One of the greatest accomplishments of a choral group or ensemble is the ability to sing with such a unified sound that the audience cannot tell who is singing what part. We would then describe this group as having great blend. Think of your favorite smoothie. Most smoothies are made by using fruits with different colors, flavors, and textures. If you blend these fruits well, you are rewarded with a rich, smooth drink without the lumps and bumps of individual fruits. A choir that is able to blend the different tones and voices of its members to produce a rich, unified tone is priceless! Let’s explore some ways to achieve a great blend in your choir!

Firstly, let your choir or group in on your secret. Clearly, if you want your group to blend well, the members must KNOW this! Start practice by encouraging members to sing in such a way that their voice is not louder than the overall group’s sound. A fun and effective exercise that encourages blend is for the choral leader to close his eyes while the group sings. If he is able to identify where a choir member is standing by the sound of their voice, then the group is not blended. If the leader cannot differentiate between the voices in his group then the group is on its way to creating great blend. To make this exercise even more fun, allow the choir members to switch places at will once the leader’s eyes are closed.

Additionally, the group MUST begin and end words together! Nothing destroys a group’s blend more than everyone beginning the song at different times. Also, an individual’s holding out a word longer or shorter than the group sticks out like a sore thumb. As you practice, listen for trouble spots and demonstrate how you would like the group to attack and end words. Don’t be afraid to be a stickler for details! Your group will respect you even more when they hear the blend that comes from singing together.

Finally, encourage your group to keep their focus! Choir members can easily lose their blend when they are not focusing on the music. Encourage them to look ahead in their music for notes, rhythm, and dynamics, things that either make or break the blend. More importantly, encourage your group to keep their eyes on you!  Nothing hurts a great choral sound more than a choir member with his head buried in the music singing his own song while the group is trying to follow the leader. Encourage singers to hold their music up in such a way that they can see their music but do not lose eye contact with you. This is important because your conducting and articulating gestures will help keep them focused on producing a unified sound.

Try incorporating these principles at your next practice and you will be astounded at the difference. In our next post, we will look at some more technical ways for your group to create a better blend. Be sure to leave any comments or questions below and remember – -

Sing out loud!