It is essential to determine the vocal abilities of each of the members of a volunteer gospel choir. Take a moment with each choir member to individually test the member's vocal range by having the member sing a simple scale with the piano. The notes sung which are the most pleasing and comfortable comprise the singer's most usable vocal range, namely, soprano, alto, tenor or bass.
A volunteer gospel choir will probably sing music that is not all written in unison. The members will learn their parts most easily if the members singing the same voice part are sitting or standing together in sections. Try to maintain an organized soprano, alto, tenor and bass section even if a particular piece of music does not call for all those parts because, eventually, the choir will sing a piece that requires two or more parts. Experienced choirs may sing with the voice parts scattered, but this requires a high degree of vocal competency not often found in a volunteer gospel choir.
The four main vocal sections may also each subdivide into higher and lower parts. For example, first sopranos will sing the highest soprano part, while second sopranos will sing the lower soprano part. If a piece of music requires subdivision, first and second parts seating for each section makes learning easier for a volunteer gospel choir.
Many choirs favor the standard of placing men in the back rows while putting the women in the front rows because men's voices tend to be louder overall, and their voices will carry better from the back rows. This vocal organization also makes sense when the members are standing because men are generally taller than women.
Have the members sing some familiar pieces of music written in four parts to check the balance of the sound while they are in sections. Fine tune member locations by putting weaker voices in front of stronger ones, or scatter weak and strong voices within sections to strengthen the overall sound. The sound of a gospel choir can change considerably, given the variability of member health and confidence. Be prepared to make changes as needed for the optimal sound.
An essential step in organizing a volunteer gospel choir is to adjust members' positions so that their height while standing makes sense. Each member needs to be able to see the choir director during performances. The appearance of the choir is also important. Taller singers should be in the last row, and each row looks best with its tallest singers in the middle. Find a balance between practicality and the desired sound, and be prepared to make compromises.
Remember to assign permanent, required seats to the members to retain the organization acquired through the steps above. Volunteer gospel choirs can sway and move during each memorable performance, but if every member knows his or her required position, the choir's sound will stay organized through the exuberance.