I had the opportunity of working with the migrant workers choir yesterday, they don't have a big group but they sing well as a choral group.
I think there are a few points to borrow ideas from:-)...

1. Score preparation....
One of their members actually gave me his score after seeing that the one given to me was different from theirs. So there were arrows marked onto the score.
What was marked?
Voice entry eg. male, female.
Breathe marks
Plus he had solfege marked on the piano interludes....that's interesting....because that means the singers were listening out even at the moments when they were not singing.

2. If you listen to them....
It sounds neat. How come?
This is what I think....
Enter together; breathe together; cut together.

3. They have a fussy trainer 2....
:-)
****

Feedback....from scc
The singers feel they are shouting. This is 2nd time I'm hearing this.
OK....that means
a. The instruments have to tone down
b. We need better singing technique.

I guess we could do both.

Technique....
I don't know much about vocal technique. Except for the sessions when I accompanied choirs and vocal lessons and observed voice coaching.
The voice can be taught to sing effortlessly.

I guess pretty much like instrumentalists can be taught to achieve volume effortlessly with the correct technique. And wrong technique can lead to injury.

I have students who never master technique, so the maximum tone/volume is perpetually at mf. f=mf; p=mf; mf=mf.....ok, u get the idea, they have perpetually one volume.

So if you find yourself hoarse after 3 hrs of choir, you probably have wrong technique.


I will try one week to play SOFTLY the entire mass.
We'll see what is the outcome of the experiment.
(though I've heard my parents complaining that the pianist at amk plays like a mouse).
hehe....
will try this out, maybe next week.
See if I have people coming up to the choir and asking if the organ broke down.

When the choir breaks into accapella halfway....my father always asked if I forgot to come in? hmmm....
Ok I'll see if my father says organ breaks down next week.

****
A prof once said if you play 6 hours, fatigue is NORMAL.
If you feel pain; uh-oh.....something is not NORMAL.
I guess it is knowing your limitations and listening to your body.