The key aspect of Orange county classical music concerts singing is that the produced sound in the choir is the result of a lot of voices that sing together. It is not enough that every singer in the choir will be good – the quality of the sound produced by a choir should be kept at a high standard. The choir members must blend well. 

Read on to learn some guidance and advice for directors of the choir to achieve a perfect blend with their choir. This comes down to the singers. Do not think you can skip this article because you are a singer rather than a choir director. 

Tone quality, balance and the blend 

The key to getting a unified sound is to blend. It is very well when people can sing confidently but if certain voices stick out, it is not a choir anymore – it becomes a group of soloists. You can achieve proper blending in two ways: tone quality and balance. 

Balance 

As a choir director, it is important to listen for discrepancies in balance amongst various parts. Balance here means the relative volume of each part. The volume of each part should not be the same depending on the piece of music. Good balance doesn’t just mean every part has the same volume. This means every part has an appropriate volume. 

The common rule of thumb in a classical music choir is that you should ensure the melody is prominent. This is usually in the soprano part or whichever part sings the highest register. Sometimes, a lower part such as the tenors can briefly take the focus. Choir directors do not have to be afraid to ask for more tenor if they want to bring out the crucial phrase or ask for fewer basses if they are overpowering everything else.

Tone quality 

The tone quality of a choir comprises the overall style of tone and the consonant and vowel sounds. Tone quality is harder to perfect in a choir than balance. It is mostly up to the singers rather than the director of the choir to improve it because it requires them to listen to themselves and each other. It also requires them to adapt their voices accordingly. 

Listen to each other 

You can use various tricks and tips to encourage your choir members to listen to each other. There is nothing more harmful to a blend of the choir than singers that sing too loudly. 

This skill is more driven by habit than anything. You should therefore regularly encourage your choir members to listen to themselves and their part more if there is a phrase or section in the music where they are prominent. One important example is if they’re singing a section by themselves. While this is happening, other parts should be listening to them as well, even if they aren’t singing anything themselves. It is a common mistake that beginners make to switch off during rests while performing in Orange county classical music concerts. Instead, they should pay attention to how the music continues.