As a hypercritical choir director, I often find myself a pessimist in rehearsals, focusing on ways my choir can improve instead of focusing on everything that is already great! With the holidays just around the corner, I decided to take the opposite approach and tell you what I am thankful for: 1. People who practice 2. Music theory lovers 3. Men that sign up for choir and aren’t embarrassed… at all 4. Sopranos who can sight-sing 5. People who help set up and take down before/after rehearsal 6. Pencil bringers 7. Non-gum chewers 8. Singers who listen to others and not themselves 9. Singers who listen to me! 10. People who read my notes and mark their scores 11. And finally… people who understand my weird sense of humor while directing Thank you to all the singers out there helping to make the world a better place with your music. And thank you to all the women in my choir who put up with my crazy antics every rehearsal – you are heroes!
June 25, 2026 Encore Tours Venue Spotlight: Southwark Cathedral Welcome back to our Venue Spotlight series, where we explore some of the most inspiring performance spaces available to Encore group leaders around the world. Backstage Blog
June 17, 2026 David Solar Join us at the 2026 National Pastoral Musicians Convention We’re excited to share that we’ll be attending the 2026 National Pastoral Musicians Convention, taking place July 19-24, 2026, at The Catholic University of America … Backstage Blog
June 15, 2026 Encore Tours Your Ensemble Deserves a Travel Partner Who Knows You For many ensemble directors, the idea of a performance tour is exciting. The planning, however, can feel overwhelming. Backstage Blog