Want to join the choir?
We’re currently looking for a few new voices to join us! We rehearse on Tuesday nights (7.45 – 10pm) at Trinity Church, Nether Street N12 7NN. The nearest tube stations are Woodside Park or West Finchley, both on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, and about 15 minutes’ walk, or there are buses on Ballards Lane and Finchley High Road.
We aim to perform a broad classical repertoire to a high standard, and we learn music by sight-reading rather than by listening and repeating, so if you are an experienced choral singer who can read music then this could be the choir for you! There are regular (optional) opportunities for solo work, which is usually assigned to choir members rather than to professional soloists.
Want to know more? Please fill in the contact form below or read our FAQs.
I’d like to join the choir
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What kind of singers are you looking for?
An ability to read music is necessary because the choir learns new music quickly, though we are given help with difficult passages in rehearsal. We’re a small choir (about 30 voices), and we often perform music in several parts, so you need to be confident to sing your line. You’ll probably find this easier if you’ve had some experience of singing in a choir previously.
Do you welcome young singers?
Absolutely! The rich and balanced sound of our choir comes from having a wide mix of voices. We particularly encourage young singers over the age of 18 to join us.
How much time do I have to commit?
We usually rehearse on Tuesday evenings (7:45pm – 10pm) during term time and perform about 5 concerts a year, normally on Saturdays. Choir members are expected to sing in all concerts as far as possible. There is a dress rehearsal in the afternoon of the concert, and sometimes there is an additional rehearsal on a Friday evening before the concert. You’ll need to attend at least 75% of the rehearsals, including the dress rehearsal, to take part in the concert (if you can’t make that, your participation will be at the Musical Director’s discretion.)
Can I try out the choir before I join?
Definitely! We’ll invite you to come and sing with us at a couple of rehearsals, before we ask you if you want to audition. This will give you a chance to see if we are the right choir for you. We’re happy to receive applications at any time during the season. Please make sure you let our Secretary know you would like to come along – either by emailing secretary@fcchoir.co.uk or by filling in the contact form.
Do you audition?
Yes, we do have a short audition, held privately with the Musical Director and Accompanist and one of our Committee members. You’ll be given some vocal exercises so that the Musical Director can get an idea of your vocal range, and you’ll be asked to sing a short piece of music you’ve chosen and prepared. There’ll also be a short piece of sight singing, which will be handed to you before the audition, so you’ll have 5 minutes to look through it. You’ll also be asked to sing some of the music we’ve been working on in the previous week’s rehearsal, to see how well you’ve picked it up. For more information, check out our video on joining the choir.
Everyone in the choir reauditions every 4 years. The audition follows the same format, except the Musical Director will allocate a piece of music for all singers in your voice part to prepare.
Soloists for almost all our performances are drawn from within our ranks and often these are auditioned. The Musical Director will advise which sections of the solo should be prepared for the audition. Normally candidates for the same solo are auditioned together with the Musical Director and Accompanist.
Is there a membership fee?
Yes, there is an annual membership fee. This covers the rental of our rehearsal space, professional fees for our Musical Director and Accompanist, music hire costs, and administrative costs such as insurance and PRS charges. The Secretary will let you know the current subscription rates upon application – we try to make sure this is competitive with other small choirs.
There are options to pay the annual fee in instalments. If you can’t sing in one of our concerts, you are welcome to attend rehearsals excluding the dress rehearsals; for this reason, we don’t offer a refund if you can’t participate. If you’re a student or on a low income, please talk to us about reduced fee options.
Do I have to buy my own music?
No. Your membership subscription covers hire costs for all the music we use during the season.
Is there a choir uniform?
Not as such, but all performances are in ‘concert black’. Men wear a long-sleeved black shirt (with a black dinner jacket in colder weather, but no tie), black trousers and black shoes and socks. Women wear a full-length long-sleeved black dress, or a long-sleeved black blouse with full-length black skirt or trousers, black tights or socks and black shoes. There may be some variation on this, e.g. short sleeves when the weather is warm; the Secretary will confirm uniform details in advance of the concert.
What if I have accessibility requirements?
Our rehearsal and main concert venue is on the ground floor with step free access. Fully accessible toilet facilities are available on site. If you need any specific accommodations for either rehearsals or concerts, you’ll be able to discuss these with our Concert Manager.
What about the social side?
We enjoy our break at every rehearsal – we have a rota for people to bring along cake, and we provide coffee and a wide variety of teas! We organise an annual choir meal out, normally in November, and there are optional trips to the pub after rehearsals and concerts.