abcd convention now open for bookings

The 30th convention of the Association of British Choral Directors (abcd) takes place 28 - 30 August 2015 at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, offering choir members and their leaders from all over the country the chance to brush up their techniques, share tips with fellow singers and conductors, learn new skills and most importantly to SING!

The convention is a brilliant opportunity to get lots of new ideas for your choir, to learn from professionals in the field, to sing a wide variety of repertoire and to be inspired by the enthusiasm of the other singers around you.

This year’s sessions are focused around four main themes:

• new repertoire: six sessions where you can explore different genres by singing the music yourself, including Russian and Eastern European music, Shakespeare-themed music and church music;
• conducting technique: with sessions for intermediate and advanced conductors, plus a ‘back to basics’ session;
• • vocal technique: sessions looking at warm-up exercises, tone production, sight-reading, and working with young voices;
• community choirs: looking at what’s involved in running these groups, and choosing the right repertoire.

The chance to take part in singing is numerous throughout the weekend – as well as the six exploratory sessions, there will be the chance to sing music for community choirs, a ‘Come and Sing’ session with abcd Vice-President John Rutter, and the grand finale will be a rare chance to sing Thomas Tallis’ forty-part motet Spem in Alium – an opportunity not to be missed!

The convention exhibition will feature a range of stands with ideas for repertoire, touring, recording and much more and will run throughout the weekend. And the convention is further enhanced with a pre-convention conducting course, plus the opportunity to take individual lessons in singing, conducting or composition.

Booking for the convention is now open, and there are a range of options available – book for just one day, or stay for the whole weekend! Find out more by visiting the abcd website.