Why take your choir on Tour ?
For some choirs, tours are a one-off event; for others, they are part of their annual programme of events. Those tours may be here at home, or indeed overseas. My own choirs have been touring almost every year since 2003, and indeed here they are on completion of this year's tour to Malta
What benefits does touring have for the choir? Beyond the obvious bonding and the chance to make music in a concentrated burst of activity, touring raises the quality of music-making, develops a stronger sense of ensemble, and builds long-lasting friendships.
For the conductor, it brings a whole new set of challenges covered in my 'Getting the best from your choir' book.
Here is a comment from one of my singers -
'The choir becomes bigger than you and takes on a life of its own, the music becomes etched in your consciousness in a way it never was before, and you strive to do it better at each performance.
There is more at stake because the venue is unfamiliar, the organ unpredictable, you may have been travelling all day and got lost, you can be hungry, or full of tea pressed onto you by well-meaning hosts.
It's not conducive to great music-making, and yet, somehow, because this is why we are there, the music transcends these mundane preoccupations and you can be uplifted in a way that feels almost unreal. When in the midst of like-minded singers, whose commitment is almost palpable, you become part of a harmony that you never dreamed possible, and you will bring each other on until you've given everything'
So, on the proviso that you have decided on a sensible choice of repertoire, picked a solid tour company (talk to me about this one as they differ widely in quality), built in sufficient rest breaks and learnt as much as possible about your venues in advance, then just do it!
There is help available for choirs in my 365 tips for a more successful choir (now in its third reprint) and for conductors, in the other book mentioned above.
Having toured Holland, Norway, the USA 3 times, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, Belgium, and visited Liechtenstein, Prague, Venice and Paris with my choirs, I have accumulated a thing or two about touring with choirs, and I am happy to help you if needed.
Happy Touring
Tim Knight
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