While proper hydration and technique reduce the risk of vocal fatigue during most of the church year, Holy Week and Pascha really test the mettle of even highly trained and experienced singers. The sheer number of services, and their length, present a formidable challenge. There is no miraculous secret that will enable any singer to emerge from the Paschal Divine Liturgy fresh-voiced and ready to sing some opera; however, there are steps we can take to protect our voices during this crucial time. Here's my recommended approach:
Rotate choir members. Every singer doesn't have to sing every service. I use a shared Google Sheet where singers indicate which services they plan to attend. You may find that the problem kind of sorts itself out in this regard. However, if most singers plan to be at most services, give them the option to not sing every one, and explain why. I don't recommend making rigid command decisions here unless you absolutely have to. Asking a singer not to sing a service will invariably cut them a little bit, no matter how solid the underlying reason. Case in point: during Holy Week 2021, our diocese still had social distancing restrictions in place, and due to the extra space taken up by the tomb, our priest became concerned that we would not be able to have a full complement of people in attendance without them standing too close together. Consequently, we limited the choir to three singers (inclusive of the director) so there was more room for the faithful. I believe it was the correct decision, but it meant that had to ask certain folks not to sing, and although they were wonderfully understanding and humble about it, I'm sure it stung for a moment.
Source readers from outside the choir. In parishes that have multiple readers, this may already be the case, but in many parishes with only one tonsured reader (or none at all), the reader's duties often fall on various choir members. This is normally fine, but not for Holy Week. This may require coordination with the clergy, so I'd recommend sorting this out before Palm Sunday at the latest. Again, Google Sheets are your friend here; it's a great way to visualize who is doing what at each service. This is particularly important for the Vesperal Liturgy on Holy Saturday Morning, which has 15 Old Testament readings.
Speak with the priest about dispensation for the choir to sip some water or suck on a cough drop when needed, even before taking Holy Communion. Whether or not you get it depends on your priest (or bishop), and you'll probably need to explain why this is so important. It's not a simple matter of "our mouths dry out"; dehydration can lead to vocal fatigue and injury, hampering the choir's ability to perform their liturgical function. Many clergy may not understand this initially, but once you explain it I think you're likely to have your request granted. At any rate, it never hurts to ask.
Remind the choir that not every piece has equal importance from a vocal standpoint. Use litanies as opportunities to rest; they don't have to be loud or forceful, and singers who feel the first twinges of fatigue should feel free not to sing them. The same applies to refrains sung continuously under chanted Psalm verses (e.g. "For gloriously has He been glorified").
Ginger tea is your friend! Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory, and ginger tea can be quite soothing for the throat. Note that nothing you drink flows directly over the vocal folds; this is a common misconception. For an even stronger throat-soothing boost, try an infusion of fresh chopped ginger, lemon, garlic and red pepper flakes in warm water, with a little honey stirred in. It smells insane, but it's great for the throat. Add a little warm cognac if you want, too.
Consider some key changes. Since Orthodox liturgical music is a capella, the director may pitch it in any key. If a piece has a very high soprano or tenor part, for example (as in some versions of the Great Prokeimenon), pitch it down a few steps. If a piece tends to run low, of course, you may also raise it. However, I've found that it's the higher arrangements that most contribute to vocal fatigue.
Leverage the power of the mighty sticky note. I often write short phrases like "fast and light", "British accent" and "no scooping" on neon sticky notes and place them in the relevant places in our choir binders. These reminders DO help singers remember important points that may otherwise get "lost in the sauce", especially when they're exhausted from a zillion services. The notes (usually ornamented with smiley faces) also eliminate the need to whisper, and are less likely to come off as confrontational or overly critical.
This is just scratching the surface of an immense topic, but I hope some readers find this helpful.
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