Frequently Asked Questions

Prospective members’ frequently asked questions

Do I have to read music?
– No, all our repertoire can be learnt through hearing and practicing at our weekly sessions. Many of members cannot read music.

Do I have to attend an audition?
– No.

I can’t sing? Is this really for me?
– Come and give it a go. Many of our members thought they ‘couldn’t sing’ until they joined us, and have never looked back. We have a ‘buddy’ scheme to support new members.

Do you sing in unison?
– A few of our songs, especially well-known pop songs and Christmas carols, are sung in unison but most are in two, or three parts.

I’m not sure what ‘voice’ I am; I can’t decide whether I’m a tenor or a bass
You can sit in the high or low voice section depending where you think your voice fits. If it doesn’t , you can swap!  (For ladies, soprano is the high voice, alto is the low voice; for men, tenor is the high voice, bass is the low voice).

Do you have a live accompaniment?
– Rehearsals and performances are led and accompanied on the keyboard by our director. We do not normally sing unaccompanied.

Do I have to sing solo?
– No

I read on your website that you have lots of gigs. Do I have to attend all of them?
– No. You are free to attend as many or as few as you like.  As well as one or two large concerts each year we attend many smaller local events. Our archive of pasts events list most events that we attended in the past few years and gives a good idea of the sort of events we attend.

Can I come on a trial basis to see if this is for me?
– Yes, you can attend two free ‘taster’ sessions before you have to start paying the subscription.

Can I learn the songs online?
– Some choirs teach their repertoire by posting audio recordings online. Although we have experimented with this we do not do it on a regular basis at present.

How do I learn the words?
– We have songbooks which for new members which contain words for some of our favourite songs – you won’t need to learn ALL the songs in the book! Don’t panic!

Words for new songs not in the book are emailed to members and they can print them off or view them on their phones at our rehearsal sessions. Folders or words are not generally used at our live performances and members are encouraged to memorise the words over time.

 Obviously new members are not expected to learn everything off by heart straight away. If you are someone who has memory issues don’t let this put you off, we can sort something for you.

Do you sing classical pieces?
– We sing a small amount of classical repertoire, but that is not our main focus.

What language do you sing in?
– Most of our repertoire is in English, but we also sing some songs in Welsh especially for our St David’s Day concerts. We have occasionally learnt songs in other languages, including French and Maori.

Do you rehearse every week?
We organise weekly practice sessions where we learn new songs and also rehearse for upcoming performances. Our weekly sessions are grouped into three terms, Spring, Summer, and Autumn, which broadly follow the pattern of the academic year. There is a ‘half term’ break, usually one week, in the middle of each term, and a longer summer break of about six weeks duration from late July to early September. Term Dates.

Do you have a dress code for performances?
– Members choose their own clothes and we do not have any sort of ‘uniform’. There is usually  a colour theme such as ‘whites and creams’, or wear something with a Welsh theme’ (for St David’s Day) or ‘wear something with a Christmas theme’ (for Christmas performances). Members interpret these themes in their own style.

Why does the Singing Club consist of several separate groups that rehearse on different days?
– This is mainly due to our history. Our founder, Karl Daymond, started the original Singing Club in his house in Chepstow. It proved so popular that he could no longer accommodate everyone who wanted to join so he set up several more singing clubs meeting on different days and in different locations, but learning the same repertoire and coming together for performances.  This arrangement worked well for us and it continues.

What do I pay if I join the Singing Club during a term, rather than at the beginning?
– You will get your two free ‘taster’ weeks, and then pay for the remaining weeks in that term. You don’t have to join a term at the beginning.

Can I pay the subscription weekly and just pay for those session that I attend?
– No, in normal circumstances you are expected to pay for the term in full at the start of term, or in two half-termly instalments. This is in line with the standard practice of music directors, course tutors, and others who give sessions on a regular weekly basis. 

Can I attend more than one weekly session?
– The subscription each term is on the basis that you normally attend one session each week. If you can’t attend your normal session, you can attend one of the other Singing Club sessions in a given week, but you can’t regularly attend more than one session per week.