15mins service). The venue is opposite the station. Cost £1.50 single https://www.gwr.com.
Walking from Temple Meads Station, please allow 45-60mins. The walk is hilly.
Taxi from Temple Meads Station to the venue: This is the quickest way. It costs £8 – £10 and takes 7 min.
Bus from Temple Meads Station to Clifton Down Station/Tyndall’s Park Queen’s Avenue:
Number 72a, 1, 2a, 2 takes 15-18mins Cost £1-3.
Covid safety:
We are committed to keeping you safe throughout your visit. If you have any Coronavirus symptoms please take a lateral flow test before coming. If you are unwell please stay home. We strongly encourage you to get the Covid vaccination. Please respect each other’s personal space.
£55.00 Inspire Club Member Ticket
£75.00 Non-Inspire Member Ticket (Early Bird discount £65 available until 30th April using the code ‘INSPIRE2024’)
£15.00 James Sills A Cappella Singing Workshop only
FULL DAY TICKET – DEADLINE TO BOOK: FRIDAY 17th May 2024
(to allow for catering purposes)