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Warm up those vocal chords
COME September, north London is alive again with the sound of amateur choirs and choral societies rehearsing for autumn and Christmas concerts.
There’s a veritable plethora to suit all tastes, broadly falling into two camps.
Auditions are needed to join choirs like the highly reputable Camden Choir, Highgate Choral Society and the Crouch End Festival Chorus.
But good choirs don’t necessarily have to be made up of proficient singers. Inexperienced novice singers can surprise themselves (and others) after joining choirs founded on “no audition” policies.
Among their number are such choirs as the London Bulgarian Choir, Nossa Voz Brazilian Choir, Pink Singers, NatWest Chorus, Diversity Choir and the Life & Mission Choir.
Here’s a trio of good “no audition” choirs keen to recruit anyone willing to turn up regularly for rehearsals and devote the time needed for note-bashing at home.
North Camden Chorus – Formed about 30 years ago, this friendly choir of about 70 people has Ian Gibson, assistant director of music and a year head at University College School, Hampstead, as musical director.
Two concerts a year are held at
St Mary Brookfield church on Dartmouth Park Road. Rehearsals start on Tuesday at William Ellis School on Highgate Road for early December performances of Haydn’s Te Deum and Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on Christmas Carols.
To join, just turn up at one of the Tuesday evening rehearsals, 7.15pm start, over the next three weeks.
Per-term sub is £30. www.ncchorus.org.uk
Royal Free Music Society – Originally formed in 1995 and now numbering around 40, the choir is harbouring ambitions to grow and develop. Music director Andrew Rochford goes to great lengths to help members become more proficient singers, not just able to cope with each performance.
The next concert includes Haydn’s Harmoniemesse, and will take place at at St Mark’s Church, Regent’s Park, on October 11. After that, anyone wanting to join should turn up at the Royal Free at 7pm on Thursday October 23, when rehearsals for the Christmas concert get under way. The sub rate is modest at £45 a year. www.rfms.org
Barts Choir – Now numbering more than 300 members, the St Bartholomew’s Hospital Choral Society has grown to become much the largest amateur choir in London. Music director is Kentish Town resident Ivor Setterfield, widely known for the Singing Estate television series where he turned novice singers into concert performers and for mentoring GOLDIE in this autumn’s Maestro conductor series.
Around 40 children at Fleet School are being recruited for the children’s choir needed for Carl Orf’s Carmina Burana to be sung at the Royal Albert Hall in mid-November. In addition, Barts Choir is sponsoring the formation of an adult choir by the South End Green Association for Carmina Burana.
Anyone relishing the chance of singing in the Royal Albert Hall should go along to the City Temple any Monday, 6.45pm start. Per-term sub is £40, concs £20, £5 early payment discount. www.bartschoir.com
Sebastian Taylor |
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