WRITING AND PUBLICATIONS
Transforming Choral Singing (2024)
Based on the author’s 20 years in the LGBTQ+ choral movement, this book offers a radical but detailed conceptual framework for choral singing around connection, impact, social justice and stylistic openness.
It then applies that framework to choral sound, rhythm, choral leadership, DEI and other aspects of the choral director’s work.
Each chapter also provides a series of fun, inclusive, practical choral workshops and an accessible pedagogical approach.
“Your book is brilliant ... it’s perfect for this time that we are in. ”
Popular Voiceworks
Steve Milloy and I accept our award at the UK’s Music Industry Association awards in 2008.
Originally published in April 2008, Charlie co-wrote this acclaimed book of arrangements and workshops with choral director, singer and theater musician Steve Milloy from Cincinatti Ohio, as part the ‘Voiceworks’ series published by Oxford University Press. Popular Voiceworks won the Music Publisher’s Association prize for Best Pop Music Publication of the UK.
The book includes an innovative range of material for singers, solo and choral, in jazz, gospel, soul, dance and musical theatre styles. Each song is accompanied by warm-ups, help with teaching and performing the material and tips on using the voice safely, authentically and enjoyably in all these styles. A number also introduce optional opportunities for simple improvising, together with help getting started inventing stylish and simple backings and improvising with the voice. The teacher buys one book, and all pages can then be infinitely photocopied with permission worldwide.
Songs in the book: You Gotta Move; Take Me To The Water; My Man’s Gone Now; People Get Ready; ‘Deed I Do; Me Ol’ Bamboo; This Little Light Of Mine; He’s Gone Away; They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love; Silent Night; Straighten Up And Fly Right; Come What May; Comedy Tonight; Hot Hot Hot; Dancing In The Street; It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing.
Plus originals: Swing Time!; Little One; Take Me To The Funk'; Gitika; I Want Your Love; Dancin’ Till The Blues Are Gone; Sweet Tea; Song Without Words; Don’t Let the Door Hitcha; I’m Not Your Pet; Pages; I Will Sing Joy;
Gitika mp3 Take me to the water mp3
Popular Voiceworks at Christmas
This 176 page book includes 20 fabulous seasonal songs and carols from unison to four-part harmony. Ideal for youth choirs, school groups (11 yrs+), community choirs, and choral groups of all ages and experience, arrangements are in a range of popular styles, including jazz, country, salsa, show, swing, gospel, and more. There are brand-new songs and new arrangements of popular favorites, and the pack includes a complete rehearsal plan for each song, including warm-ups and guidance on vocal techniques for singing popular styles. There are also stylistic but accessible piano accompaniments, and a CD with complete set of backing tracks. As before, the teacher buys one book, and all pages can then be infinitely photocopied with permission worldwide.
Songs in the book: We Wish You A Merry Christmas; Jolly Old Saint Nicholas; Jesus, Oh What A Wonderful Child; Go Tell It On The Mountain; Patapan; Away In A Manger; The First Nowell; Angels We Have Heard On High; In The Bleak Midwinter; Jingle Bell Rock; Get Together; Joy To The World; The Holly And The Ivy; (Everybody’s Waiting for) The Man With The Bag; We Need A Little Christmas; I Saw Three Ships.
Plus originals: Last Month Of The Year; I’m Sure I’ll Never Be Warm And Dry Again; Sprouts; I’m Still Missing You.
‘Transforming Choral Singing’ offers a new, inclusive, community-based rationale for choral singing. It applies contemporary styles, including jazz, popular music, and musical theatre, to music education in a choral context.
Popular Voiceworks 2 (2012)
Popular Voiceworks 2 came out in August 2012, and includes another 28 songs in popular styles.
Innovations in Book 2 include a simple introduction to beat-boxing, a number of country songs, and originals by both authors. Simple and flexible arrangements of standards include ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’, ‘Scarborough Fair’ and Gerry Mulligan’s ‘Blues in B Flat’. As before, the teacher buys one book, and all pages can then be infinitely photocopied with permission worldwide.
Songs in the book: Shallow Brown; We Shall Not Be Moved; Good News, The Chariot’s Comin’; I’m Walkin’; Harvest Rain; Bang The Drum All Day; Ner Li; Scarborough Fair; Hard Times, Come Again No More; Fight The Power; Blues In B Flat; Feelin’ Good; Joyful, Joyful; Ain’t no Stoppin’ Us Now; Falling Slowly; Everybody Rejoice; Here’s Where I Stand;
Plus originals: Goin’ Up The Ladder; Sing Love; Not When Lights Are Low; City Lights; What They Say; Contagious; You Got It; Guiding Light; Gonna Make A Wish; Retweet; Fly;
Fly mp3 Amazing Grace mp3
Jazz Piano from Scratch
A ’self-help guide for students and teachers’, this book aims to introduce the basic concepts of jazz to both piano pupils and teachers through a unique set of accessible and enjoyable activities. Key goals are the teaching of music by ear from the very start, improvisation from day one, and the embellishment of simple jazz melodies. It refers extensively to the tune books of the ABRSM Jazz Piano and Horns syllabuses.
'A Different Kind Of Goosebump' - Chapter in the Oxford Handbook Of Choral Pedagogy (2017)
In 2017, I completed a ground-breaking chapter on choral pedagogy, entitled 'A different kind of Goosebump'. It is about singing with purpose, and challenges the idea of a single choral pedagogy as applicable in all social contexts and to all groups. Instead, it proposes a distinct LGBTIQ+ choral pedagogy.
Interviews with singers were used to get under the skin of their experience in LGBTIQ+ groups: what they feel about what they sing; why they sing; and what is unique about the pedagogy choral conductors use with LGBTIQ+groups. Issues, include: the transgender voice, and how to coach it; the often gendered nature of voice parts; the nature of a distinctive LGBTQ choral repertoire; the powerful sense of shared purpose of many LGBTQ singers, choral groups and audiences; and the goals of community, equity and activism.
The chapter concludes that choral directors in LGBTIQ+ contexts need unique tools and strategies to achieve their goals, have unique roles, and must be responsive to special challenges as teachers and leaders.
Oxford Companion to Jazz
In 2002, I completed the article on Jazz Education in the New Oxford Companion to Jazz, edited by Bill Kirchner.
It is an overview of the history of jazz education from the 1920s to the present day. It outlines the development of formal jazz education and the relationship between formal and informal methods. It also incorporates parts of my Ph.D research examining the relationship between jazz in education and jazz as it is performed.
Faber Choral Basics (2006-2010)
Committed to getting choirs singing music of all styles, here are five volumes of choral arrangements for Faber in their Choral Basics series, available in SATB and SSA voicings. These include:
“I have started having piano lessons and am actually doing your very wonderful jazz piano syllabus, which I’m totally loving. It’s such fun - brings me joy and wonder on a daily basis!
And my teacher is very impressed that I know you and wants me to tell you he thinks your syllabus is really fantastic.”
Jazzy Piano Duets 1 and 2 (2006)
These two books of easy piano duets from OUP are broadly in jazz style, but strictly jazzY, I would say. They are fun for beginner pianists, and perfect for teacher and beginner pupil to play together. Slightly misleadingly, Pauline Hall is listed as sole ‘author’ on the cover, but in fact various composers contributed pieces, myself included.
In Piano Time Jazz Duets 1, I contributed a piece called ‘A Bit Like Bill’, which takes some of the rhythms, chords and melodic gestures of the great jazz pianist Bill Evans, and makes them accessible to less experienced players.
In Book 2, I contributed a simple but rambunctious stride piece for four hands in New Orleans jazz style, called simply ‘Rampage’.
“I am in love with your piece of music entitled ‘Shh’. My 12 year old son was given it to play by his piano teacher at school (yesterday) and he has already learnt it. I think it is absolutely sublime, uplifting, aspirational, full of air and beauty. Thank you”