a treasure trove of ideas
distilled from years of innovative work with singers and choirs of all ages and types, including
We Invite Conductors and Choirs to Open Up to Other Sides of Choral Singing.
If, as a Choir Leader, or Choir you are interested in:
Developing the Expressive Freedom of Your Choir’s Singing
Exploring the Widest Range of Musical, Vocal and Choral Styles (e.g. World Voices)
Incorporating 
Movement & Body-Mind-Voice Approaches into Rehearsals (e.g. Alexander Technique)
Bringing Creative Imagination via Improvisation into your choral work and vocal development
New Means of Creating Community through Choral Singing
Over the last 25 years
a multiplicity of extraordinary singing styles/choral idioms have emerged in our midst:
from world and early music voicings to 21st Century extended voice techniques.
All these voices demonstrate a move towards new more open-minded paradigms in voicework and choral singing.
This Training Day theme offers choirs and conductors the opportunity
to try out a Whole Range of Different Vocal and Musical Styles:
e.g.
i) Sing Music of Different Times
From Early Musics (Medieval and Renaissance) to Modern Soundscapes
ii) Explore the Unique Ways People Weave their Voices Together in Choral Music from all over the World,
e.g.
Sacred Chant Traditions World and Gospel Styles.
Tonalis Training Days/Workshops offer choirs the chance
to work with a master singing teacher on vocal skills development ( see Testimonials ).
Voice Technique for 21st Century Singers’ invites choir members to awaken their awareness of
how to free their voices via innovative exercises that will help them:
Extend the Range of their Voices and Expand their Palette of Vocal Colours
Free the Larynx, Tongue and Jaw from Tensions that Interfere with Vocal Freedom
Develop Whole Body Breathing - including innovative ideas for bringing about reflexive breathing,
where through creating openness the breath naturally fills us instead of singers ‘Taking’ a Breath.
Michael Deason-Barrow offers new innovative forms of vocal warm-ups that get the Body Voice Listening Musicianship Imagination and Community
of the Choir ready for choral singing, e.g.  i) the choir learns to work as a team (e.g. via Improvisation & Circle Games)
ii) each singers vocal/ musical confidence is empowered.
through focussing on its specific vocal and stylistic requirements through the use of innovative 'bridge' exercises. |
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can enable choir members to free their voices so that expressive singing of choral music can come about.
In particular, Michael Deason-Barrow will introduce you to the benefits of
, which when used in connection with singing,
is the most profound way of learning how to consciously release the stressful physical habits,
tensions and inappropriate muscular usage which often interfere
with the natural co-ordination of singers voices and breathing.
Would you like to explore the benefits of bringing
creative imagination (via improvisation) into choral work and vocal development?
During these sessions the choir explore how
i) improvisation can help choirs creatively enter into the composer’s imagination and deepentheir interpretation - (through learning how to improvise on the elements of music foundin each composition), andii) new choral compositions which employ improvisationiii) improvisation helps the team building/community aspects of the choir to develop.
One of the key challenges all choirs face, is to learn how to:
i) sing in tune and improve intonation in order to transform flat/sharp singing
ii) blend the different voice colours of choir members who have, for instance, dark vs. bright voices
- through exploring how to balance resonance and vowel harmonics, etc.
iii) achieve both good horizontal tuning (i.e. between the different intervals of a melody),
and good vertical tuning (i.e. between the notes of a chord).
In addition, choir members will practice becoming 'Harmonic' instruments - not just melodic ones -
through learning how to adjust their voices in relationship to the other parts in order to sing co-operatively.
You will find the new understandings and innovative strategies of ‘Tuning In’ has much to offer your choir.
N.B. A Maximum of 2 Themes/Day can be offered,
apart from ‘A Wider Vision of Singing’ which requires a Whole Day.
For a full Brochure introducing you to this new and uplifting approach to Singing in Choirs,
please see pdf leaflets, or contact the Tonalis Office.
Michael will introduce your choir to a treasure trove of new ideas
distilled from years of innovative work with children’s choirs which are both practical and full of inspiration.
These include:
including special songs
that will take the voice development the training day will model into the practice of music.
in ways that are guaranteed to spark their enthusiasm and motivate their commitment to choral singing.
(N.B. This work can include a special focus on singing glorious choral from all around the world.)
to include the use of instruments, movement, creative imagination - (via improvisation) - and team building.
As a former chorister of Salisbury Cathedral - allied to all his experience of working with:
i) the ‘Singing Child’ in Schools, ii) Choir Training and iii) Voice Technique Master Classes in Conservatoires
- Michael Deason-Barrow is uniquely placed to offer voice coaching days for boys/girls in Cathedral Choirs.
For a full Brochure introducing you to this new and uplifting approach to Singing in Children’s Choirs,
please contact the Tonalis Office.