Short Courses & Events / Archive

Inspired Sound: Unlocking the Science of Choral Acoustics

Tuesday 16th December 2025, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM (London Time)

This session will explore the fascinating science behind choral sound, offering choir singers and directors valuable insights into achieving a cohesive and expressive ensemble, no matter what their standard. The concept of choral blend will be examined —what it is, how it can be cultivated, and the roles of intonation and vibrato will be analysed. The decisions that have to be made around intonation when tuning thirds or dealing with modulations over the course of an a cappella piece will be explained in the context of existing research and different singing styles such as barbershop singing and solo voice ensembles.

The session will consider timbre and loudness and how different vocal qualities influence overall ensemble colour, gaining practical strategies to enhance sound quality. The session will also address the importance of synchronization between singers, how it has been measured in recent research at different levels (from onsets and consonants to heart rate variability) including techniques for aligning vowel shapes, entrances, and dynamic gestures.

Additionally, the influence of room acoustics and spacing will be examined, demonstrating how physical environment and positioning can amplify or diminish choir balance and clarity. This course will deepen your understanding of choir acoustics, empowering participants to refine their individual and collective practice for a more resonant, expressive, and confident ensemble performance!

🏷️ Price £30 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 Certificate of attendance available

Professor Helena Daffern

Helena is currently a Professor in Music Technology in the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology. She completed her PhD in Music Technology in the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology at the University of York in 2008 and obtained a Masters degree in singing performance from the University of York before training as a postgraduate at Trinity College of Music.

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Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.

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Sorry, this is an archived short course...

We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.

Mitigating Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) Within the Teaching Studio: Theories & Practical Strategies
Wednesday 15th April 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday 16th April 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Mitigating Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) Within the Teaching Studio: Theories & Practical Strategies

Dr David Juncos

In recent years, an alternative model for treating MPA has shown great promise among practitioners - training music teachers to use interventions from evidence-based coaching models aimed to treat MPA, rather than continually referring students with MPA to receive psychotherapy like CBT.

Nutrition and Exercise for Singers – The Missing Link in Vocal Health and Longevity
Thursday 16th April 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Nutrition and Exercise for Singers – The Missing Link in Vocal Health and Longevity

Duncan Rock

Discover the essential role that nutrition and exercise play in enhancing vocal health and ensuring a long-lasting singing career in our upcoming seminar, "Nutrition and Exercise for Singers – The Missing Link in Vocal Health and Longevity."

Certificate in Acting Approaches for Singing Teachers
Monday 20th April 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Tuesday 21st April 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Wednesday 22nd April 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Thursday 23rd April 2026
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
(London Time)

Certificate in Acting Approaches for Singing Teachers

Louisa Morgan

Are you a singing teacher looking to elevate your students’ performance? This 4-part course is perfect for those who want to help their singers connect deeply with the character and the story behind the song. Many singing teachers have lots of brilliant ideas about coaching vocal performance but often don’t have a background in acting. Learning more about acting techniques can build structure into your performance-focused lessons and add depth to the song. Gain practical tools and techniques that you can apply to your teaching.