Vocal warm-ups

The human voice is the most sensitive and delicate of all instruments. Only with careful and responsible use over the years can it be kept healthy and strong. Choral voice training and these warm-up exercises can make a valuable and long-lasting contribution to achieving this goal. The importance of these warm-up exercises must repeatedly be explained to singers. They are just as important as the warm-ups an athlete does before training or competition. Even if some individuals do not notice any great progress in the beginning, the small improvements each singer makes will considerably enhance the sound of the chorus as a whole. Signs of fatigue will become less frequent and the volume and sound of the chorus will gain intensity, homogeneity and versatility. Moreover, the voice will become stronger, smoother and more resilient. It is also important for a chorus director to work intensely on his own voice, experimenting with all of the suggested exercises several times himself first and using only those exercises he feels comfortable with when appearing in front of the chorus.