This is the first part of a two-part article originally published by Choristers Guild. Dr. Bridges' sessions at the 2004 BCMC were based on the information contained in these articles. Our thanks to Choristers Guild for permission to reprint them in their entirety. -Editor

Whether choir directors are new and inexperienced, or seasoned veterans
. . .whether they have a choir of eight or eighty. . .
. . .whether their choir consists of well behaved mature experienced choristers or challenging non-focused children who have never sung in a choir. . .
. . .whether they have three music degrees, or no music degrees. . .
. . .whether they are working on Noah's Fludde, 100% Chance of Rain, or “Shall We Gather at the River”. . .

...they all face a common challenge each week when rehearsal time approaches. To effectively engage children in music making and music learning, the director must get and keep the children’s attention. And yet, in the process of getting and keeping the children’s attention, directors do not want to compromise their own musical integrity. They do not want to become tyrants; yet they do not wish to feel manipulated by a lovable, lively, loud, unfocused group of children or adolescents!

In other words, choir directors seek to maintain both joy and order in the choir rehearsal room. In an atmosphere of joyful order, both children and adults can receive and give respect, share in singing praise to God, and experience delightful, musical challenges. The following descriptions are among those that may be observed in a rehearsal which lacks joyful order:

In an atmosphere of joyful order, both children and adults can receive and give respect, share in singing praise to God, and experience delightful, musical challenges.

• Choristers constantly talk when the director is trying to give directions.

• The director repeatedly reminds the choir to listen and pay attention.

• The director frequently stops the flow of the rehearsal to talk about “discipline.”

• An atmosphere of “anything goes” pervades the choir environment.

• An atmosphere of extreme control pervades the choir environment.

• The director ends the majority of rehearsals feeling helpless and frustrated with the lack of courtesy in today’s young people.

• Choristers leave the rehearsal angry at or frustrated with the director.

The suggestions in this article relate to positive steps that can be taken BEFORE choir rehearsal to increase the likelihood that a rehearsal will result in both joy and order. Most of the suggestions are preventive in nature; they are designed to provide maximum time for singing, making, and learning about music; they are designed to avoid rehearsal components and situations that tend to encourage frustration and disarray!

1. Make sure an adult is in the choir room ready to involve children several minutes (preferably at least 15 minutes) before choir begins. Playing a music reading game, participating in an instrumental activity, highlighting choral scores, or playing a singing game are a few of the ways to involve children who arrive before choir begins. At the very least, solicit help from the children in setting up the room. Encourage choristers to register their attendance (marking with stickers is always fun!) on a large attendance chart as they enter.

2. Provide only one entrance! exit from the choir room. If the room has two doors, lock or block one of them so all children enter and leave through a single door More than one entrance encourages a “come and go” atmosphere at the beginning of the rehearsal. If at all possible, meet children at the door, greet them by name, and involve them in some kind of early-arriver activity. (see #1 above) Establish and maintain an “enter to stay” policy.

3. Solicit at least one adult or mature youth (other than the choir director and accompanist) to be in the room to assist with rehearsal. Reject the notion, however, that this enlisted adult aide is in the room for the purpose of policing the rehearsal. Although the choir assistant will, by his or her very presence, help maintain joyful order in the rehearsal, strongly encourage the assistant to sit among the children and participate in choir activities (modeling the best in vocal technique including posture!) rather than standing, arms crossed, in the back of the room watching for “trouble.” Assistants should constantly monitor the mood of the rehearsal and, if needed, move to sit near a child who is having difficulty concentrating. Proximity is powerful! However, encourage assistants to move, smile, and immediately begin sharing music with the source of the problem rather than deliver a whispered lecture or disapproving stare.

4. Organize the choir room to accommodate the kinds of activities planned for the rehearsal. If planning to divide into small groups for some activities, have these areas set and ready. Younger children or widely varying age choirs greatly benefit from playing authentic singing games; such activities require a certain amount of room. Either provide such an area or figure out ahead of time how to quickly move chairs to increase floor space.

5. Avoid placing chairs in a circle for rehearsing. Instead, arrange chairs in a semi-circle, or two or three semi- circles. Why? One key to maintaining order during a rehearsal is keeping the director and the children in close eye contact. When the children sit in a circle, the director will be quite a distance from the child directly across the circle. Two semi-circles brings the director much closer to every child. Also, remember that children seated in a circle can all see each other with ease; if one child is having trouble concentrating on the task at hand, his or her fidgeting immediately and (because of the clear view provided by the circular seating arrangement) successfully thaws the attention of the other children. Children frequently tend to focus less on the director when sitting in a circle than when sitting in semicircles squarely facing the director

6. Use chairs, rather than seating children on the floor, even in a preschool choir Sitting in chairs provides a specific boundary for each child and discourages roving eyes and bodies. Additionally, chairs help children maintain a more appropriate singing posture than sitting on the floor For maximum comfort (and thus for maximum joy and order), chairs must fit the children. Young children or preschoolers should sit in chairs appropriate for their size. (Important exception: Sitting on the floor is necessary and appropriate for certain singing games. Return to the rehearsal setting after the game is complete.)

7. From the very first rehearsal, provide name tags or assign seats. Any complaints can be dissipated with a smile and a comment that you are very concerned that the choristers learn as much as possible during choir time and that their voices complement each other Seating arrangements should be structured for joyful order (i.e., do not put the two best buddies that often distract each other together) and for choral sound. In a large choir, seat stronger singers together toward the middle of the seating arrangement rather than sprinkling them among the whole choir. Their strength will multiply because of the confidence they gain from each other. Place weaker singers around the edge so they too will hear and benefit from the strength in the middle of the choir If children beg to sit next to a certain friend, either explain that you feel they can best contribute if they are not sitting together or say, “Remember that we have a policy not to change seats before choir However, I’ll watch during rehearsal this week and see whether or not your participation seems to indicate you would also be successful nearer a buddy next week.”

10. To encourage the choristers’ attentiveness, plan for frequent changes of visual focus during the rehearsal. Alternate between using choral octavos, hymnals, and posters or other visuals. Sometimes use the overhead projector. Turning on an overhead has the effect of flipping on a spotlight; children’s attention is immediately drawn to the bright light in the front of the room. However, make sure not to leave the projector on for an extended time, or it will lose its effectiveness.

11. Carefully plan for the utilization of choral music and hymnals. Place hymnals under the chairs before rehearsal, and provide a three-ring binder or manila envelope of music for each singer Consider placing each chorister’s name in big letters on the front of his/her folder. Prop the folder against the back of the chair for an instant seat assignment. If the choir folder contains more than five anthems, save rehearsal time by placing anthems behind tab dividers in a one half inch three-ring binder Instead of waiting for children to find a particular anthem, simply say, “Please turn to the anthem behind the blue tab.”

12. Plan diligently with careful consideration of the children’s age, choral experience, and social maturity. Choristers will find it very hard to concentrate if they do not feel both success and challenge. If they cannot feel successful, they will become frustrated; frustrated choristers are generally less than cooperative. And if choristers are not challenged, they will become bored and will likely find very creative and (from the director’s viewpoint) inappropriate ways of amusing themselves! Learning how to plan adequately for a choir’s social and musical level of maturity is not an easy task. Seek help from workshops, seminars, reading journals such as The Chorister, and from other children’s choir directors, church school teachers, and parents.

13. Prior to choir, memorize all songs and anthems that will be on the choir agenda at least the tune! To effectively maintain joy and order, the director must be free to monitor each child’s participation and success. This admonition certainly does not prohibit a director from glancing at music during the rehearsal, but the director who plans to “learn the music along with the children” will utilize his or her visual focus on the printed page when the CHILDREN need and want the director’s full attention. If needed, make an audio tape of a new song or anthem and play it when riding in the car to help memorize the music.

14. Don’t forget to pray. Leading a children’s choir is an exciting yet demanding task. When careful preparation is supported by prayer, however, the task does not seem so overwhelming. The assurance of God’s grace can provide a sense of partnership that permeates both the preparation and the rehearsal itself.