Saturday 24th May 2025 Bristol UK
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 developing their choir leadership skills and is especially suitable for those working with adult and youth community choirs as well as primary/secondary school choirs.
ABOUT THE DAY
The Creative Choir Leader Inspire Day aims to give you the opportunity to sing with your colleagues, learn new techniques and ideas, and network with fellow choir leaders. Launched in 2022, it has been described as “the best event I’ve been to in my 9 years as a choir leader. I love how you’ve created a non-snobbery atmosphere. It was packed full with lots of practical tips.” In this setting, you can learn more about choir leadership with the empathetic and engaging support of the other participants.
The Inspire Day is designed for choir leaders at all stages, from the curious right through to the more experienced. We also embrace choir leaders from all genres and styles of choir, whether you lead a community choir, health choir, wellbeing choir, a gospel choir, a school choir, a cappella choir….the list is endless! Basically, if you lead a group of people singing, then this is the day for you!
Choir leaders enjoy being a part of our annual Inspire Day. We put you at the heart of the programme. We prioritise active learning through singing and observing other choir leaders at work. You will be guided and taught in a supportive and collaborative setting. This year the day involves both practical and technical tuition, focusing on new song material, choral leadership, vocal technique, conducting preparation, creating dynamic performances, choir administration, and tour organisation.
Participants are offered a range of sessions, and at times you are given various options to choose topics of interest for your own choir leading. There’s lots of singing and a lot of fun – which we know is the best way to both lead and learn. Throughout the day, you will have ample opportunity to network and meet new people who share your passion for leading people singing together.
The Creative Choir Leader Inspire Day has welcomed choir leaders for all around the world including Australia, Ireland as well as the UK.
YOUR 2025 SESSION LEADERS
Age: 18 years+
What’s included: All workshop sessions, score and audio resources (via ChoirMate App), refreshments. A light 2 course lunch option is available as an extra.
All participants will be asked to complete a media release form.
The venue is fully accessible.
Any further questions contact us at info@thecreativechoirleader.com
Day Timetable:
9:30am Registration, coffee and networking
10:00am Welcome
10:10am Greg Link: Energising and invigorating layer songs
11:00am Change over
11:05am Legacy A Cappella: Coming alive through inspiring engagement and connection
11:55am Break
12:05pm Mixed Option Block: ChoirMate with Eirik Stien; Choir Tours with Jo Porter; Elevating your choir sound with Clare Oliver; Sing to Breathe with Kate Lynch
12:55pm LUNCH & networking
1:50pm Energisers with Inspire Choir Leaders: Gina Walters, Beth Morgan and Belinda Gannon.
2:20pm. Change over
2:25pm Choral Leadership Option Block: Suzzie Vango and Wendy Sergeant.
3:15pm Break – afternoon tea
3:45pm GUEST LEADER: James Rose – Creative Vocal Explorations.
4:45pm Wrap Up
5:00pm Finish
DAY TICKET COST:
£55.00 Inspire Club Member Ticket
£75.00 Non-Inspire Member Ticket (Early Bird discount £65 available until 21st March using the code ‘INSPIRE2025’)
£15.00 Optional Extra 2 course lunch (sandwich/wraps and salad buffet with dessert)
FULL DAY TICKETS: DEADLINE TO BOOK: FRIDAY 16th May 2025 (to allow for catering purposes)
More session info:
10:10am (50 mins)
Layering Up with Greg Link
Join singer and choir leader Greg Link for an energetic and invigorating a cappella workshop exploring a range of layer building songs to energise the body and mind. Sing smooth soulful choruses, enjoy upbeat and uplifting harmonies, and unpack a useful vocal warm up toolkit to utilise at your next choir rehearsal.
11:05am (50min)
Coming Alive: Inspiring Engagement and Connection in Performance
Members of Legacy Choir take us through their process for creating enerigised and connected performances.
12:05pm (50mins) SESSION 3 Option A
ChoirMate Showcase: Transforming Choir Excellence
Join Eirik Stien, live stream from Norway, to discover how ChoirMate elevates the musical experience while streamlining choir organization. See how our platform helps conductors enrich rehearsals, enhance section practice, and empower singers with powerful practice tools.
Whether you lead a small ensemble or large choir, learn why thousands of choirs are choosing ChoirMate to harmonize their digital workflow.
12:05pm (50mins) SESSION 3 Option B
We’re all going on a choir holiday!
In this session, founder of Sound Escapes, Jo Porter, explores the benefits of touring together as a choir. You will earn some helpful tips on what to consider when organising a tour and how Sound Escapes can assist you.
12:05pm (50mins) SESSION 3 Option C
Time to elevate your choir sound
This is a workshop designed exclusively for choir leaders looking to refine and elevate their ensemble’s vocal quality. This session will provide practical tools to help directors guide their choirs toward a more unified, expressive, and professional sound. We will explore how vowel shaping enhances blend and resonance, how precise consonant articulation improves clarity and diction, and how efficient breath control supports a more connected and consistent tone. You will leave with actionable techniques to implement in rehearsals, helping your choir achieve greater precision, blend, and musicality.
12:05pm (50mins) SESSION 3 Option D
…and breathe!….
Come and experience a singing session focussed on lung health and pick up some ideas for breathwork that you could take away to use with your choirs. Focussing on efficient breathing is important for every singer and this “Sing2breathe” session will include breathing and vocal exercises that focus on extending the outbreath and songs that everyone can participate in.
1:50pm (30mins)
Quire Fire Songs
Inspire Club choir leaders will share short songs which you can teach to your choir with joy and energy.
2:25pm (50mins) SESSION 5 Option B
Developing Choral Leadership
A session led by Suzzie Vango, choral leader, vocal specialist and author of the award winning warm up book: How To Make Your Choir Sound Awesome. This session will help you develop your choral leadership skills through the process of troubleshooting a piece of music, applying this to your conducting gesture and then using this to improve the sound of your vocal ensemble.
2:20pm (50mins) SESSION 5 Option B
Developing Choral Leadership
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)
3:45pm (60mins)
Journeys in Voice
Come and explore together a selection of James’ vocal explorations, written to bring singers of all kinds into new experiences and harmonic landscapes. These warm ups have taken the Internet by storm, offering a joyful approach to musicmaking, whilst deepening and strengthening key elements of ear training. As a non-binary human, part of James’ journey here will be sharing and exploring different, fluid and more neutral understandings of voice parts to create a sense of freedom and inclusivity for singers of all different kinds.
Food and refreshments
Included in your day ticket is:
Morning Tea/Coffee on arrival
Afternoon Tea
Healthy snacks and water available all day
OPTIONAL EXTRA – 2 course lunch – cold buffet and light dessert – ticket purchased separately to day ticket.
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.
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