When and where do you rehearse
We rehearse on Tuesday evening from 7.30 – 10pm in St Andrews Church, 59 Albert Road, Caversham RG4 7PL. Map. We have a short break for refreshments and notices at about 8.30pm.
What is the joining process
First get in touch with our membership secretary, Cathy Carr, at membership@readingbachchoir.org.uk. If you both agree that the choir might be right for you, you will be invited to come to a couple of rehearsals to try us out with no obligation. Thereafter, if you want to keep going, our Music Director will schedule a short audition for you and hopefully you then become a member.
What happens at the audition
The audition to join the choir takes place with the Music Director and an accompanist. It is around 5 minutes and starts with some vocal exercises such as scales. Then you will be asked to sing a short prepared piece followed by some sight reading. The audition will usually take place either before a rehearsal or during the break.
Is the choir regularly re-auditioned
In order to maintain our high standards, the choir is re-auditioned regularly. You can expect this to happen every 3 years. The format is broadly the same as the joining audition. You may be asked to sing a passage from a piece we have recently performed in addition to a prepared piece of your choice.
New members are re-auditioned after one year with the choir after which they join the regular re-audition cycle.
What size is the choir
The choir is about 50 singers.
How much is the annual subscription to be a member of the choir
The annual subscription is £255 for the 2023/24 season. This can be paid in instalments and there may be a reduced rate for students and those less well off. Please discuss this with us.
Do you pay for music
Yes we do. We each order what we need from our librarian and he then sources the music for us. If it is a programme of varied pieces, the cost usually works out at around £10 - £20 per concert. Some pieces may be available to hire rather than buy. Our Music Director is conscious of costs when deciding what we sing.
Do I need to sing in every concert
We assume that if you want to join the choir, you want to sing in our concerts! However, from time to time, a date may clash and missing the occasional concert is OK.
Do I need to attend every rehearsal
You are expected to attend most rehearsals but you can miss the occasional one. Your voice representative records attendance. If you are not singing in a particular concert, you are still welcome to attend rehearsals but our Music Director may ask you not to come to the final few sessions.
Does the choir socialise
Yes we do. Our social secretary organises 'get togethers' such as a dinner, a country walk followed by pub lunch and an annual summer party. When we tour, as we have done several times in recent years, there are plenty of opportunities for socialising.
Hopefully these answers explain enough about the workings of the choir if you are thinking of joining us. A full set of 'choir rules' exists with some more detail and we would be happy to send these to you on request. Please contact membership@readingbachchoir.org.uk
