Joining the Choir
Choir members come from
a wide area of north Cumbria, and we are always glad to welcome new members.
Singing in a choir is a wonderful opportunity to have voice training, learn some
gems of the choral repertoire, take part in quality performances, and make new
friends.
If you enjoy singing
and read music bring your voice along and give it a go! Just come along to a
rehearsal, and if you enjoy the experience an informal audition can be arranged.
As well as looking at this season's programme, you may be interested see the
sort of music that we have done in the past. There is a page giving details of
concerts that we have done since 1997.
The Society has an
Equal Opportunities Policy and is happy to welcome people with disabilities as
members. Naturally, the Society also has a constitution which you can peruse, if you
want to, but be warned - it's rather boring!
The choir rehearsals
start at the beginning of September and run through to the concert in June, with
breaks for the holidays. Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings from 7.30 pm to
9.30 pm at the Methodist Church in Wigton. A few of the practices for the
Cumbria Rural Choirs concert are at the rehearsal venues used by the other choirs which form part
of CRC, e.g. Cockermouth, Penrith & Keswick. When the Rural Choirs practice in Wigton, the
rehearsals are at the Nelson Thomlinson School. For details of these practices, see the
dates page.
There is a membership
fee, which includes the hire of music, but there is free membership for people
under the age of 25 who are in full-time education. There is also an additional
fee if you wish to take part in the Cumbria Rural Choirs event. The CRC also
arranges choral training days, which are held on Saturdays.
As with many choirs, we
are always particularly pleased to welcome tenors and basses!
For further details,
please contact Elaine Smith or our musical director by E-mail (details see the
"Contacts" page).
Below is an extract
from our "Information for Members (September 2008 version)":
We list below a few rules and
regulations for the benefit of new members and to serve as a reminder for
existing members. These enable us to perform concerts to a high standard and
help with the running of the Society.
1. Membership will be
provisional for three months, and during this time new members will be invited
to have an informal audition with our Musical Director.
2. Our annual
subscription is £99 (reviewed at our AGM) and may be paid in three installments
at the start of each term (with a further reductions per term of £3 for prompt
payment). However the annual subscription is £80 if paid in a lump sum within
one month of the AGM. In addition there is a £25 annual subscription for the
Cumbria Rural Choirs collected during the autumn and spring terms. For those
people who find it difficult to pay the annual subscription, the Society will
consider making a reduction, after a written request has been received by the
Treasurer or the committee explaining the circumstances. Such information will
be treated in the strictest confidence by the officers of the committee. Further
such applications for a reduction must be made on an annual basis. Such approval
for a reduction is only valid for the current year.
3. Rehearsals begin
promptly at 7.30 p.m. until 9.30 p.m. with a short break at approximately 8.25
p.m. Please arrive in good time to allow for registration, collection of music,
etc. so that unnecessary interruptions are avoided during rehearsal time. If you
are unable to attend a rehearsal please let our Musical Director or the
Secretary know in advance, or alternatively in advance mark the register with a
cross in the column for the week(s) you expect to be absent. If more than three
rehearsals are missed during a term prior to a concert you may not be allowed to
perform, although unusual circumstances are taken into consideration. In
addition there are joint rehearsals in respect of Cumbria Rural Choirs, four or
five during the season which start at 7.15 pm, together with a choral day
(Saturday) in January: you are expected to attend at least 75% of them. Some of
these rehearsals will be held in Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith. The two
rehearsals prior to the Spring concert are compulsory.
4. Music is hired through
the Cumbrian Library Service (some members prefer to buy their own) at a cost to
the Society, and each member is responsible for keeping them in good condition
(markings in pencil only) and returning them to the Librarian. If you find you
cannot sing or attend a concert please make every effort to return the music
prior to the event otherwise extra charges may be incurred.
5. For concerts ladies
wear a full-length black skirt, uniform jacket, with a black round-necked plain
top. The men wear dark suits with white shirts and a uniform tie.
We hope that your time with Wigton Choral Society is happy and enjoyable and if
you have any queries at all, any member of the Committee will be pleased to
help.
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