Joining the Croydon Bach Choir
Becoming a Member of the Croydon Bach Choir
We are always delighted to receive applications for membership of the choir in time for the start of a new term, and we currently have vacancies in all voice parts. We welcome prospective new members at any level, from those who are less experienced to seasoned singers.
Whilst previous singing experience and good sight-reading skills are advantageous, an accurate singing voice with a pleasant tone quality and a good musical ear are more important. We would also love to work with, and support, newcomers to choral music.
Although we rehearse and hold most of our concerts in St Matthew's Church, we are not a religious or church choir; we are a classical choral society open to all singers and we have no religious affiliations. However, much of our repertoire, in common with that of the majority of classical choral societies, does include many beautiful sacred works, but we perform these works as concerts in their own right rather than as part of liturgical events. Our belief is that the sublimity of the music itself transcends any religious beliefs.
Many of the works we sing are either in Latin or German, so a good grasp of the pronunciation of these languages - or a willingness to learn - is essential.
In order to maintain the choir's high standards, our music director may give new applicants a simple voice test. Once accepted into the choir, members are expected to make a commitment to attend rehearsals regularly and to perform at all our main concerts.
We ask that members take individual responsibility to ensure they thoroughly learn their parts in the works we are performing - undertaking additional private study as necessary - so that they are able to take part in our concerts confidently and to make a positive contribution to the standard of the choir. We can recommend recorded resources to help with learning notes, if any members should require that.
We have no upper age limit; however, for reasons of safeguarding, we can only accept applications from singers of 19 years of age and upwards.
When and Where to Find Us
We rehearse on Wednesday evenings between 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm from September until June at:
St Matthew's Church, Chichester Road, Croydon CR0 5NQ
We hold three open rehearsals a season, and we invite prospective members to come along and sing with us for one evening without commitment before deciding whether to apply to join. Dates for open rehearsals are advertised a few weeks in advance on the home page of our website and on social media.
Membership Subscription
We charge a subscription fee of £70 per term.
We can offer full-time students of any age a substantially reduced membership fee.
For members who are on a low income and would find the full subscription prohibitive, we may be able to offer an appropriate reduction.
To Apply to Join or for Further Information
To apply to join the Croydon Bach Choir, click on the button below and complete the application form in the link.
If you have any questions about membership of the Croydon Bach Choir or would like to attend an open rehearsal before applying to join, please contact:
membership@croydonbachchoir.org