Have you ever toyed with the idea of trying something completely new, perhaps joining a choir? But feel you can only sing in the shower/car, or what if I don’t know anybody, or don’t know the music, I have no idea how the evening will go? Let’s help put your mind at ease about what to expect from Choirs For Good.
We are a network of community wellbeing choirs. We exist to promote the importance and benefits of community singing, not just upon an individuals physical and mental wellbeing, but also the many wonderful ways that choirs can unite people and contribute back to their local communities and realise their potential in wider society.
Our vision is to create a world where choirs are placed at the heart and local communities, where they give back and are recognised for their value to society and where choirs form part of a sustainable approach to helping people live more connected, fulfilling lives.
In short, we exist to help people Feel Good and Do Good, For Good.
Ok, but what to expect from a typical rehearsal with us?
You will be welcomed with a smile, and usually a cuppa, a brief introduction from the Choir Leader and we are off into the session. The only time we will ask you to sit anywhere, is in the correct vocal section, once you have found the part that suits you best. There are no assigned seats with everyone welcomed to sit where they need to. There are no auditions, everyone is welcome and there is no need to read sheet music/scores either, as everything is taught with lyric sheets and the choir leader teaches everything slowly and through singing it. We will start with some warmups, and then into a song we are learning. All our songs and broken down by section and avaible to listen to on our website in our virtual ‘rehearsal room’ which is open to listen to whenever you want throughout the week. We cover a wide range of musical tastes, from The Beatles, Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis, Sam Ryder, Fleetwood Mac and many more, expanding our repertoire all the time and listening to what our singers really want to do, enriching everyone experience with us. Choirs For Good welcome new members throughout the year, and your friends and family can come along at any point for their free taster to join the choir.
One of our favourite things about being in a choir are the gigs we do for the public or events, they are a lot of fun and a chance to spend time with other choir friends and show off what we have been learning in our sessions. They are a wonderful opportunity to build confidence, as well as see new places and locations. We have sung in beautiful places, such as music festivals, hospitals and care homes, cathedrals, and many more interesting places. However, if you feel this isn’t for you, that is completely fine as well, there is no obligation or rules that you just perform in public if you wish to come along every week to sing in the rehearsal room, that is great with us too. If you do wish to sing in public, we ask that all singers wear a ‘Choirs For Good’ t-shirt, or a black t-shirt with our pin badge, to show the world who you sing with. These are available from our shop on our website.
Choirs For Good is a not-for-profit social enterprise, which means we are able to support many different meaningful causes at the same time! We have a ‘Charity of the Year’, which is voted for by our singers in all choirs across Wales and England, but we are also able to support much more local events and fundraising for something close to each choirs hearts. This is incredibly fulfilling, seeing first hand where money we raise from events and gigs, where it goes to help those who need it.
In order to make these choir sustainable and can live forever, we ask a monthly subscription which helps cover costs, all the way from venue hire to copyright for the amazing songs we perform, insurance, your Choir Leader’s time and expertise, and 24/7 access to our online resources. We always aim to keep our subscription costs as low as we can and we are obligated to re-invest any profit we do make back into the company, improving chorister experience and expanding our reach in the community. We run choirs 48 weeks of the year to ensure we are constantly providing support and fun for everyone. It is a subscription, and not a Direct Debit, to allow you more control over it as it will be linked to your card, rather than your bank account. This allows you to pause it if you are going away on holiday for a little while or unable to make choir for several weeks.
I hope this has helped answer any questions you have about joining a Choirs For Good choir, and help burst any bubbles of nerves you may have about starting a new hobby. It would be our pleasure to welcome you to our choirs and make you feel at home with us.
This is the best time of year to give is a go. So, what are you waiting for?!
If you have any other questions, please do email us at hello@choirsforgood.com. We will be happy to help in any way can.
The Choirs For Good Team