TPSC launches First Choir Leader Training Course

The People’s Show Choir(TPSC) is launching its first choir leader training course to create tailor-made talent for its growing number of singing groups.

Far more than just a conductor, TPSC prides itself on its choir leaders having a multi-dimensional role at the heart of each singing community.

With that in mind, the national charity is seeking musical people who relish the chance of taking on a new, exciting and rewarding role – from music teachers to someone who is already in a choir and wants a new challenge.

The first course of its kind will take place over two days at West Bromwich Town Hall on March 14 and 15, 2026.

Chris Weber, Community Engagement Manager at TPSC and its sister organisation The People’s Orchestra, said: “Our choir leaders are really good at conducting but they are also community leaders, so it’s important we have good ones.

“The more choir leaders we have, the more great work we can do in the community and keep on expanding into new areas; especially where there’s a need for a choir and more community engagement and cohesion.

“We’d like to launch four or five new choirs a year and grow existing choirs to make them bigger, but we just don’t have the leaders to be able to do that.

“Finding choir leaders who are suitable is the catch. It’s really difficult and some who have been trained by other organisations, aren’t what we need.

“There’s a number of singing groups that do a great job of training conductors to conduct, but not to be choir community leaders, and that’s what ours do at The People’s Show Choir.”

The new choir leader training course will be run by Chris and his sister, the respected conductor and workshop leader Ula Weber. It will allow TPSC to teach the skills they want their leaders to have and then offer jobs to those who meet all the requirements at the end of the sessions.

There’s a cost for taking part in the course but that will be subsidised at a fraction of the cost for those from areas that TPSC is targeting for new choirs.

“This course is a way for us to say ‘come and learn how to be a TPSC Choir Leader’ and if people do well on the course and are good enough, they’ll get a job with us,” explained Chris.

“We will then set up a choir near where they are based. We’re hoping to get a bank of people who are trained to our standards and philosophy.

“We will teach some skills of conducting but the main focus is on the engagement side of things and our philosophy of having a multipronged approach.

“When it comes to that, TPSC is all about making people feel seen and have a sense of belonging. Those are the two important things.

“Unfortunately, a lot of conductors struggle with these things because they’ve worked with professional choirs where people go along mainly to develop their singing.

“Yet, our most successful choirs are first and foremost about putting the community they’ve created first and the singing second. There are skills that can be taught but part of it also comes down to personality and charisma.”

The first day of the course will involve training and workshops while the second day will involve a choir coming in so participants can practise on them.

There isn’t an interview but constant assessment of how everyone is coping with the skills needed. At the end of the two days, those who have what TPSC is looking for will be offered a paid position as a self-employed choir leader.

Those that need extra technical skills will also be signposted to courses that can help them gain what they need to potentially become a conductor in the future.

Chris Weber said: “I love leading choirs and have done several for many years now.

“There may be people out there who are already in a choir and feel like stepping out to the front. Maybe they are music teachers and conductors of school choirs.

“We’re looking at people who have or haven’t conducted before. The only prerequisite is that they have to be able to sing and read music. They also have to be able to harmonise and teach all the different parts of the music to the choir members.

“Another aspect is that they need to have some level of charisma and personality as if someone is shy, they will struggle with what it involves, but all the rest of it, we will teach.

“Not only is doing this role exciting and rewarding but it’s a nice little earner too.”

Choir leaders at TPSC are based across the UK and run weekly rehearsals in term time with groups that tend to range from 20 to 70 regulars. They also shepherd their choirs through performances at community events like Summer fetes or Christmas fairs.

Anyone who is interested in taking part in the course or wants to know more should contact Chris Weber by emailing: chris@thepeoplesorchestra.com or through the website here or call The People’s Show Choir on 0121 569 2616 during regular working hours.