The Choir Director Podcast

You can hear it in the first ten minutes with a great choir: the sound is alive, the tuning locks, and the words mean something. That level of responsiveness is not luck, and Simon Halsey CBE has spent a lifetime proving why.

We’re joined by one of Britain’s leading choral conductors to get practical about what builds a world-class symphonic chorus across professional, youth and community settings. Simon shares how his early years as a cathedral chorister shaped his musical instincts, why conductor training still matters, and how some of the biggest career steps come from learning on the job when you’re brave enough to say yes. We also dig into the less glamorous side of choral leadership: the disciplined score study that lets you walk into rehearsal with real authority, from text meaning and structure to harmony, balance and who holds the third in the chord.

From Oslo to London to Barcelona, Simon compares choral cultures and rehearsal realities: consonant precision versus vowel colour, fast note-learning versus deeper timbre work, and why you cannot run the same rehearsal with two different choirs even when the repertoire is identical. Expect concrete rehearsal technique for tuning, blend and colour, plus a powerful reminder that amateurs and professionals deserve the same musical respect, because the problems are often the same.

If you lead a choir and want better rehearsals, stronger communication and a higher standard without losing joy, press play. Subscribe, share with a fellow choir director, and leave a rating and review so more conductors can find the show.

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More about Simon Halsey:

Website: https://intermusica.com/artist/Simon-Halsey

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Resources:

The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences.

• Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com
• Mailing List: Join our Newsletter

Follow Russell Scott:

• Website: russellscott.org
• Instagram: @russellscottofficial
• Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial
• X: @russellscottuk

(c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.

A children’s choir can sound polished and still not be truly free. The turning point is trust, and that’s where this conversation with Zimfira Poloz, Artistic Director of the Toronto Children’s Chorus and a University of Toronto educator in vocal pedagogy, gets practical fast.

We talk about what it really takes to develop healthy young voices: playful first steps, audition nerves, and the small choices that tell a child “you’re safe here”. Zimfira shares how she builds choir culture so singers feel they belong, speak up, and take ownership of the ensemble. We also dig into independence, including what happens when young singers perform a cappella, shift formations, and make decisions on stage without the conductor present.

There’s plenty for choir directors and vocal leaders who want better rehearsals too: English diction, vowel placement, teaching sound with clear physical cues, and how to choose repertoire that trains flexibility rather than locking singers into one colour. From authentic world music to the demands of large-scale classical works, we explore why style should change with the music and how that benefits developing voices.

We close with a powerful leadership idea: don’t use the choir as a vehicle for your career, serve the singers through the music. If this helps you rethink your next rehearsal, subscribe, leave a rating and review, and share the episode with a fellow choir director who’d benefit.

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More about Toronto Childrens Chorus:

Website: www.torontochildrenschorus.com
Instagram: @torontochildrenschorus

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Support the show

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Resources:

The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences.

• Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com
• Mailing List: Join our Newsletter

Follow Russell Scott:

• Website: russellscott.org
• Instagram: @russellscottofficial
• Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial
• X: @russellscottuk

(c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.

Most conductors don’t struggle because they lack passion. They struggle because the job asks for two hard skills at once: musical clarity and human leadership. I’m joined by Manvinder Rattan, choral and orchestral conductor and one of the UK’s most experienced conductor trainers, to talk about what actually makes choir rehearsals work when the clock is ticking and the choir in front of you is wonderfully, messily real. 

We get into the craft of preparation: why “winging it” leaks confidence, how to form a realistic picture of what good sounds like for your specific ensemble, and how targeted vocal warm-ups and simpler repertoire can build tuning, blend, diction, and belief quickly. Manvinder shares the principle he teaches again and again: conduct the choir you’ve actually got, not the one you’re fantasising about. That shift changes everything from your language to your pacing to your choice of goals across an eight-week run-up to a concert. 

We also go beyond notes and beats into choir culture and conductor mindset. We talk about balancing warmth with authority, setting expectations without intimidation, and handling people issues with care through structures like voice reps and private conversations. For experienced choir directors with long-held habits, Manvinder explains how filming rehearsals and doing video-based coaching links gesture to musical reaction so change becomes practical, not theoretical. We finish with a powerful reminder: the conductor is not the show, quiet presence builds trust, and sometimes you have to project confidence before you feel it. 

If you enjoy this conversation, subscribe so you never miss an episode, share it with a fellow choir director, and leave a rating and review to help more conductors find the show.

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Find out more about Manvinder:

Website: www.manvinderrattan.com

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Contact the Studio

Support the show

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Resources:

The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences.

• Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com
• Mailing List: Join our Newsletter

Follow Russell Scott:

• Website: russellscott.org
• Instagram: @russellscottofficial
• Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial
• X: @russellscottuk

(c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.

Your choir can sing the right notes and still leave the audience cold. The difference is often not talent, but story and culture and how deliberately we build both.

We sit down with Dr Francis Cathlina, Vietnamese American conductor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Memphis, to unpack his story-first approach to choral music making. We talk about how a clear narrative can guide concert programming, unify repertoire across centuries, and help singers understand what they are communicating. Francis shares a concrete example of themed programming built around “The Five Love Languages”, plus simple ways to extend the concept into the audience experience without turning the concert into a gimmick.

From there, we get practical about performance. When does movement on stage become meaningful storytelling, and when does it become a distraction? Francis explains how he balances organic, singer-led gesture with choreographed moments, why the sound must always come first, and how tools like video playback and a “1 to 10” intensity scale can keep expression honest and ensemble-focused. We also dig into rehearsal process: clean musical accuracy, healthy tone production, then artistry, taught in an organic, improvisatory way that matches what the ensemble needs in the moment.

If you’re looking for actionable ideas on rehearsal culture, individual accountability, section leadership, and keeping momentum when progress stalls, you’ll leave with a notebook full of approaches to try. Subscribe for more conversations for choir directors, share this with a fellow conductor, and please leave a rating and review so more choral leaders can find the show.

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More about Francis Cathlina:

website: www.franciscathlina.com
instagram: @franciscathlina

Their new album: Between Love and Law

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Contact the Studio

Support the show

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Resources:

The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences.

• Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com
• Mailing List: Join our Newsletter

Follow Russell Scott:

• Website: russellscott.org
• Instagram: @russellscottofficial
• Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial
• X: @russellscottuk

(c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.

The fastest way to level up your choir is not another trick, it’s understanding how great choral music is actually built and how to bring it to life with real singers. I’m joined by Mark Hayes, internationally recognised composer, arranger, conductor, and concert pianist, whose work is sung in churches, universities, and concert halls around the world. We trace his route from a teenage church pianist in northern Illinois to a self-employed creative with over 2,000 published works and major performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Centre.

Mark opens up about what “ambitious yet singable” really means in choral arranging and composition. We talk through how he learned to write for voice by accompanying singers, workshop-testing ideas with small ensembles, and hearing the difference between a flawless studio demonstration recording and the uncompromising truth of live performance. If you’ve ever struggled with balance, range, or making inner parts speak, his insights land right on the problems choir directors face in rehearsal.

We also get practical about your own creative output. Mark makes a strong case for directors writing bespoke arrangements tailored to their choirs, and he shares a simple starting path: begin with lyrics, write a fresh melody, map the harmony with chord symbols, build from melody and bass line, then shape the form and emotional arc so the audience hears the words and feels the meaning. We even touch on notation software realities, from Finale and Sibelius to the growing pull of Dorico, and how to keep tools from slowing your musical thinking.

If you enjoy thoughtful, usable guidance on choral rehearsal, arranging for SATB, and writing music that serves singers, subscribe to the Choir Director Podcast, share this with a fellow director, and leave a rating and review so more conductors can find the show.

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More about Mark Hayes:

Website: www.markhayes.com
Instagram: @mark.hayes.5059

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Contact the Studio

Support the show

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Resources:

The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences.

• Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com
• Mailing List: Join our Newsletter

Follow Russell Scott:

• Website: russellscott.org
• Instagram: @russellscottofficial
• Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial
• X: @russellscottuk

(c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.

A choir can sound like a full band, but only if the arranging, vocal style, and rehearsal priorities are crystal clear. We’re joined by Jack Blume, UK-based composer and producer, and the arranger, orchestrator, and musical supervisor behind the Olivier-nominated West End show The Choir of Man, to get properly practical about contemporary a cappella and modern vocal arranging that actually lands with an audience.

We talk through what separates contemporary a cappella from more traditional choral writing: replicating instrumental sounds with extended vocal techniques, building a believable rhythm section with bass and beatboxing, and knowing when a choir needs sustained harmonic “pads” instead of constant rhythmic detail. Jack shares how his background in bands, film scoring, and theatre shapes his approach to vocal orchestration, and why blend, timbre, and consistency matter even more when the voices are doing the job of an entire arrangement.

From there, we zoom out to the story behind The Choir of Man, including its music-first development, the power of community choirs joining the show on tour, and why audiences often leave surprised by how moved they feel. We also tackle AI in music: the helpful side for learning resources and stem separation, and the worrying side of generative platforms that can flood the market with polished but homogeneous songs. The through-line is simple and urgent: nothing replaces live performance, especially when a little imperfection proves it’s real.

If you enjoy the conversation, subscribe, share it with a fellow choir director, and leave a rating and review so more conductors and vocal leaders can find the show.

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More on Jack Blume:

Website: www.jackblume.co.uk
Instagram: @jackblume

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Contact the Studio

Support the show

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Resources:

The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences.

• Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com
• Mailing List: Join our Newsletter

Follow Russell Scott:

• Website: russellscott.org
• Instagram: @russellscottofficial
• Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial
• X: @russellscottuk

(c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.

Burnout in choir leadership rarely announces itself. It shows up as the rehearsal you used to love feeling heavy, the email you cannot bring yourself to write, the constant sense that you must hold the whole room together. I’m Russell Scott, and I’m speaking candidly about the quiet, cumulative strain that choir directors, conductors, vocal leaders and teachers often carry, especially when the work is joyful but the responsibility is relentless. 

We get practical about the warning signs of burnout, from exhaustion that sleep does not fix to irritability, anxiety, decision fatigue and losing your creative spark with repertoire and rehearsal planning. I also explore how burnout affects more than just you: singers can sense your depletion, rehearsal atmosphere tightens, colleagues end up carrying extra work, and the people you love at home may get the least resourced version of you. For teachers and singing teachers, we name the reality of sustained attention, emotional presence and admin that expands beyond the visible working day, and why a loss of capacity does not mean a loss of skill. 

You’ll hear concrete strategies for prevention and recovery: planning rest before the to-do list is empty, choosing three priorities, building margins, simplifying what does not need reinventing, and automating repetitive choir admin with templates, forms and checklists. We talk delegation without guilt, setting boundaries around holidays, and what to reduce immediately when burnout has already arrived. I also share small recovery tools that actually help, from quiet transitions after rehearsal to the power nap and the coffee-then-nap trick, plus a simple weekly check-in to spot patterns early and protect your stamina. 

If this helps, please subscribe, share it with a fellow choir director, and leave a rating and review so more conductors can find support when they need it most.

Contact the Studio

Support the show

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Resources:

The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences.

• Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com
• Mailing List: Join our Newsletter

Follow Russell Scott:

• Website: russellscott.org
• Instagram: @russellscottofficial
• Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial
• X: @russellscottuk

(c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.

Choirs do not just teach harmony, they teach people how to belong. Russell Scott sits down with Irish singer-songwriter and vocal and creativity coach Eimear Crehan to unpack what happens when you treat creativity as a practice, not a talent, and when you design rehearsals to help singers feel safe enough to be expressive. If you’re a choir director, conductor or vocal leader looking for practical rehearsal ideas and a stronger choir culture, this conversation is full of usable detail. 

We talk about the way music carries us through hard seasons, and how a single song can change meaning across the years. Eimear shares how her background shaped an inclusion-first approach to community music making, and why helping people “find a voice” is both musical training and personal development. From lyric-first connection to the difference between sound and words, we explore how to get a choir performing from a real place, not a self-conscious one. 

You’ll also hear concrete strategies for running rehearsals with clarity: sending materials in advance, choosing repertoire that matches a choir’s personality, breaking learning into achievable goals, and creating an environment where confidence can be shaky without becoming a barrier. We go deep on sustainability too, including business lessons from growing a music school, recruiting staff who truly understand the ethos, and a brilliant retention idea: a no-questions-asked “Life Happens” policy that keeps members connected through the realities of work, health and family life. 

If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about choir rehearsal technique, vocal confidence, inclusive leadership, and building a thriving community choir, subscribe to the Choir Director Podcast, share this episode with a fellow director, and leave a rating and review so more choral leaders can find us.

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More about Eimear Crehan:

Website: www.eimearcrehan.com

Instagram: @eimearcrehanmusic

Contact the Studio

Support the show

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Resources:

The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences.

• Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com
• Mailing List: Join our Newsletter

Follow Russell Scott:

• Website: russellscott.org
• Instagram: @russellscottofficial
• Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial
• X: @russellscottuk

(c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.

The fastest way to improve your choir might not be a new warm-up or a clever rehearsal plan. It might be dropping the “presenter voice” and leading with genuine curiosity. Russell Scott shares a cross-over conversation with Christopher Munce (Choralosophy) about why authenticity matters in choral conducting, podcasting, and every rehearsal where a director stands in front of real people with real lives.

We talk about what makes conversations and rehearsals feel unscripted in the best sense: relaxed, honest, and useful. Christopher explains why he avoids over-curated formats, how he keeps advertising in balance, and what he has learned from hundreds of interviews about the pressures choir directors do not always admit in public. Russell reflects on building a UK choir where members pay to be there, why expectations must be clear from the start, and how a “taster session” and voice review can protect both the singer experience and the ensemble’s sound.

From there, we get into the hard stuff: recruitment and retention, school choirs versus community choirs, and what happens when you raise the musical bar. Russell describes preparing a major Disney suite with orchestra under intense time pressure, the thrill of the final performance, and the reality of losing members along the way. We also challenge oversimplified “inclusive choir” claims and land on a more honest idea: different singers want different things, so the choral world needs many kinds of choirs, not one perfect model.

If you care about choir leadership, rehearsal technique, vocal development, and building a choir culture that lasts, you will take away practical perspective and a lot to think about. Subscribe, share this with a fellow choir director, and leave a rating and review so more conductors can find the conversation.

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More about Choralosophy:

Website: www.choralosophy.com

Instagram: @choralosophy

Contact the Studio

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Resources:

The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences.

• Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com
• Mailing List: Join our Newsletter

Follow Russell Scott:

• Website: russellscott.org
• Instagram: @russellscottofficial
• Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial
• X: @russellscottuk

(c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.

A boys’ choir that can rehearse in a car park, tour for weeks, premiere brand new works, and still feel like a safe place to belong does not happen by accident. We sit down with Herbert Washington, Artistic Director of the Phoenix Boys Choir, alumnus, clinician, and leader of a Grammy-winning choral organisation, to talk about what it really takes to build an outstanding boys’ choir programme from the inside out.

We get into rehearsal strategy that actually works for boys: making practice accessible, using accountability without humiliation, and letting peer leadership do real work. Herbert shares how he keeps standards high when he only sees singers a couple of times a week, why “every voice counts” is more than a slogan, and how a shared mantra can reset focus the moment warm-ups begin. We also talk about building the whole singer, with gentlemanly discussions on bullying, confidence, interviews, and even practical touring habits, plus short fitness sessions to support stamina and vocal freedom.

Voice change is a major thread, and Herbert offers a refreshing, practical approach grounded in adolescent vocal pedagogy. Instead of telling boys their voices are “breaking”, he teaches transition, physiology, and self-trust, and he explains how creating a young men’s ensemble can keep early-changing singers engaged and thriving. On the repertoire side, we explore tessitura choices, masterworks, and the New Works Rising Choral Composition Competition, which brings living composers into rehearsal and gives boys music written for their sound and their lives. We finish with the story behind a Grammy-winning recording project and what that level of focus teaches young singers about doing hard things well.

Subscribe for more conversations for choir directors and vocal leaders, then share this with a fellow conductor and leave a rating and review so more people can find the show. What idea are you most keen to try in your next rehearsal?

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More about Herbert Washington:

Website: www.boyschoir.org
Instagram: @herbertwashington_conductor
Facebook: @phoenixboyschoir

Contact the Studio

Support the show

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Resources:

The Choir Director Podcast — helping you build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals, and create outstanding musical experiences.

• Website: thechoirdirectorpodcast.com
• Mailing List: Join our Newsletter

Follow Russell Scott:

• Website: russellscott.org
• Instagram: @russellscottofficial
• Facebook: facebook.com/russellscottofficial
• X: @russellscottuk

(c) Russell Scott 2026.  All rights reserved.