I don’t read music very well – will I cope?
There is a lot of camaraderie within the sections of the choir and you will find your fellow singers very supportive. You are part of a team, after all.
There is a little “note bashing” at the beginning of a new piece which many people are singing for the first time. However, we very quickly move on to singing technique, interpretation and dynamics, so some work at home is required. Tuition tapes are available for many of the more difficult pieces and lots of people use them and find them invaluable.
If you don’t feel confident with reading music, we usually offer extra support in the form of free workshops which are run over a number of weeks. Workshops are at our usual rehearsal venue and run from 6:30pm – 6.55pm, following which you join the main rehearsal with the support of an existing Chorus member. For details of forthcoming workshops, contact Sally Turnbull, our New Members Officer, on 0143 363 0970 or 07771 578233 or email sing@SheffieldPhil.org.
I’m an experienced singer and musician; will I enjoy being part of such a large choir or will I find the learning period tedious?
We have a number of people in the same position, drawn by the high standard of the choir, the beautiful music we perform and the opportunity to sing with orchestras such as the Hallé and the BBC Philharmonic, or work under the direction of great conductors. It is hard not to enjoy the leadership of such wonderful musicians, and every concert is unique and unforgettable.
We perform a number of concerts during the season and are often rehearsing more than one piece at a time so rehearsals are far from dull. We don’t spend much time note-bashing – we very quickly move on to technique and interpretation. Even those who know a work well have lots to learn as we focus on how the conductor wants the work to sound. We also have to work quite hard with technique as the City Hall’s extremely dry acoustic means that the work can’t be sung in the same way as in concert halls where projection and clarity are less crucial.
Many of our members sing with other choirs and are equally loyal to both. A few have soloist roles elsewhere.
I have a disability – will that be a disadvantage?
We aim to prevent discrimination and promote equality and diversity for people from all the protected characteristic groups (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation), so having a disability should not in itself prevent you from joining and thriving in our choir. Your ability to sing to a high standard is what matters, though of course you will also need to maintain a good level of attendance and be able to use a vocal score in high quality public performances at the City Hall.
Most scores can be translated into Braille, see the UK Association for Accessible Formats. We have had wheelchair-bound members for some years, purchasing a stair climber to enable all members to access the choir seating at the City Hall, where stairs onto the stage has no lift (all other areas of the City Hall have lift access).
I’d like to join, but I just don’t have the time. What is the commitment?
The expectation is that everyone will do their best to attend every rehearsal where possible, to make sure the Chorus sings at the very highest standard we can muster. We also expect members to give their support to the entire season, ie, to commit to every concert wherever possible. In this way, members can support their fellow singers rather than relying on a central core of voices, and ensure that all our audiences see and hear us at our finest no matter what our tastes in choral music might be!
However, not everyone is able to attend absolutely every rehearsal – though we do have members with 100% attendance records! The majority of members have families or work or caring responsibilities, and anyone can fall ill. In general, we try to be flexible, and people who’ve missed rehearsals can appeal to our Music Director via their Voice Rep; he exercises some discretion in this respect.
However, people whose attendance rates have fallen to unacceptable levels (eg 75%) or who miss the conductor’s piano rehearsal are very rarely allowed to perform in the upcoming concert.
The season runs from September to June, so members aren’t required over the summer months, unless they’ve opted for a mini tour to other parts of the UK or over to Europe.
Can I come along and give it a try?
Yes, come to any rehearsal you like. You may prefer to wait until we are beginning a new piece so that you hear us all struggling together! Coming for the first time to a rehearsal where we are very familiar with a work can sometimes be a bit off-putting! You can read more about rehearsals at Rehearsals
Is there an audition?
Whilst we all appreciate that you might be a bit nervous, an audition is the normal way for a Music Director to assess the standard of your singing and to see if our Chorus is right for you. We try to make the audition fairly short and as relaxed as possible.
Sight singing is not tested – you’ll be asked to sing some scales and a short accompanied piece of your choice.
All members of the chorus have been through the audition and we want to support and encourage new members. Rest assured it is not as bad as it sounds. Our Music Director, Darius Battiwalla has put together a few notes on what you can expect on the Auditions page.
Is there a cost?
Chorus members are required to pay an annual subscription, and concessions for students and others are available. If you join the chorus partway through a season (after December) there will be a reduction on the full amount. Parents can apply for shared membership, where one fee is paid and parents taker it in turns to attend the rehearsals for a particular concert. At £183 for 2025-26, the subscription fee is comparable to other choirs in our region and works out at around £5 per week.
Please talk to our Finance Officer if you would struggle to pay the subscription, as we can come to special arrangements for people on benefits or low incomes.