phil minton's feral choir workshops

The workshops for Phil Minton's Feral Choir took place last week, Tuesday 26 April-Thursday 28 April. They were long days running from 10am-4pm with a 90 minute lunch break but were not too pressured.

The aim was not to get to know a particular song or songs - or even to sing at all. Rather it was to explore unconventional ways of making vocal sounds without words - along the way perhaps providing participants with an expanded palette and a range of vocal exercises they may find useful or fun.

We also gradually learned the gestures Phil Minton would use to conduct us in the performance on the Saturday. For me as a non-musician who nonetheless sings and makes soundworks the rate of progress was well judged. I found the atmosphere relaxed and pleasant.

It was a relatively small group - eight of us from memory. I believe smaller than the groups Phil normally works with. In some ways it perhaps made his job easier with fewer voices to organise. On the other hand it perhaps left individual voices more exposed than usual. Or that might just be my own anxiety.

I felt I learned a lot through the week and improved my vocal confidence, my willingness to improvise vocally and move away from words, and my ability to listen to what else is going on without having to stay close to it.

Having taken part in the performance on Saturday I still haven't heard how the whole ensemble sounds to an audience. I hope I get to hear a recording - I think there are a couple hanging about.

At the same venue the choir was followed by Satu Kaikonen and Karri Kokko and a reading from Ron Silliman. I'll review these as part of my upcoming review of the opening.

I'm really glad I did the workshops and that the other people there were easy to get along with - as was Phil Minton. I'd also like to say how much I was impressed by his energy and enthusiasm. It was a very enjoyable few days.