When I stand to sing in church, I find it useful to follow the
same principles I was taught as a choir member. Here are a few that every
church member, musical or not, can follow:
Stand up, and keep
your body and head erect. Standing produces better singing. The rule for standing
is that your feet should be spaced equal to your shoulders, hands by your side.
Your head should be up, looking straight ahead.
Drop your jaw. When
you drop your jaw as you sing, your vowels will become more beautiful. They
won’t have a tight, nasal tone.
Shape your vowels. This
means shaping your mouth for an “o”, stretching
your lips back for a long “e” sound, showing your teeth for a long “a”, and
dropping your jaw for “i” or “ah” sound. This takes a little effort but is also
fun.
Sing lustily, yet in
ensemble. Every person should participate in an active way. At the same
time, every individual should listen for everyone else. That is singing in
ensemble. No individual voice needs to be heard above the others, although some
will naturally be a little louder than others. The goal is to sing in ensemble,
a form of submitting to one another; this doesn’t mean going silent.
Sing a high D with
gusto. The average person can sing the pitch of high D at full voice (for
men, one note above middle C, and for women nine notes above middle C). It is
the highest note in “Holy, Holy, Holy,” for example. It is the note that is the
climax of many hymns, and it is singable, so make the most of it!
Engage your whole
body. Some phrases, some notes almost seem to require you to throw your
arms into it, or take a step, and I’m not talking about following the rhythm of
the song, which is also important. I’m talking about the physicality of singing
with enthusiasm.
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