Midlife Choirsis

Kerrie Polkinghorne
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  • Music Interviews

Midlife Choirsis is a celebration of the joy, connection, and magic of choir singing in communities all across the world. Far from being the “poor cousin” of choral music, community choirs are vibrant spaces where people come together to make something extraordinary - in many cases, with little formal training.  Each episode uncovers inspiring stories of group music-making, while shining a spotlight on the creativity and skill of a wide variety of directors, leaders, composers and arrangers who bring these voices to life. At its core, the community choir is the beating heart of music-making: joyful, messy, powerful, and absolutely worth celebrating.

Episodes

  1. Jun 3

    Ep4: From Cathedral Choir to World Stage - Playing the Long Game

    Send us Fan Mail You can feel the difference between a choir that’s technically fine and a choir that communicates every word. That’s the gap we explore with Jonathan Bligh, founder and artistic director of Festival Statesmen Chorus, as he shares the real work behind building a world-class choral sound. We trace Jonathan’s path from boy chorister at St Peter’s Cathedral to scholarships, school ensemble formation, and life-changing training abroad. Along the way, we unpack what “culture first” actually looks like in a rehearsal room: who thrives, why willingness to learn matters, and how playing the long game makes a difference. From barbershop to contemporary a cappella to sacred repertoire, Jonathan explains how FSC’s versatility presented both strengths and programming challenges, and why heart, contrast, and connection to text is worth the time and effort. We also make vocal pedagogy practical for choir leaders and singers by starting with safe fundamentals: basic voice science, alignment, efficiency, and choosing advice that fits the particularities of body and genre. The interview concludes with FSC performing Frank Ticheli’s beautiful Earth Song. If this episode encouraged you or sparked an idea for your choir, subscribe, share this with a fellow singer, and leave a review so more people can find the show. VOCAL PEDAGOGY LINKS Dr Dan Robinson (based in QLD) - www.youtube.com/@DrDanRobinsonEstill Voice Training - Level 1 and 2 is good* https://estillvoice.com/find-a-course/ *Just spend some time on learning the physiology of the voice beforehand so that you're not overwhelmed. Dr Sam Webster - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtqpyzS48zA&t=263sHistorical perspectives of singing - Brenton Coffin and Stephen Austin -https://www.thepracticalpedagogue.com/about - they'll cover the heavy hitters Garcia and Lamperti.Modern Lens - Ingo Titze, Kenneth Bozeman, Scott McCoyThomas Hemsley's singing and imagination. Accent method is good for breathing (based in Australia) Find us on Facebook !

    43 min

  2. May 26

    Ep3: Make The First Move

    Send us Fan Mail In Episode 3 we talk about what makes community singing more than a weekly rehearsal and how choirs become places of real support and belonging. We share practical ways to build connections within your choir, collaborate with other groups, and learn from other directors without letting imposter syndrome run the show.  • seeing choir community grow and show up in real life support during hard times  • building networks through festivals, exchanges, workshops and joint performances  • making the first move to connect with other choirs and directors  • balancing confidence with curiosity when learning from other musicians  If you've enjoyed the episode today, please share it. You can subscribe to the show on your preferred podcast app, or share the episode on social media. Find us on Facebook !

    18 min

  3. Apr 25

    Ep1: Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New

    Send us Fan Mail We kick off Midlife Choirsis with a clear mission: to celebrate community choir singing as a place for joy, connection, and unity. We share our own winding path into choral directing and make the case for starting before you feel ready, even if you’re going to suck at first.  • why we choose the name Midlife Choirsis and what the show stands for  • community singing as a practical antidote to division  • the lonely parts of choir directing and how comparison can make it worse  • early choir leadership stories that prove we learn by doing  • the university choir moment that turns choir into a calling  • starting Vocalize Choir and the steep learning curve of director craft  • being brave enough to suck at something new and why singers need that safety too  • Jonas Rasmussen’s reminder that the choral world needs openness over gatekeeping  • the sing-along tradition and why we end with a song  If you've enjoyed the episode today, please share it! You can subscribe to the show on your preferred podcast app, or you can share the episode on social media, or you can go super 'midlife choirsis' and share the link via email - mlchoirsispodcast@gmail.com. If you've got questions, thoughts, feedback, ideas, I'd love to hear from you from wherever you are listening around the world!  Find us on Facebook !

    21 min

  4. Apr 25

    Ep2: If You Were Organised You’d Be Dangerous

    Send us Fan Mail A choir can change your life, but not always in the tidy, planned way you expect. I’m joined by Adelaide-based musician, performer, and choir director Carol Young, and we trace the real-world path that takes her from a childhood where everyone sang in harmony to a working career across classical voice, jazz choir, theatre, teaching, and community music. Carol talks candidly about the moments that shape a midlife creative life: choosing opportunities that keep you connected, learning to trust intuition (even when it looks like chaos), and rebuilding after losing a job. We dig into what choir leading actually looks like behind the scenes, from teaching singing through ensemble repertoire to wrangling community choirs on stage, and why humour can be both a tool and a tell for nerves. A big focus is Carol’s work with Tutti Arts and Tutti Choir and what inclusive choral singing demands when disabled and non-disabled singers share the room. We cover practical disability allyship, pacing, anxiety, flexibility, support workers, and why owning a mistake out loud can keep a group safe. Carol also shares a surprisingly moving COVID story about online rehearsals, isolation, and the joy of simply seeing your mates again. We finish with a sing-along that doubles as a reminder: Enjoy Yourself, because it really is later than you think. Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find these stories of community choirs, inclusive arts, and finding your voice. Got thoughts or questions? Email me at mlchoirsispodcast@gmail.com. Find us on Facebook !

    52 min
  • 4 Episodes

About

Midlife Choirsis is a celebration of the joy, connection, and magic of choir singing in communities all across the world. Far from being the “poor cousin” of choral music, community choirs are vibrant spaces where people come together to make something extraordinary - in many cases, with little formal training.  Each episode uncovers inspiring stories of group music-making, while shining a spotlight on the creativity and skill of a wide variety of directors, leaders, composers and arrangers who bring these voices to life. At its core, the community choir is the beating heart of music-making: joyful, messy, powerful, and absolutely worth celebrating.

Information

  • Creator
    Kerrie Polkinghorne
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Midlife Choirsis
  • Show Website
    Midlife Choirsis

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