Music

The Choir Director Podcast

by Russell Scott

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Latest episodes

Ep #36: Lhente-Mari Pitout: What South African Choirs Can Teach Us About Culture, Movement and Community

October 21, 2026 · 35 min

An 80-voice rehearsal room can change a life, especially when you walk in thinking you don’t belong. Russell Scott sits down with Lhente-Mari Pitout, Artistic Director of the University of Pretoria Youth Choir, to explore what it really…
Ep#35: How Simon Halsey Rehearses For Sound And Meaning

October 14, 2026 · 56 min

You can hear it in the first ten minutes with a great choir: the sound is alive, the tuning locks, and the words mean something. That level of responsiveness is not luck, and Simon Halsey CBE has spent a lifetime proving why. We’re joined…
Ep #34: Zimfira Poloz: Healthy Young Voices Grow When Choir Becomes Community

October 7, 2026 · 41 min

A children’s choir can sound polished and still not be truly free. The turning point is trust, and that’s where this conversation with Zimfira Poloz, Artistic Director of the Toronto Children’s Chorus and a University of Toronto educator…
Ep #33: Manvinder Rattan: You Get Better Faster When You Conduct The Choir You Actually Have

September 30, 2026 · 38 min

Most conductors don’t struggle because they lack passion. They struggle because the job asks for two hard skills at once: musical clarity and human leadership. I’m joined by Manvinder Rattan, choral and orchestral conductor and one of the…
Ep #32: Francis Cathlina: When Story-First Choir Direction Changes Everything

September 23, 2026 · 45 min

Your choir can sing the right notes and still leave the audience cold. The difference is often not talent, but story and culture and how deliberately we build both. We sit down with Dr Francis Cathlina, Vietnamese American conductor and…

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Ep #31: Mark Hayes: How A World-Class Arranger Writes For Real Choirs

September 17, 2026 · 42 min

The fastest way to level up your choir is not another trick, it’s understanding how great choral music is actually built and how to bring it to life with real singers. I’m joined by Mark Hayes, internationally recognised composer…
Ep #30: Jack Blume: The Impact of ‘a cappella’ Singing on Modern Day Communities

September 9, 2026 · 51 min

A choir can sound like a full band, but only if the arranging, vocal style, and rehearsal priorities are crystal clear. We’re joined by Jack Blume, UK-based composer and producer, and the arranger, orchestrator, and musical supervisor…
Ep #29: Choir Directors Need Rest Too.... Burnout and the Effect

September 2, 2026 · 45 min

Burnout in choir leadership rarely announces itself. It shows up as the rehearsal you used to love feeling heavy, the email you cannot bring yourself to write, the constant sense that you must hold the whole room together. I’m Russell…
Ep #28: Eimear Crehan: Choirs Help Us Deal with Life — Music, Connection and Belonging

August 26, 2026 · 51 min

Choirs do not just teach harmony, they teach people how to belong. Russell Scott sits down with Irish singer-songwriter and vocal and creativity coach Eimear Crehan to unpack what happens when you treat creativity as a practice, not a…
Ep #27: Christopher Munce: Stop Chasing The Perfect Choir And Start Singing

August 19, 2026 · 1 hr 7 min

The fastest way to improve your choir might not be a new warm-up or a clever rehearsal plan. It might be dropping the “presenter voice” and leading with genuine curiosity. Russell Scott shares a cross-over conversation with Christopher…
Ep #26: Herbert Washington: How the Phoenix Boys Choir Went from Car Park Rehearsals to Grammy Gold

August 12, 2026 · 53 min

A boys’ choir that can rehearse in a car park, tour for weeks, premiere brand new works, and still feel like a safe place to belong does not happen by accident. We sit down with Herbert Washington, Artistic Director of the Phoenix Boys…
Ep #25: Walter Martella: Stop Talking And Start Singing In Rehearsal

August 5, 2026 · 44 min

Choirs do not become resilient by accident. They last when rehearsal choices are deliberate, kind, and repeatable, even when singers have mixed skills and limited time. I’m joined by Walter Martella, a Canadian musician, conductor, and…

Full episode archive on Apple Podcasts →

About the show

The Choir Director Podcast is the essential resource for choir directors, conductors and vocal leaders who want to build stronger choirs, run better rehearsals and create outstanding musical experiences. Hosted by international conductor and festival producer Russell Scott, each episode shares practical strategies for rehearsal technique, vocal training, repertoire choices, choir recruitment, leadership, performance preparation and managing real-world community and amateur choirs. Whether you lead a school choir, church choir, community choir or professional ensemble, this podcast gives you actionable ideas you can apply immediately — from improving blend and tuning to motivating singers and growing your choir. Featuring expert interviews with leading conductors, vocal specialists, composers and choir educators, alongside solo coaching episodes packed with real solutions for real choir challenges. If you’re a choir director who wants practical tools, musical insight and leadership strategies to help your singers thrive, this is the podcast for you.