In rehearsal there's never enough time to learn every part, so the singers who've practised at home lead their section. A few minutes on most days does more than an hour the night before.
A ten-minute routine
- Two minutes: listen. Play your part alone, following the words.
- Three minutes: sing with your part. Quietly, until you know where it goes.
- Three minutes: sing with everyone. All parts playing, yours softer each time.
- Two minutes: record yourself. Sing it through and listen back. What you hear is what the section hears.
The hard bars
Every part has a few hard bars: a jump, a note that clashes on purpose, a moment where the tune pulls you away. Loop just those bars, slowly, until they're easy, then put them back into the whole song.
Before rehearsal
Sing it once through with everyone, at full speed, without stopping. If you get lost, find your way back in, as you would in rehearsal.
Try the routine on a carol your choir might sing.