Steering Group member
Biography
Alison Burns has worked in the community choir sector since 1993 when she trained with Britain’s natural voice-work pioneer, Frankie Armstrong. That training inspired her and others to create a network of colleagues with a similar approach to community building through song and this network has grown into the hugely successful international Natural Voice Network.
For many years she has been at the forefront of development and thinking about community building practice through singing and is co-author of Community Voiceworks: The complete resource for community choirs published by Oxford University Press. She has built her reputation as one of the UK’s prominent workshop leaders for community choirs by composing and teaching her own material. In 2025 she was profiled as one of Hands up For Trad’s Scottish Women in the Arts and Culture.
Which types of song leading do you specialise in?
I do run an Edinburgh choir and pop up choirs for events but rather than polishing songs for performance, I see my workshop practice as my specialised skill where I use song as a vehicle to build and sustain strong communities. I’m all about the journey rather than the destination!
Tell us your top three areas of expertise
Workshop leading; Composing/songwriting; Mentoring others in workshop practice and in songwriting
Do you lead on any particular areas within the Scotland Sings Steering Group?
I lead on the Songbook.
Aside from singing, what couldn’t you live without?
Coffee obviously! And my parallel art practice where I’m currently undertaking a years mentored practice through Leith School of Art.