Chris Rowbury
@chrisrowbury.bsky.social
Singing leader, a cappella harmony songs from across the globe. Natural Voice Network member. Weekly blog, monthly music round-up. https://chrisrowbury.com | https://blog.chrisrowbury.com | https://chrisrowbury.substack.com
Reposted by Chris Rowbury
Please read, listen, and share widely. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...
‘I never wanted to sing into a vacuum’: Scottish folk pioneer Dick Gaughan’s fight for his lost music
A skilled interpreter and social justice champion, Gaughan is a hero to the likes of Richard Hawley and Billy Bragg. Yet much of his work has been stuck in limbo for decades – until a determined fan s...
www.theguardian.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Please read, listen, and share widely. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...
[my blog on ChoirPlace] www.choirplace.com/blogs/78/264...
Can you have too many singers in your choir? - ChoirPlace
[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from almost 30 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teachin...
www.choirplace.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:21 AM
[my blog on ChoirPlace] www.choirplace.com/blogs/78/264...
Reposted by Chris Rowbury
NEW: Welcome to the Great AI Bubble. Yes, it’s here. And yes, it’s going to burst.
It’s also got way more in common with the Epstein scandal than you really want to know.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
It’s also got way more in common with the Epstein scandal than you really want to know.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
The Great AI Bubble
Yes, it's a bubble. And yes, it's going to burst.
open.substack.com
November 16, 2025 at 11:35 AM
NEW: Welcome to the Great AI Bubble. Yes, it’s here. And yes, it’s going to burst.
It’s also got way more in common with the Epstein scandal than you really want to know.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
It’s also got way more in common with the Epstein scandal than you really want to know.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
Reposted by Chris Rowbury
ChatGPT violated copyright law by harvesting musicians’ lyrics, German court rules
ChatGPT violated copyright law by harvesting musicians’ lyrics, German court rules
OpenAI ordered to pay undisclosed damages for training its language models on popular songs without permission
A court in Munich has ruled that OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT violated German copyright laws by using hits from top-selling musicians to train its language models in what creative industry advocates described as a landmark European ruling.
The Munich regional court sided in favour of Germany’s music rights society GEMA, which said ChatGPT had harvested protected lyrics by popular artists to “learn” from them. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:13 PM
ChatGPT violated copyright law by harvesting musicians’ lyrics, German court rules
Reposted by Chris Rowbury
Nearly two years ago, I wrote about the extraordinary influence of former Tory spin doctor Sir Robbie Gibb on the BBC. It's still a helpful backgrounder for what's going on now. New readers start here: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
How the government captured the BBC
A right-wing cabal, largely unaccountable, is waging war on the principles that made our public broadcaster great. It must not succeed
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Nearly two years ago, I wrote about the extraordinary influence of former Tory spin doctor Sir Robbie Gibb on the BBC. It's still a helpful backgrounder for what's going on now. New readers start here: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
[my blog on ChoirPlace] www.choirplace.com/blogs/78/263...
How to deal with a toxic choir member - ChoirPlace
[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from almost 30 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teachin...
www.choirplace.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:05 PM
[my blog on ChoirPlace] www.choirplace.com/blogs/78/263...
Reposted by Chris Rowbury
The reform party nativity scene.
No unmarried mothers. No Middle Eastern people. No refugees. No people seeking emergency accommodation.
And not a wise fvcking man in sight…
No unmarried mothers. No Middle Eastern people. No refugees. No people seeking emergency accommodation.
And not a wise fvcking man in sight…
October 26, 2025 at 4:17 PM
The reform party nativity scene.
No unmarried mothers. No Middle Eastern people. No refugees. No people seeking emergency accommodation.
And not a wise fvcking man in sight…
No unmarried mothers. No Middle Eastern people. No refugees. No people seeking emergency accommodation.
And not a wise fvcking man in sight…
My first attempt at 100% rye sourdough loaf. Very pleased. Moist, tasty and soft. Result!
November 8, 2025 at 5:25 PM
My first attempt at 100% rye sourdough loaf. Very pleased. Moist, tasty and soft. Result!
Reposted by Chris Rowbury
There were 115 prisoners mistakenly released in the final year of the last Conservative Government alone.
Interesting that it only becomes a major national scandal the second these releases can be blamed on a Labour government
Interesting that it only becomes a major national scandal the second these releases can be blamed on a Labour government
November 5, 2025 at 1:33 PM
There were 115 prisoners mistakenly released in the final year of the last Conservative Government alone.
Interesting that it only becomes a major national scandal the second these releases can be blamed on a Labour government
Interesting that it only becomes a major national scandal the second these releases can be blamed on a Labour government
[my blog on ChoirPlace] www.choirplace.com/blogs/78/263...
Discovering “the space between” when singing - ChoirPlace
[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from almost 30 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teachin...
www.choirplace.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:59 PM
[my blog on ChoirPlace] www.choirplace.com/blogs/78/263...
chrisrowbury.substack.com/p/chris-rowb... My monthly music round-up for November out now! Includes: History of African American roots music; 4 best online tools to write musical notation; FolkCloud: a complete archive of folk music across the world; song of the month from Indonesia; and more!
Chris Rowbury's monthly music round-up (November 2025) issue #124
Welcome to the November edition of my monthly music round-up.
chrisrowbury.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 11:52 AM
chrisrowbury.substack.com/p/chris-rowb... My monthly music round-up for November out now! Includes: History of African American roots music; 4 best online tools to write musical notation; FolkCloud: a complete archive of folk music across the world; song of the month from Indonesia; and more!
Reposted by Chris Rowbury
We have to remember that music, ideally, can be something we do for ourselves as a way to reclaim our culture – not exclusively something we have to buy.
October 30, 2025 at 6:00 PM
We have to remember that music, ideally, can be something we do for ourselves as a way to reclaim our culture – not exclusively something we have to buy.
[my blog on ChoirPlace] www.choirplace.com/blogs/78/263...
Revealing your humanity as choir leader or singer will bring people on your side - ChoirPlace
[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from almost 30 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teachin...
www.choirplace.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:58 PM
[my blog on ChoirPlace] www.choirplace.com/blogs/78/263...
Reposted by Chris Rowbury
The richest man on earth owns X.
The second richest man on earth is about to acquire TikTok and his family could soon own both Paramount and Warner Bros.
The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.
See the problem here?
The second richest man on earth is about to acquire TikTok and his family could soon own both Paramount and Warner Bros.
The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.
See the problem here?
October 25, 2025 at 7:00 PM
The richest man on earth owns X.
The second richest man on earth is about to acquire TikTok and his family could soon own both Paramount and Warner Bros.
The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.
See the problem here?
The second richest man on earth is about to acquire TikTok and his family could soon own both Paramount and Warner Bros.
The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.
See the problem here?
Led a fabulous day of singing in Norfolk today, despite a chesty cough. Got slightly lost on the drive home but it was lovely countryside. Having a little break now until next April.
October 25, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Led a fabulous day of singing in Norfolk today, despite a chesty cough. Got slightly lost on the drive home but it was lovely countryside. Having a little break now until next April.
[my blog on ChoirPlace] www.choirplace.com/blogs/78/262...
Is it ever OK to criticise your choir leader in public? - ChoirPlace
[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from almost 30 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teachin...
www.choirplace.com
October 22, 2025 at 12:35 PM
[my blog on ChoirPlace] www.choirplace.com/blogs/78/262...
briefly.co.za/people/22709... Yay, I got a mention! "According to Chris Rowbury, a choir leader with 25 years of experience teaching songs from different cultures, it's important to honour a song by understanding what it truly means." No brainer.
"It's religious": Polish dancer brings out killer SA moves but gets called out
A Polish dancer went viral after showing off her fiery Amapiano moves to an SA song, but viewers pointed out she was dancing to a religious prayer song.
briefly.co.za
October 22, 2025 at 12:04 PM
briefly.co.za/people/22709... Yay, I got a mention! "According to Chris Rowbury, a choir leader with 25 years of experience teaching songs from different cultures, it's important to honour a song by understanding what it truly means." No brainer.
Reposted by Chris Rowbury
Reposted by Chris Rowbury
Sky News is platforming a guy who says he's from a Jewish Aston Villa supporters group, but it turns out that the guy a) isn't Jewish, b) the group doesn't exist, and c) he works for the right wing Henry Jackson Society, whose website says he 'specialises in disinformation'. Well, quite.
October 18, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Sky News is platforming a guy who says he's from a Jewish Aston Villa supporters group, but it turns out that the guy a) isn't Jewish, b) the group doesn't exist, and c) he works for the right wing Henry Jackson Society, whose website says he 'specialises in disinformation'. Well, quite.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=6VZU... Another fabulous singing day over. 50 singers learning songs from Portugal, Corsica, Italy, Sardinia and Spain. What a glorious sound! Here's one of the songs we tackled.
Ô SUD! de Xavier REBUT - A bandiera bella (LIVE)
YouTube video by Xavier Rebut
m.youtube.com
October 18, 2025 at 4:06 PM
m.youtube.com/watch?v=6VZU... Another fabulous singing day over. 50 singers learning songs from Portugal, Corsica, Italy, Sardinia and Spain. What a glorious sound! Here's one of the songs we tackled.