We are in the entertainment business and there are certain basic skills we need to master if we are to take a song and not just sing it, but perform it. We need to understand what the composer and arranger has done for us and to develop a sympathetic and appropriate performance plan. Then we need to be able to execute the plan convincingly.

This means that we must sound good, look good and feel good while, at the same time, using many performance techniques (invisibly) to meet the expectations of our audiences. A good performance ensures good entertainment on any stage, not just the contest stage.

To achieve these aims we have again enlisted the help of a top rank performance coach and educator from America. Gary Plaag is a Presentation Judge for the Barbershop Harmony Society. He has been the Presentation Chairman for the Alexandria Harmonizers, a chorus with fifteen International medals including four golds. He coaches extensively and actually runs his own company teaching the stuff that you will learn this weekend.

Gary will be responsible for teaching the "Performing The Plan" class aimed at helping all you singers to become better performers.

• Planning The Performance - In recognition of the fact that there are those of you who are involved in choosing music, developing an interpretation and performance plan for that music and then, possibly, teaching others how to implement it, this is the class for you. This class will run on both Friday and Saturday.
• Performing The Plan - For most of you though, performance is not about planning but about doing it better - how to get inside a character, visual techniques, believability and building audience rapport. If this is you, this is your class. You will benefit from the vast experience of Gary Plaag who will be your tutor for the entire session. This class will run on both Friday and Saturday.