Members

Maintaining quality

We are all expected to ensure that we do as much as we can to ensure that the quality of singing is as high as it can be, as expected from a regional symphonic chorus. Members may use the advice about looking after the voice below, and can ask for a session with Maggie Our Voice Coach at any time.

Members with concerns about how well they are singing or about their ability to sing in concerts, for example because of health issues, should speak to their Voice Rep in the first instance – see Chorus contacts for contact details. A supportive session with Maggie is likely to be arranged at the first available opportunity.

Looking after your voice

There is lots of information on the internet about caring for your voice. Most experts agree that you should:

• Always warm up before singing
• Hydrate your vocal chords by drinking lots of water a good few hours before you sing
• Watch your posture – a “collapsed” posture limits breathing capacity and puts stress on laryngeal muscles
• Don’t over sing
• Get plenty of sleep and exercise.
• Use common sense when you’re sick – don’t sing over a cold, and avoid exposing other choir members to your germs

The links below may provide useful information about caring for your voice. The Chorus does not necessarily endorse the information to be found on these sites, which are merely provided as a starting point for member’s own research.

• How do singers protect their voices?
• British Voice Association – voice care articles
• Vocal health section of The Vocalist website
• NIDCD advice on taking care of your voice

Warming up

• Yawn-and-sigh: simply yawn (take in air) with your mouth closed, then breathe out through your nose as if you are sighing. This helps relax your voice and improve its range.
• Humming is a good vocal warm-up; it doesn’t strain your vocal cords. With the tip of the tongue behind the bottom front teeth, hum up and down a major scale with your mouth closed. To educe the strain on your voice, include the “h” sound on each note.
• Lip buzz (or lip trill): make a motorboat sound by making your lips vibrate as you blow air through your mouth and nose. You can incorporate pitch slides as well. You can also use the tongue trill if you can do it – rolling your R’s through your range from low to high.
• Make an “eeee” or “ohhhh” sound and gradually glide up and down through a two-octave chromatic scale.
• Siren: glide up and down to “oooo” from the lowest note of your range to the highest and back again.
• Singing Exercises for Choirs by voice part

Singing Lessons and Exercises

Singing Lessons for Adults from English Touring Opera

Singing Exercises for Choirs by voice part

Vocal Exercises (Maggie McDonald, 2020, with Rachel Fright)

• Interregnum Exercises 1
• Vocal Exercises 1
• Vocal Exercises 2
• Vocal exercises 3
• Vocal Exercises 4

Specific Vocal Exercises (Maggie McDonald, 2012)

• Guiding the sound  Word / PDF
• Resonance and placement exercises Word / PDF
• Quick technical reminders Word / PDF
• Technical route maps – Sopranos PDF

General Vocal Exercises (Maggie McDonald, 2010)

• Exercise 1
• Exercise 2
• Exercise 3
• Exercise 4
• Cooling Down Exercise

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2024-25

• Saturday 24 May 2025 – self funded Come and Sing in the Upper Chapel, English Anthems Toward the Unknown Region VW, I Was Glad and Blest Pair Sirens Parry and Faire is the Heaven 10.30 to 19.00. Darius conducting, Rachel Fright piano and Peter Shepherd organ. Refreshments and cake at break time (choir donations). Tickets for visiting singers now available online via SPC website (Singer tickets not needed for SPC members). Audience tickets are restricted due to the size of the Chorus – FREE but tickets are essential, get these online as well.
• Sunday 8 June 2025 4pm, Haydn Creation, Matthew Hamilton and the Halle at City Hall SICS*. Compulsory conductor rehearsal confirmed as Tuesday 27 May (Matthew not available Tue 3 June), on-the-day rehearsal times to be confirmed.

2025-26 – all but two dates have now been confirmed (see below)

• Saturday 1 November 2025, St Marie’s Cathedral – date confirmed
• Tuesday 9 December 2025, City Hall – to be confirmed
• Saturday 13 December 2025, 14.30, City Hall – date and time confirmed
• Sunday 14 December 2025, 2pm, cathedral, St Luke’s carol service – date and time confirmed
• Friday 6 February 2026, 19.00, City Hall – date and time confirmed
• Saturday in April – Come and Sing event – to be confirmed
• Friday 9 May 2026, Crookes Social Club, SPC Ceilidh plus Pie and Pea supper, date confirmed
• Sunday 7 June 2026, City Hall, 16.00 – date and time confirmed

*SICS = concert is part of the Sheffield International Concert Season

Resources for Come and Sing Choral Anthems 24 May 2025 and Haydn Creation 8 June 2025

Harris Faire is the Heaven

Faire is the Heaven YouTube with rolling score

Faire is the Heaven YouTube Voces 8

Faire is the Heaven – Choralia rehearsal tracks

Parry I Was Glad

I Was Glad You Tube recording with scrolling score

I Was Glad You Tube The Sixteen

I Was Glad Band Camp practise files

Parry A Blest Pair of Sirens

A Blest Pair of Sirens You Tube recording with scrolling score

A Blest Pair of Sirens You Tube St John’s Cambridge

A Blest Pair of Sirens Choralia practise files

Vaughan Williams Toward the Unknown Region

Towards the Unknown Region You Tube with rolling score

Towards the Unknown Region Choralia practise files

Haydn

Haydn Creation on YouTube

Haydn Creation voice part rehearsal tracks on Cyberbass

Haydn Creation voice part rehearsal tracks on Chord Perfect

Before rehearsals Get to know the score. For example, are there solo parts, does a particular voice part stop at any point, does the music divide at any point? Go through and make sure you know exactly which line you should be on, and mark where it isn’t clear. Clearly mark repeats and where they go back to a previous page; use a tab to easily find it. Have a look at where your note comes from for a new entry and join it to yours. Put tabs in for different sections of the piece to make them easier to find. Use paper clips to close off any sections that are going to be missed out.

During rehearsals Always bring a pencil. It is important to mark your score during a rehearsal,  and especially to record all the points provided by the Music Director. These are often compiled week-by-week by our Chairman Paul Henstridge into a very useful document. Click here for rehearsal resources (including Paul’s notes) from our previous concerts Mark all breaths. For staggered breathing take a whole beat out to take a proper breath. Mark where you are going to take it so you do it in the same place each time. This will help with learning. Make a note of any section that needs a little more work. Don’t rely on your memory.

More work at home Focus on the sections that you find difficult. Don’t try and get through it all every time, focus on small chunks and learn them well. Use rehearsal tracks (see below), a piano, or even your old descant recorder for the sections that need extra work. Read through the text in rhythm, especially for fast sections and when singing in a foreign language. This is just as important as learning the notes. It is very important to listen to a recording of the work; it will give you a good idea of the piece as a whole. You can use your score to help you sing along, or just listen to it as frequently as you can. You will find recordings of most classical works on YouTube or try the music streaming service Spotify.

Rehearsal tracks   Rehearsal tracks are designed to help you learn your voice part by listening to it in isolation and/or with the other voice parts in the background. Some are based on recorded singers and therefore include the words, while others feature the voice parts played on an instrument, so of course there are no words. You can purchase rehearsal tracks from Choraline, at choraline.com. These are great if you prefer to hear a recording of your voice part but they aren’t free. It costs £8.99 for a download, or £12.99 for a CD.  The Chorus has arranged a 10% discount for members; type SHEFFIELD in the discount code box on the shopping basket page, or say you’re a member of SPC if ordering over the telephone on 01285 644845. For just notes (no words) you could try:

• Choralia, for listening to, or downloading, mp3 files of your voice part; http://www.choralia.net/mp3catalogue.htm.
• John Fletcher’s site, which uses a clarinet to emphasis the voice part you select. Registration is free for works that are out of copyright; https://johnfletchermusic.org.
• Cyberbass, which has a huge catalogue and is free to use online; http://www.cyberbass.com.
• Learn Choral Music, which provides free Midi files; http://www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk.
• Divageek; not easy to search but has rehearsal resources for some lesser-known works, so worth a search; https://www.divageek.org/

If you have an IPad or IPhone there is an excellent App called ‘Learn my part’ by Steve Tyler; get it here. If you want to see what it offers and how to use it, have a look at this useful video.

Here you will find links to music, rehearsal tracks and recordings organised alphabetically by composer, plus Christmas.

The National Youth Choirs of Great Britain has produced a free online musicianship course to help singers improve their skills in rhythm, tonal centering, and intervals. Some of the video lesssons have worksheets or resources – find them at www.nycgb.org.uk/musicianship.

Vocal scores The Chorus Librarian, Els Pearse, hires vocal scores for members, which are loaned out in return for a small charge to cover the hire cost. Els often arranges bulk buys of popular vocal scores for members who wish to buy their own copies. Choraline has a huge library of scores which you can check out online; however, always check before buying a score so that you don’t waste money on the wrong edition.

Arrangements

Most chorus members are re-auditioned every three years.  The re-auditions are normally organised over three or four sessions in June and July.  They are conducted by voice part over a three-year period, ie, sopranos one year and altos the next, with tenors and basses in the third year.

Re-auditions are organised by the Membership Officer, who will contact everyone involved and ask them to sign up for their slots. People who are not able to attend during the main sessions will be accommodated at some other time, usually on a Saturday but sometimes immediately before or after a rehearsal.

Members who have not been heard after they have been called for re‑audition, may not sing in subsequent concerts without obtaining specific permission from the Music Director.

The re-auditions are held in various venues, often the same as the current rehearsal venue. A map and directions are provided at the time.

What to expect

Re-auditions usually consist of scales to establish if the vocal range has changed. Members will be asked to sing from something we are currently rehearsing or have recently performed. However, members who didn’t take part in the previous concert won’t be asked to sing a piece they haven’t rehearsed.

The real purpose of the re-auditions is to check that the voice is still in good condition, to see whether instructions re interpretation, pauses, breathing points etc have been taken on board, and to help our Music Director to choose a semi-chorus if necessary. Members will be told the outcome there and then, and given an explanation for the decision.

If any vocal problems are becoming apparent, the Music Director will explain them as best he can, and probably reduce the time between re-auditions to one year.  If the problems are more serious, members may be asked not to sing in the next concert and/or go for a session with our Voice Coach so she can advise the member and Darius on the best course of action, and whether a further audition will be necessary.

Darius is often asked at what age people should stop singing.  There is no general rule that can be applied: some voices are worn out by their early forties; a few last into the eighties.

For more detail about audition and re-auditions, please see the Chorus Rules

Preparation

Please refer to the general guidance and advice provided for chorus members at Preparing the Music and Preparing Your Voice.

Upcoming rehearsals

St Andrew’s Church Psalter Lane Sheffield. Scroll down to About SPC rehearsals for how to get there, parking etc.

Recordings and practice tracks at Members Area / Rehearsals / Preparing the Music

Pre-rehearsal workshop at 6.30 in the room behind the altar – through the doors at the front of church, forwards along the corridor to the room at the end. Contact Georgina Hulse if interested. Summer workshops: 6, 13, 20, 27 May

All members are welcome to congregate in The Stag after rehearsal, only a short walk from St Andrew’s. New members are particularly welcome so come along for a drink and a good natter.

Many thanks for your consideration regarding mobile ‘phone interruptions and distractions. Please nudge the person next to you if they get out their mobile during the rehearsal; it’s okay in emergencies of course but please leave the room.

Please note that the fine for non-return of music SPC has hired will be charged to those members whose music has not been returned, even if the member concerned passed their copy to a colleague to return in their absence. Sorry about this but non-returns continue to be an issue.

2024-25 – No rehearsal on 22 April due to the Easter holidays. Click here to access the Rehearsal Schedule 

About SPC Rehearsals

Rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9pm, from September through to July, at St Andrew’s Church, Psalter lane, Sheffield.

• For buses to St Andrew’s, see https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/.
• Car parking spaces available by arrangement with Jim Monach only
• Street parking for everyone else. Take bikes into the foyer.
• Toilets at front of church, through doors on either side, follow signs. Accessible toilet in the foyer.
• See map of the area at on the website, Members Area, Rehearsals

Rehearsal notes, rehearsal tracks, YouTube recordings and advice about preparing at home are at Preparing the Music. 

Advice about looking after your voice is at  Preparing Your Voice.

Access by car – there is no car parking on site; however there is plenty of street parking. Those with mobility issues can apply for a space in the small car park by arrangement with Jim Monach.

Access by Bus –  see https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/.

Emergency Evacuation – On hearing the fire alarm, vacate the building via the nearest exit.  Assemble in the street but away from the building. If you discover a fire, press the nearest alarm.

Attendance requirement

Please note that, in order to uphold the very highest standards, Darius would prefer each member to commit to each one of our official concerts  in any given season, wherever possible. The training provided each week is cumulative and designed to help the choir continuously improve the standard of singing, irrespective of the upcoming concert and the work to be performed. He can teach the choir particular points of singing technique just once, knowing that we will be able to bring them into play in future performances of other works where necessary. He therefore expects members to do their very best to attend every rehearsal, even if they are unable to sing in a particular concert.  He prefers those unable to sing in a concert NOT to attend the compulsory piano/conductor’s rehearsal so that he and/or the visiting conductor can hear what the Chorus will sound like on the day.

Committing to each concert is a good way of supporting colleagues so that there’s always a full complement of singers, especially for less well-known or more challenging works, rather than relying on a core group of singers.

However, illness and family or work life do sometimes get in the way, so people who can’t attend every rehearsal are not prevented from singing in concerts. However, we do need to maintain standards, and those who have missed around a quarter of rehearsals will not be able to sing in the concert – and they MUST attend the conductor’s piano rehearsal (usually held on the Tuesday before the concert) and the final (orchestral) rehearsal (usually held on the day of the concert).

Members should ideally keep an eye on their own attendance to ensure they qualify to sing, but if you are not sure whether you have attended enough rehearsals please contact your Voice Rep (addresses below). Your Voice Rep should in any case contact you if your attendance is dropping significantly.

There is no need to send apologies if you have to miss a rehearsal; non-attendance will be taken as an apology. However please tell your Voice Rep if you are unable to attend a particular concert. But, as noted above, you are still encouraged to continue to attend all rehearsals except the final conductor’s rehearsal – and as stated above, it is hoped that most members will commit to all the concerts in any given season, and to all the relevant rehearsals.

By the time the compulsory conductor’s piano rehearsal comes round, we are expected to have mastered the works so that the conductor can concentrate on interpretation. This requires members to:

• mark their copies with all instructions that the Music Director has provided over the rehearsal period
• do a certain amount of rehearsing at home; you will find information and advice, including links to rehearsal tracks, on our Preparing the Music page.
• look after their voice; for information and advice, including vocal exercises and warm-ups, at Preparing your Voice

Singing lists are generated in the final weeks before a concert and include every member who has not sent their apologies AND has attended, or is on track to attend, at least 75% of rehearsals OR has been given special exceptional permission to sing (see below). Members with low attendance will be contacted before the singing is generated.

If you discover you have not attended enough rehearsals to be included on the singing list, please speak to your Voice Rep (see list below) who will contact the Membership Officer Marianne Grayson, to seek permission to sing. Marianne has some discretion, but if you fall outside this she will contact Darius on your behalf. Please make sure you make your appeals via your Voice Rep rather than going to someone else – and especially don’t appeal directly to Darius as he doesn’t have easy access to attendance records.

Please register your attendance at all rehearsals, scanning in with your membership card at the register desk on arrival. If for some reason you are unable to do this, please sign the sheet on the desk so that your rehearsal attendance record can be maintained accurately. However, please try not to forget your card, as these manual sign-ins create extra work.

Voice Reps

Voice Reps will follow up anyone who has been attending but is at risk of falling below 75% and has not sent concert apologies.

Voice Reps are also the people to consult for anything else: questions, suggestions, comments, feedback and complaints.

Anyone who wishes to see their attendance record may do so at any time, by request to their Voice Rep in the first instance.

For a list of all the Voice reps, please go to Chorus contacts

Compulsory Rehearsals

There are usually at least two compulsory rehearsals.

• The piano rehearsal or conductor’s rehearsal. This is the first opportunity for the visiting conductor to hear how the chorus sounds and it is obviously vital that everyone on the singing list is present. It is also the opportunity for the conductor, whether visiting or our own Music Director, to put his or her own interpretation on the performance and to check compatibility with the orchestra and soloists. It is often held on the Tuesday immediately before the concert, but may sometimes be the previous week. All rehearsals designated as piano rehearsals on the rehearsal schedule are by their nature compulsory.
• The orchestral/band or ‘tutti’ rehearsal. This is often the only opportunity for all the performers to rehearse together, so everyone must be present. For Saturday concerts the tutti rehearsal is almost always held on the afternoon of the concert; members are generally required at the venue – usually the City Hall of course – from 2pm for two hours. For Friday concerts it is often held one evening in the week before the concert, and is not usually in Sheffield, but in the city or town where the orchestra is based. For example, when singing with the Hallé on a Friday, the compulsory orchestral rehearsal is at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on an evening of the week before the concert; for the Royal Northern Sinfonia the venue is the Sage in Gateshead. The chorus provides coaches to these compulsory rehearsals, financed from Chorus funds.
• Absence from one or more of the compulsory rehearsals  means that special approval to sing in the concert must be obtained from the Music Director; applications should be made via the Voice Reps.
• Although Darius encourages everyone to come to all rehearsals, whether they are able take part in a concert or not, he asks those not able to sing in any particular concert not to attend the compulsory rehearsal(s) so that he and/or the visiting conductor can hear the Chorus as it will sound on the night.

Arrangements for Come and Sing on Saturday 24 May 2025

Downloadable copy for printing: TO BE ADDED

• Venue is Upper Chapel, Norfolk St, Sheffield S1 2JD
• Finding the chapel – see https://www.upperchapelsheffield.org.uk/contact/unitarian-church-location-directions.php
• Public transport – see  https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/ 
• Parking in town: Parking for those less mobile by advanced arrangement with Jim Monach. Public car parks and street parking for everyone else – use public transport if you can.  https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/parking/city-centre-car-parking
• Programme: English Anthems Toward the Unknown Region VW, I Was Glad and Blest Pair Sirens Parry and Faire is the Heaven
• Entry and registration: There are two doors into the Upper Chapel; choir members will be directed to enter via one of them and visitors via the other so please follow instructions on arrival. Registration in the foyer. You’ll be issued with a name label, visiting singers will get one too, in a different colour.
• Start time: 10.00 registration, start 10.30 – so we’ll need to get signed in and take our seats quickly. The chapel will be open from 9.30.
• Seating:  Visitors will be seated alongside the choir, so please be as welcoming as possible – as you usually are. Visitor name badges will be a different colour so you’ll be able to spot them! Seating probably in two choir formation, as in rehearsals. APPROXIMATE SEATING PLAN TO BE ADDED
• Dress code – no dress code, wear comfortable clothes, no large bags please!
• Toilets– Through the two doors at the front of the chapel (one left, one right), then follow signs. Accessible toilet – TO BE ADDED
• Dressing rooms: Please keep bags to a minimum and either keep them at your seat, or possibly in the cupboard at the back of the Hollis Room where refreshments will be served – please follow directions on the day.
• Music– no need for SPC black folders.
• Workshop etiquette
  • No after-shave/perfume to avoid breathing problems, especially for those with allergies.
  • Follow instructions especially from Darius. We want to appear friendly and welcoming but also professional and disciplined.
• Refreshments at break:
  • We will provide free tea/coffee/juice and cake for the morning and afternoon breaks in the Hollis Room which is through the doors at the front of the chapel on either side of the stage. Please use the left hand door to get to the Hollis Room, and return via the other, to reduce blockages. More time will be allowed than last year and Upper Chapel have promised us flasks and another boiler, so the breaks shouldn’t be as frenetic!
  • We will be using fully disposable paper cups (no plastic at all) but if you have a re-useable cup please bring it as that’s even better for the environment.
  • Helen’s team will organise the drinks, but we’re relying on the choir’s generosity for the cakes. However, please only bring enough for two people, and no savouries, just cake. Preferably something that can easily be eaten with a napkin, nothing requiring cutlery. Many thanks for your generosity.
• Lunch and tea: not provided, either take a packed meal (which you can eat in the chapel) or eat out in the city centre – there are lots of good places nearby. Note that the chapel doesn’t allow alcohol on the premises.
• Health and safety information:
  • Do not attend if you have symptoms of Covid, flu, a heavy cold or uncontrollable cough
  • Please take your own drinks in unbreakable vessels; store and carry hot drinks safely
  • Keep belongings out of thoroughfares
  • Take care when using stairs and steps
• Evacuation instructions: In the event of an emergency, follow the directions of marshals and leave in an orderly fashion.  Do not try to retrieve belongings.

Finding your way around the City Hall

Copy of the rest of this page for printing: Finding your way round the City Hall

Please stick to the prescribed areas so that we don’t compromise the City Hall’s fire safety arrangements and make life difficult for front of house and technical staff. This particularly applies to toilets; the concert arrangements will make clear which toilets we can use and any others, which we might use on other occasions, are likely to be locked. Many thanks.

Getting in and out and registration

• Chorus members usually enter via the Stage Door, which is down a set of steps towards the right hand side of the back of the City Hall; press the white button on the right if locked.
• We are sometimes asked to enter via the main entrance at the front, in which case we register at desks just inside the entrance.
• Registration is sometimes by the Stage Door; this is very cramped so try to move away as soon as you can.
• Registration is often at desks on the production corridor. From the Stage Door go through the double doors just past the stairs and carry straight on; the production corridor is through another set of double doors on the right.
• Registration is often on sheets, sometimes via membership cards; be prepared for either.
• If wristbands are provided please wear one and keep it on all day. It signifies that you have signed in and do not need a bag or ticket check (though a few random checks are sometimes conducted) and you may encounter difficulties without  it.
• If you leave the building after initially registering, exit via the Stage Door, signing out as you go. This is most important, otherwise, emergency services would search for you (in vain) should the building have to be evacuated during your absence.
• Re-enter by the Stage Door NOT the main entrance.
• The Stage Door staff usually put up signs just inside the Stage Door; all the staff are very friendly and helpful, so just ask if you get lost.

Dressing rooms  – the rooms we are allocated vary from concert to concert.

• North and/or South Hall; these are large rooms in the City Hall basement, adjacent to the Ballroom. Lots of space, and a mirror, chairs and bins are usually provided.
• To get to the basement dressing rooms from the main entrance, take the lift from the foyer all the way to the bottom. Or walk along the curved corridor behind the auditorium in the direction of the stage, then through the double doors. Continue forwards, passing through three sets of double doors to reach the stairs going down to the basement.
• To get to the basement from the Stage Door, go through the double doors just past the stairs and carry straight on through another two sets of double doors until you reach the stairs down to the basement.
• Vincent Harris suite – up the stairs nearest to the Stage Door, then up the next flight and on the corridor at the top. When the whole choir shares the two suites it’s extremely cramped and it may be best to arrive at the City Hall already wearing concert dress.
• Barbirolli suite – in a similar position but at the other side of the stage: through the double doors just past the Stage Door stairs and carry straight on through another set of double doors, up the stairs and the next flight up and onto the corridor at the top. A longer walk from the Stage Door and very cramped when the whole choir is up there.
• Dressing Room 4 – for those with mobility limitations, and people who need to be close to the stage (eg to switch on Christmas lights, organise sherry etc). It is at platform level up the stairs nearest to the Stage Door.
• Jugs of water are sometimes provided but not always, so it’s best to take your own.
• People can eat packed teas in their dressing rooms but please leave spaces as you found them and take your rubbish home. We are usually given permission to eat tea at balcony level when this isn’t being sold to the public.

Getting on stage

• There isn’t much space on stage for bags and coats, so it’s best to take these to the dressing room before going on stage for the rehearsal. Allow a good 10 to 15 minutes to get there and back in time if using the basement dressing rooms.
• To get to the stage from the Stage Door, sopranos and tenors go up the stairs near the Stage Door and take the first right turn through the door onto the stage. Altos and basses go through the double doors near the stairs and straight on through another set of double doors, then up the stairs on the right; the stage entrance is first left.
• However you may take the most direct route onto the stage, even if this takes you onto the wrong side. It’s better to cross the stage in front of the organ if that’s quicker and more direct.
• The entrance doors onto the stage have a heavy curtain which is needed to filter out backstage noise, so always make sure these are drawn closed if it’s nearly time to start. Similarly, if you’re last in, make sure you close the doors – gently so they don’t make a noise.
• Going down the riser steps can be very noisy, so if you’re arriving while the orchestra or soloists are rehearsing or during the pre-concert talk, please enter quietly and sit in the organ seats for the time being.

Toilets

• There are toilets in the basement corridors and in the corridors at Stage Door level.
• There is a fully accessible toilet on the corridor near the stairs to the Stage left (alto and bass) stage entrance
• There is a toilet in Dressing Room 3; please be mindful of the fact that it may be in use by a chorus member who uses a wheelchair.
• We always ask that toilets be unlocked; please report to the Administrator or Rehearsals and Events Officer if you find them locked.
• We also ask for the auto-locks on the doors from backstage to the auditorium are switched off, so that you can use the nearest auditorium toilets. However, there is no guarantee of this and if they lock you will face a long walk back round the outside of the building and in via the Stage Door.

The concert itself

Entry onto the stage

• Take your places on the stage informally, in your own time, remembering that you are in full view of the audience.
• Please don’t wave at friends in the audience.
• If you are happy with the long wait, you can start to take your on-stage seat half an hour before the concert.
• Please be in your seat, with your music, ten minutes before the concert start time at the latest.
• If you know you will arrive at the last minute (ie 10 mins before) please sit near the edge rather than in the middle.

Stage seating

• Our Concerts and Rehearsal Officer organises seating and a seating plan is usually circulated the week before the concert, with copies available on the day.
• Seats are unallocated within each voice part, and your seat for the compulsory rehearsal is your place for the concert.
• Please sit in voice part blocks in accordance with the seating plan, with tall people towards the back and edges of the risers and on the organ seats if we are using them.
• Choir members with mobility limitations should sit either on the organ risers or on the back row – please follow instructions at the rehearsal.
• Be prepared to move if asked.
• A special plea – can members please stick to the seating plan and not alter it to be able to sit with friends, especially where this isolates colleagues from other voice parts, which is very disconcerting at the best of times but especially so given the City Hall’s dry acoustic.
• Please be in position on the stage for the compulsory rehearsal no later than 5 minutes before the start time – 10 minutes is better.

 Getting off stage and out of the building

• File off stage row by row, starting at the back and intermingling with those in the organ seats; move as quickly as you can.
• Move along corridors etc as quickly as you can so you don’t create a blockage – chat about how great it was when you reach the dressing room!
• Check that you have everything with you if you are going straight home.
• Leave via any exit, and there’s no need to sign out.

Car parking

The City Hall has an arrangement with Q Parks, see https://www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk/Q-Park-Rockingham-Street.

In Conversation

Trisha Cooper almost always has an on-stage ‘In Conversation’ session with the conductor or a member of the orchestra or a soloist, before the concert at 18.00 in the main concert hall. Members of the chorus can attend this session, which is usually very interesting and often provides an insight into the composer and the music or the way the conductor plans to interpret it. There’s no talk before the Christmas carol concert(s).

Health and safety

• Do not attend the concert if you have symptoms of Covid, flu or a heavy cold or uncontrollable cough.
• Don’t use breakable vessels in dressing rooms; store and carry hot drinks safely.
• No drinks on stage during the performance, even in bottles – the thud if they fall down from the risers will be very loud!
• Keep belongings out of thoroughfares, especially in restricted areas.
• Take care when using the stairs and steps to the stage.
• In the event of an emergency, a continuous alarm will be sounded, and we will be directed out to the war memorial on Barker’s Pool (fire) or to Devonshire Green (bomb). Follow the directions of marshals and leave in an orderly fashion.  Do not try to retrieve belongings.

Discount for Choir Clothing

Making Music is offering members a discount for the black performance clothing available online via this link. The clothes are crease resistant and designed for performance comfort and breathability. The discount code is makingm10.

Listen to Rachmaninov piano duet played by Darius (attachment) July 2020

Darius has been unable to get to an organ during the lock-down, so to keep his hand in on the piano he’s been playing the final two movements of the Rachmaninov Suite for Two Pianos (playing both parts). If you’d like to listen to the result, he’s recorded them:

• Romance from Duet for Two Pianos Rachmaninov
• Tarantelle from Duet for Two Pianos Rachmaninov

You can also listen to the recording of the new brass arrangement of the soprano aria ‘How Beautiful Are the Feet‘ from Handel’s Messiah. The new arrangement is one of three from Messiah that Darius has put together during the lock-down. Soprano Catrin Pryce-Jones was to have performed Messiah with us in April, and was happy to make the recording with Black Dyke Band, all performing from their own homes during lock-down. You can listen to it on the public area of the website: Listen to How Beautiful Are the Feet