Members’ Frequently Asked Questions

WHO’S WHO at SHEFFIELD PHILHARMONIC CHORUS

COMMUNICATIONS

FINANCE

REHEARSALS

CONCERTS

MUSIC SCORES

MEMBERSHIP AND ATTENDANCE

  • I can’t make a concert, who do I tell, and when? Tell your Voice Rep, copying Membership Officer, by email, AS SOON AS YOU KNOW YOU CAN’T MAKE IT, even if you are not attending rehearsals
  • I can’t make a rehearsal, who do I tell? We do not ask for rehearsal apologies (they are not recorded) UNLESS it’s a compulsory rehearsal, in which case, tell your voice rep. If you are likely to be away for an extended period, please tell your Voice Rep, so that you are not contacted about your non-attendance
  • I don’t know whether I’ve done enough rehearsals to be eligible to sing in the concert. You should keep track of your own attendance but if you’re not sure ask your Voice Rep, who has a record of your weekly attendance, and knows how strictly the requirements are likely to be applied, which may vary depending on the repertoire.
  • My attendance has dropped below the requirement, or I have to miss a compulsory rehearsal. Can I be considered for exceptional permission to sing? Email Membership Officer, , copying your Voice Rep. These requests will go to Darius as a group, and considered in the context of the singing list, the individual singer’s musical abilities and the repertoire. The reason you have missed rehearsals – which may be entirely beyond your control – is not relevant to the decision: excluding you from singing in concerts is not punishment for non-attendance. While we are of course sympathetic to any difficulties you may be facing, decisions about concert eligibility are made purely on musical grounds.
  • I can’t sing in the concert, am I still welcome at rehearsals? Yes! Not just welcome, expected and warmly encouraged to continue to attend rehearsals to benefit from the musical training involved, to keep singing, and to support those around you. We just ask that you don’t attend the conductor’s rehearsal
  • I have a question about my re-audition. Membership Officer,
  • I forgot to sign in. Really? Again? (You know who you are…)

VOICE REPS

  • I have an issue relating to my attendance at rehearsals, to my membership of the choir or my personal circumstances. Your first port of call should be your Voice Rep. See WHO’S WHO (link at top of this page) or Chorus contacts for contact details

MEMBERS’ REPS ON COMMITTEE

  • I have an idea or issue relating to the way the choir is run, or to concerts, which I’d like to raise with the committee. Consult one of the Member Reps on the committee. See WHO’S WHO (link at top of this page) or Chorus contacts for contact details

SOCIAL

MP3 rehearsal tracks

White, Cassie

Member Reps on Trustee Board

Current Member reps are Rebecca Hutton, Anita McKay, Annie Park, Patricia Wake and Alexandra Walton.

Summary: Represent members’ concerns and support the Trustees

Skills and qualities required: good interpersonal skills, tact, reliability, empathy, initiative

  • Liaise between the members and the Board of Trustees, representing Members’ opinions to the Committee
  • Respond to queries from members.
  • Actively contribute to Trustee Board Meetings and the running of the charity
  • Take on projects or tasks delegated by the Committee in support of the membership
  • Support choir events as necessary

Each Member Representative serves for 3 consecutive years and then must stand down to enable another member of the Chorus to stand, thereby ensuring that Board membership is refreshed on a regular basis.

Member Reps are different from Voice Reps:

Member Reps

  • Become trustees and help to run the charity
  • Serve as trustees for three years only
  • Attend trustee (committee) meetings
  • Share member concerns and suggestions at trustee meetings
  • Do not handle membership queries
  • Don’t track member attendance etc

Voice Reps

  • Do not become trustees
  • Can serve for as few or as many years as they wish
  • Do not attend trustee committee meetings
  • Are not responsible for sharing concerns and suggestions with trustees
  • Respond to queries from members
  • Warn members if attendance is falling too low

 

STAIR-CLIMBER TEAM

The current team is made up of Patrick Callaghan, Rachel Mallaband, Kate Reece and Corey Wood.

The team, led by the Rehearsals and Events Manager, operates the C-max stair climber for concerts at the City Hall.  The climber was purchased by the Chorus in 2012 to enable wheelchair users to get from the ground floor backstage to Dressing Room 3 at stage level, enabling them to take part in concerts.

The team organises itself for each concert, deciding who will operate the climber on both “up” and “down” phases, and who will act as back-up.

The stair climber must only be operated by trained personnel. All our team members are trained and receive regular refresher training, most recently in 2024.

Kate Reece received extra training from the stair climber company in 2024, to enable her to provide refresher training to the team and to train new members.

The City Hall has kindly agreed to store the stair climber in their basement store, and to take it up to ground level prior to each choral concert.

Stair climber instructions

Link to product website

Link to News item about the stair-climber purchase.

TRUSTEES

The Chorus is run by a committee of trustees which is elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting, which is usually held in October (previously November).  The Trustees meet approximately six times a year to organise and run the charity, ensuring it meets legislative requirements and has sufficient funds to fulfil its purpose as agreed with the Charities Commission. Trustees receive a Trustee Pack which includes guidance documents produced by the Charity Commission to help them understand and meet their responsibilities; some of this is reproduced below.

Any member can stand as a Member Representative on the Trustee Board, and will likely be appointed at the AGM if there is a vacancy.

Any member of the Chorus can attend any of the trustee meetings and should inform the Chair if they wish to do this. They can take an active part in the meeting or just observe; however they may not vote. Meeting dates are listed on all agendas and minutes of previous meetings, see Committee Minutes

Trustees must do the following:

It would be helpful for Trustees to:

Trustees would be even more effective were they to:

The Charity Commission has created a series of short video guides for trustees, see Charity Commission 5 minute video guides

For a list of who our current trustees are, see Our Trustees

VOICE REPRESENTATIVES

Summary: support the Membership Officer, and members, through close knowledge of members of each voice section

Skills and qualities required: good interpersonal skills, tact, reliability, empathy

  • liaise between members and the Membership Officer / MD
  • explain to members about to fall off the singing list for a concert, that they can put their case to the MD via the Membership Officer otherwise will not be able to take part in the concert
  • remind members of the attendance requirement as set out in the Chorus Rules
  • get to know each member of the section from the moment they pass their initial audition and are sent the ‘welcome to the Chorus’ email (Voice Rep is copied in)
  • be the conduit for information about the Chorus or for access to any Chorus official to resolve any problem which might arise
  • check the singing list / MAR sheet on a regular basis, to note any member whose attendance is falling
  • warn members whose attendance is close to the 75% minimum
  • inform Membership Officer of any errors in the attendance record highlighted by members
  • inform the Membership Officer of factors that may affect member attendance, eg pending surgery, maternity leave etc
  • advise members of any breaches of the dress code

Voice Reps are different from Member Reps:

Voice Reps

  • Respond to queries from members
  • Warn members if attendance is falling too low
  • Can serve for as few or as many years as they wish
  • Do not become trustees
  • Do not attend trustee (committee) meetings
  • Are not responsible for sharing concerns and suggestions with trustees

Member Reps

  • Do not handle membership queries
  • Don’t track member attendance etc
  • Serve for three years only
  • Become trustees and help to run the charity
  • Attend trustee (committee) meetings
  • Share member concerns and suggestions at trustee (committee) meetings

Archivist

Role currently held by alto Penny Webster. Not a trustee.

Summary: preserve archive material and make it available on request. Not a trustee

Skills and qualities required: good organisation, reliability, ability to ensure items are gathered for each event, and to store materials at home.

Main duties:

  • Save copies of concert programmes, newspaper articles and other such printed material relating to the Chorus
  • Organise materials in a suitable manner, eg by date and type
  • Store materials in a suitable manner, eg display albums, box files, plastic boxes etc.
  • Make the materials available to trustees on request, eg, for exhibition at special events.

NB. The Sheffield Archive at 52 Shoreham Street, Sheffield also contains material relating to the Chorus, but this can not be retrieved; once donated, items must remain in the archive. Individuals may view the archives on request; advance notice will need to be given and you may need to register beforehand as a reader. See https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries-archives/access-archives-local-studies-library

Making Music Representative

Role undertaken by Anne Adams.

Main duties

  • Receive and forward the Making Music newsletters and information alerts to trustees.
  • Provide access to the Making Music website to those Chorus members who request it.

EDUCATION and OUTREACH OFFICER

Role currently held by soprano Georgina Hulse who is also a trustee.

Summary: seek out and/or provide opportunities for members of the Chorus and of the wider local community to improve their musical knowledge

Skills and qualities required: excellent musical knowledge and interpersonal skills, good communication, organisation and reliability