How do I become a member?

 

The first step is to get in touch, and then come along to one of our rehearsals to see what we get up to! Experience is not necessary, and we welcome anyone who wants to give it a try.

 

When you visit, we like to get you up and into the group of singers straight away so you can hear how the vocal parts work together. After 2-3 weeks you’ll be asked to have a vocal assessment with the Musical Director (MD) and/or an Assistant Musical Director (Asst. MD). This initial assessment is just to determine which part (melody, or one of three harmony parts) will best suit your voice.

 

Following your assessment, you’ll be asked to spend 2-3 weeks learning a couple of pages of a song. Once you’ve learned your song, you’ll be asked to sing with a quartet made of up of all four parts plus you, so that our MD or Asst. MD can hear how you got on. You should be able to demonstrate that you’ve learned your part and are able to sing in tune, and so you’ll be invited to join us as a member, if you wish to do so.

​

We want you to succeed, so throughout the process you'll be well supported by other members and our Music Team, who have all been through the same process, and who understand that you may be nervous. While initially the process might seem a little daunting, it's rarely as scary people think it will be! 

​

Who can sing four-part acapella?

 

If you can hold a tune and can hear notes going higher or lower, then you can learn to sing in a harmony group. At its basic level, this kind of singing calls for you to not only hold a tune, but also hold it against three other different tunes being sung simultaneously. A good musical ear helps, but reading music isn’t necessary as we provide recordings for you to learn from at home. We can show you how to learn from them, how to improve your voice, and guide you to becoming a confident, independent performer. Above all, the most important qualities needed to sing with us are commitment, a willingness to learn, and a desire to be the best you can be.

​

​