Didsbury Singers rehearses on Wednesday lunchtimes from 12.30pm to 1.30pm in the Lower Hall at St James and Emmanuel Parish Centre (behind Emmanuel Church), 6 Barlow Moor Road, Didsbury, Manchester M20 6TR. NB this is a change of venue since the flyers were printed.
We are initially offering a shorter taster term, while we establish the choir. It will be gently paced and we’ll be learning some winter repertoire (carols / folk / popular).
Initially we are launching a daytime choir, however we will add an evening choir in soon. If you would like to be updated on news about this, please email hello@didsburysingers.uk.
Autumn term 2024 dates:
All rehearsals are from 12.30pm to 1.30pm
October 23, 30
Nov 6, 13, 20, 27
Dec 4
Working towards an end of term performance – details TBC.
Cost
The cost for the term is £60.
We have a limited number of bursaries available to assist people who are on a low income and would otherwise be unable to afford the choir fees. This is for adults aged 18+. We are particularly interested in giving the bursary to people who think that singing would have a positive impact on their physical or mental health. To apply, please complete the online bursary application form.
Who is the choir for?
Didsbury Singers is a mixed voice choir (sopranos, altos, tenors and basses) for adults aged 18+. You don’t need to have singing experience, but if you can read music then you’ll find that helpful and we’ll be encouraging everyone to learn/follow the music. We will use sheet music for many pieces, and occasionally learn pieces by ear.
What music will we be singing?
I aim to offer a really rich variety of music, from folk songs to classical, to pop, to jazz and everything else. As a conductor I am reactive to the size, abilities and tastes of the group — each choir should have its own personality which is a combination of yours and mine.
What practice will I need to do in between rehearsals?
You will need to put in a little bit of time (an hour a week, spread over 7 days, so less than 10 minutes a day) to memorise words etc. There is usually a little bit of homework to revise a couple of songs to ensure we are making progress at each rehearsal.
I’ve never sung before, can I join?
Many of our singers don’t sight read fluently, but learn a lot by ear. Choral singing skills take a little while to build up, but like any language the more we immerse ourselves, the more fluent we become. There are no formal auditions, but we may ask you to take an ear test, either when you join or at some point later in your choir membership, and we may ask or encourage you to take singing or music theory lessons.