# Fifteen Steps to Becoming a Skilled Choral Singer

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 1 clipping.*

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> 15 STEPS TO BECOMING A SKILLED CHORAL SINGER
> by Lorraine Manifold, Choral Conductor, Singing Teacher
> 
> Choral singing is a fantas.c ac.vity that brings much ela.on and joy. It also builds strong
> community bonds. The more we develop our choral skills, the be?er we sound as a choir and
> the deeper our enjoyment and sense of fulfillment of contribu.ng to a beau.ful whole.
> 
> Imagine watching a beginner choir that sings with lots of spirit. We might enjoy the spirit but
> the lower level of quality might be distrac.ng. On the other hand, imagine hearing a
> professional choir that sings beau.fully, but with no spirit. While the music would be
> enjoyable to a certain extent, the lack of spirit would also lessen the experience. On the
> other hand, imagine a highly skilled choir that also sings with lots of emo.on. This would be
> more moving and would deliver a deeper spiritual experience. As ‘Abdu'l-Bahá says: “the
> Teachings of God… when they are melodiously sung, are most impressive.”1 Therefore, when
> we sing the divine melodies with emo.on as well as with skill, we can touch the audience at
> a more profound level.
> 
> ‘Abdu'l-Bahá emphasises how choral singing brings rapture to the Concourse on high. He
> calls those singers ‘noble souls’:
> 
> The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár is the dawning-place of lights and the gathering place of the
> righteous. Whenever a company of noble souls assemble in a heavenly gathering there
> and offer supplica.ons, intone divine verses, and chant prayers with wondrous melodies,
> the inmates of the Concourse on high hearken and call out, crying, “Happy are we; let all
> the world rejoice!” for, praise be unto God, souls from among the angels of the Kingdom
> of Glory have arisen in the nether world to commune with their Lord and intone the
> verses of Divine Unity in a gathering of holiness. What bounty is there greater than this?2
> 
> ‘Abdu'l-Bahá reminds us that we must con.nually strive to increase our singing skills and
> forever try to perfect them:
> 
> The art of music must be brought to the highest stage of development, for this is one of
> the most wonderful arts and in this glorious age of the Lord of Unity it is highly essen.al
> to gain its mastery. However, one must endeavor to a?ain the degree of ar.s.c perfec.on
> and not be like those who leave ma?ers unfinished.3
> 
> But what are the skills involved in choral singing? These are quite different than those for
> solo singing. Let us take a look at a selec.on of fi[een of these. The following .ps are to
> reach the highest level of skill. You don’t need to master all of them in a short .me, but if you
> focus on a few each year, and persistently progress, you will contribute to the higher quality
> of your choir. Tips are placed in order of difficulty, beginning with the easy stuff (sort of).
> 
> 1) Hydra)on: our vocal folds need water to func.on at their best. It can take hours before
> the water we drink reaches our vocal folds – which are low on the pecking order (i.e., the
> heart, lungs and brain receive the water first). You have to drink more water so that the
> vital parts have had their fill, and there is some le[ over for the rest of the body.
> 
> ‘Abdu'l-Bahá, in Compila5on on Music, p. 77
> ‘Abdu'l-Bahá, in The Divine Melody: Song of the Mys5c Dove, p. 121.
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Importance of the Arts.
> STEPS TO BECOMING A SKILLED CHORAL SINGER – page 2/4
> 
> 2) Punctuality: arriving 5 min early and being in your seat 1 min before the star.ng .me.
> 
> 3) Regular a8endance: choral singing is a team ac.vity. We need each and every one of you
> at each rehearsal, like on a soccer or volleyball team. Of course, while life happens and
> some things are unavoidable, some.mes, with a li?le extra effort, scheduling conflicts can
> be resolved so that you can s.ll a?end your rehearsal. Your commitment will be greatly
> appreciated by your fellow choristers.
> 
> 4) Folder organisa)on: organising your folder so that you can find the songs very quickly is a
> way to be courteous and respecdul to your fellow singers. You can use s.cky tabs or
> alphabe.cal dividers. Singers can save a lot of rehearsal .me when they all find the next
> song quickly. Avoid plas.c sleeves as they add weight and are too .me-consuming.
> 
> 5) Marking your score: always bring a pencil and mark down your personal notes or
> comments from the conductor in your score. Remember the saying: “Amateurs hope to
> rely on their memory while professionals write things down.”
> 
> 6) Watch the conductor: memorise the first and last 4 bars of every song so that you can
> watch the conductor. Also look up during major entrances and cut-offs or when the music
> slows down or pauses. Know your part well that you can glance down only when needed.
> 
> 7) Listening in silence: when the conductor is rehearsing another sec.on, con.nue to follow
> along in silence as the concepts will probably apply to you as well. This is also respecdul
> towards your fellow singers. Otherwise, the noise of everyone else talking will make it
> hard for that sec.on to hear themselves sing or to focus on what the conductor is saying.
> 
> 8) Listen louder than you sing: if you can’t hear your neighbours around you, you may be
> singing too loudly. The beauty of a very good choir comes from all voices blending into
> one with no voice standing out. Listen loudly to ensure you hear the singers around you.
> 
> 9) Your body is your instrument: sit in such a way as to achieve your best sound during the
> en.re rehearsal: elongate your spine all the way to the top of your head, with both feet on
> the floor. This posture will also make room for diaphragma.c breathing so that you can
> sing longer phrases. Good posture will allow you to offer your best to the whole choir and
> will prepare you be?er for the concert. Prac.ce makes permanent, so prac.ce the way
> you want your concert sound to be. Extra mo.vated singers can also take singing lessons.
> STEPS TO BECOMING A SKILLED CHORAL SINGER – page 3/4
> 
> 10) Diaphragma)c breathing: Learn how to breathe quickly and quietly so that you can sing
> your next note on .me. Also write down the places the conductor asks each part to
> breathe at the same .me, then prac.ce always breathing at the same place every .me
> you sing your song. If you run out of air early:
> a. breathe during a long vowel sound;
> b. breathe without pronouncing the last consonant of the word you are singing.
> 
> 11) Know your part: prac.ce between rehearsals. Pro .p: begin by singing all the notes on
> NG, like at the end of the word sing. Check that your jaw is dropped to its maximum
> relaxed opening and that your tongue is touching your bo?om front teeth. Once you know
> the notes well, sing your part only on the vowels of each word, without the consonants.
> This will prepare you for the best singing technique: longest vowels, shortest consonants.
> 
> 12) Vowels - Longest vowels, shortest consonants: the beauty of sound is on vowels, so it’s
> very important to match vowel sounds. If two choristers sing different vowels shapes, the
> harmonics of the two vowels won’t align and it will sound like they are singing two
> different pitches. We don’t sing the way we speak: we sing with big wide, open vowels to
> make the most of the beau.ful sounds. With a confident posture, open the back of your
> throat (pharyngeal muscles) and sing in that open space. Imagine sending sound out with
> an energy field like the frills of this lizard.
> 
> 13) Consonants - Longest vowels, shortest consonants:
> a. Sing the shortest consonants possible and pronounce them at the same .me as
> the rest of the choir. Only pronounce the final consonant(s) of one syllable when
> you begin to sing the next syllable. Ex: “I will sing my very best always”, a skilled
> singer will sing it this way:
> “I—wi—llsi—ngmy—ve—ry—be—sta—lwa—ys”
> Taking good care not to sing “….bessssst—alllllll—wayzzzzz”
> b. Singing consonants: l, m, n, ng, r, the, v, z: when a syllable begins with one of these
> consonants, ensure you are singing it on the same pitch as the ensuing vowel.
> Otherwise, if you start singing the consonant on the preceding pitch, it will sound
> like scooping up or down;
> c. S: ‘sip’ it in instead of pushing it out with lots of air. Even be?er, sing a Z instead;
> d. Consonants like b, f, k, p, sh, t, thru: ‘sip’ in any consonant that pushes air, that way
> you won’t sing breathy on the ensuing vowel.
> 
> 14) Becoming a confident singer: if singers rely on their neighbour to know when to sing,
> many singers will start late. If all singers begin milliseconds apart, the en.re choir sounds
> muddy. Work towards being a confident singer. Learn your part well and know when your
> note starts and when to put the final consonants. Watching the conductor also helps.
> STEPS TO BECOMING A SKILLED CHORAL SINGER – page 4/4
> 
> 15) Ask the conductor: if you hear your sec.on is struggling in a par.cular spot, you can mark
> the bar number(s) of the area and ask the conductor at an appropriate moment to go over
> that passage. The conductor can’t always hear every li?le detail, so you can help your
> ensemble by men.oning passages that might require clarifica.on.
> 
> *****
> 
> The power of choral singing:
> •   When we no.ce our voice is heard above the others and we adjust our volume to blend
> in with others, we develop teamwork
> •   When we follow the conductor’s hands through a series of meter and dynamic
> changes, we develop accuracy and focus
> •   When we learn to appreciate, or “grow into” a song, we develop pa.ence
> •   When we refrain from talking during the rehearsal, we develop respect
> •   When we listen and concentrate during rehearsals, as well as when we prac.ce
> faithfully at home, we develop self-discipline
> •   When we sing in different languages and styles, we learn to appreciate other cultures
> •   When we don’t get the solo and congratulate the person who did, we develop good
> sportsmanship and graciousness
> •   When we sing in a nursing home, we develop compassion and service
> •   When we choose a rehearsal or performance over a special event, we develop
> commitment and passion
> •   When we bounce for joy and give a high five because we finally sang the most difficult
> piece straight through for the first .me, we develop perseverance
> •   When we perform a solo at a concert, we develop courage and self-confidence
> •   When we no.ce how we’ve touched the audience because we worked hard and sang
> with meaning in concerts, we develop gra.tude and thankfulness.
> 
> Ques%ons?
> Lorraine@ManifoldMelodies.com.au
> www.ManifoldMelodies.com.au
>
> — *Fifteen Steps to Becoming a Skilled Choral Singer (Used by permission of the curator)*