Three Models for Organizing a Combined Choir

Jul 29

Choir is a meaningful way to build community, promote unity, and bring people together.

Whether you direct a community choir, a church choir, or work with a professional choir, combining with other groups can be a memorable, enriching musical experience for all involved. It's also a practical way to expand what's possible on a concert program: more voices, more opportunities for divisi, and a bigger sound than one group could create on their own.

Consider other groups within your organization (school, church, or community) and choirs of different ages (e.g. adult, college, youth, or children).

A combined choir can also be a chance to build relationships across programs—a college choir mentoring a local youth choir, two church choirs coming together, or a community chorus partnering with a school ensemble for a shared concert.

Here are three models for organizing a combined choir:

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The Combined Choir

In the combined choir model, two or more choirs come together to present a piece. This might be a youth choir and adult choir, a children's choir and youth choir, or a combination of all three groups. Alternatively, this might be an opportunity for choral and instrumental ensembles to collaborate. Consider bringing in a handbell choir, string orchestra, or other instrumental group.

Another option is to combine with another adult choir. You could have men's and women's choirs combine, chamber singers and concert choir, or collaborate with another choir in the community.

If you're combining adult and youth and/or children's choirs, you might consider doing a partner song (see "Gather By the River to Pray" in the list below), medley, or something with a verse-chorus structure where each group sings alone at the beginning and altogether later in the piece. If you're combining two adult choirs, consider choosing an SATB anthem focused on unity and belonging.

The Intergenerational Choir

In this model, all participants mix together, grouped according to voice part:

Tenors and basses from one choir stand next to tenors and basses in the other. Children (or at least Part I of your children's choir) and sopranos stand together. Altos and Part II of your children's choir (if the range permits) stand together. Obviously, there will be some height considerations, but try to have each section as mixed as possible.

In addition to current choir members, this is a great opportunity to invite others you know can sing but aren't currently in a choir. Invite families to join and sing together. This is a wonderful (and somewhat rare) opportunity for an intergenerational singing experience.

In church settings, this works well with "Gathered As One,""Come to the Water," and "I Believe" (see below).

The Flash Mob

Imagine the power of singing an anthem, like "Draw the Circle Wide" or "Come Just As You Are," and having choir members come up front and join in singing as you go. Text like "Draw the circle, draw the circle wide, no one stands alone, we'll stand side by side, draw the circle, draw the circle wide" comes to life in a new, vivid, visible way. I did this one year with a group of seventeen singers of all ages.

There are a couple of ways to do a flash mob piece: Have one choir begin with others joining in on each chorus. Or, divide all participants into three or so mixed groups (different ages) and have group 1 begin with groups 2 and 3 joining in at designated times. For the full effect, have those who are joining in later in the piece sit out in the congregation or stand just outside the performance space.