Become a Member
We recognise that in our constant drive to continually achieve high standards
of performance, we can never afford to rest on our laurels. We are also
acutely aware that as a choir we are only as good as our last concert and
that without the commitment and dedication of our many talented members,
we would never be able to sing so much of the music that we perform to the
stringent standards that we require and our audiences have now come to expect.
It is for this
reason that we are always keen to encourage prospective new members to find
out more about us. We therefore warmly invite you to come along to a couple
of our rehearsals and either listen to us sing or in preference, to sit amongst
our members and join in with us all. We rehearse on Monday evenings in the
United Reformed Church Hall, Upperton Road, (corner of Watts Lane) Eastbourne
from 7.30 – 9.45pm and we take a short mid-point tea/coffee break. For further
details please Contact Us.
As our strap line says, we are
‘Eastbourne’s Friendly Choir’ and we do try to live
up to this standard as we do not want anyone
who comes along to flounder, feel uncomfortable
or exposed. When arriving (providing we know
that you are coming) you willbe met at the door
then introduced to Adrian (Director of Music)
and other key members of our group. You will
then be introduced to a ‘parent’ member who
will help you to obtain your music, explain how
we work within rehearsals and if required, follow
the music with you if you are unable to read music;
or just be supportive if perhaps initially, you might not
feel quite as confident as you would normally be.
Occasionally we adapt the music slightly from what is written, so we have
found that a guiding hand from someone who is more familiar with it can go
a long way in reassuring you, so allowing you to get the best out of the evening
and go home feeling that you have received an enjoyable and worthwhile experience!
As mentioned earlier, Concentus Chorale continually strives to maintain a high standard and our goal is to ensure that this is one of our primary objectives.
Having tried our ‘taster’ sessions and if you like what you see and hear we would actively encourage you to apply for membership.
This is not something
that we award lightly nor as a matter of course and there are certain requirements
that are looked for in considering granting individual membership. It is only
after satisfying the criteria below that you will be invited to become a member
of Concentus Chorale.The basic skills required are:
• You enjoy singing and get pleasure out of doing it
• You are of a friendly disposition
• You are happy to work hard in rehearsal but at the same time enjoy a bit
of fun as well as having some laughter
• You can offer commitment and dedication in wanting to sing
• You enjoy being part of a team
• You thrive in being part of making a great sound
You should also be aware that you do not have to be able to read music as our learning methods cater for this, but nevertheless there is an obvious personal advantage to you if you can.
Finally and in ensuring that we maintain our high standard of performance, everyone who sings within the choir has undergone a simple voice recognition and awareness assessment. A choir with high standards such as ours will only achieve this level by integrating voices which are both tuneful and melodious and to this end, Adrian believes it to be important to hear the voice of any prospective new member.
Now before you look for another website, please be assured that this is nowhere near as daunting as it sounds and is no more than prospective members singing a few lines of music of their choice, behind closed doors in the presence of the Director of Music and accompanist only. This process helps Adrian to become aware of your ability and range and to assist him in placing you within the correct vocal group of singer. It is also important that, with the odd exception, you are able to attend concerts.
Having satisfied all of the above you will be welcomed as a member of Concentus Chorale and we will do everything that we can to make your time with us happy, satisfying, pleasurable and rewarding. The Treasurer at this time will also be pleased to see you and will explain about our subscription procedure which is £40.00 per term, of which there are two terms per year, i.e. January to June and September to December. The term cost is apportioned to £30.00 membership and £10.00 for the provision of all music which is obtained by us then loaned out for the period. If joining more than halfway through a term a pro-rata adjustment is made to the membership fee.
We never forget that we all participate in this same interest together because we want to and not because we ‘have to’ so it is vitally important that we all obtain the most out of our leisure time so as to get the most out of ourselves!