The Choir Corner

It might not have escaped your notice that community choral singing has seen a real boost in popularity over the past 15 or so years, and many established singing groups have grown, and new ones have been formed, over that time. This has certainly been the case in the Algarve, which now boasts an impressive number of choirs of numerous different types and sounds across the region.

This new regular feature is designed to cover ‘all things choir’ and, over the coming months, will include introductions to our varied and vibrant choirs, their leaders and members, the science (and the many proven benefits) to group singing, and top tips and techniques from our local choir leaders for anyone interested (or already) singing in a choir.

I’ll also be including a Choir Roundup in each edition to keep you up-to-date with all the choir performances and events in your area. If there are any choirs out there with whom I’m not already in contact, and who would like to add their performance dates to this roundup, please contact me and I will be delighted to include your group’s activities.

Time to get in tune

December was one of the busiest times of the year for many of our choirs as the Christmas performance season was upon us! There were performances across the Algarve, and their many spectators enjoyed an added feeling of festivity that these concerts brought. January is often a resting month for many groups after this busy time, but there were some who resumed rehearsals straight away in the new year and most others will be starting up again this month.

For any of you who have been toying with the idea of joining a choir but haven’t yet got around to giving it a go, then I’ve good news for you … this is a perfect time to join your local choir as they begin to rehearse their new programmes for the year. This means you’ll be learning the new materials at the same time as everyone else, which will help you to find your feet and settle into the group.

All of our region’s choirs are friendly, open groups who welcome new members. The majority don’t require auditions or even necessarily expect you to be able to read music. Experience is great, but by no means essential. Don’t worry if the sum total of your singing experience to date is singing in the school choir or letting loose with an enthusiastic sing-along to your favourite songs when you’re driving alone in the car. To be honest, that’s the same for most people.

The best things that you can bring to a choir are an enjoyment of singing, and time to commit to performances and a bit of practice in between rehearsals. The thought of singing on your own in front of other people may well be outside of your comfort zone, but singing in a group gives you confidence and a sense of shared experience, which is quite unique. So why don’t you reach out to your local group and try out a session with them to see if it’s for you … I can’t recommend it enough!

Alternatively, for those of you who prefer to listen rather than to perform yourselves, we’ve got a year of treats ahead as our Algarve choirs get ready to entertain you with a wonderful programme of all types of choral singing for your enjoyment.

Elizabeth Roberts Honey leads the Western Algarve Community Choir (est. 2013). You can contact her by email on Elizabeth_roberts15@hotmail.com