Do I need to audition?

No. The choirs are open to everyone ~ experienced singers and complete novices alike. You don't need a strong voice and it's fine to miss out bits that feel too difficult. Every contribution is valued. Give what you can and take what you want from it.

Do I need to be able to read music?

No. Choir members range from beginners to competent music readers. It's amazing how much knowledge choir members pick up over time.

Do you sing in different voice parts?

Yes. David generally arranges songs in three or four parts...for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass.

Which voice part should I join?

If you are unsure which part to join you have two options. You could simply sing with a voice group for a while ~ if it seems too high or low then change, or you can ask David to make a vocal assessment. Women often sing Tenor and some men sing Alto.

What type of music do you sing?

Our choirs are unusual in having a composer for a musical director ~ David Haines. We mostly sing his original work, he writes in a variety of styles, but it's always melodic. If requested to sing for a specific event we will add other songs to our repertoire e.g. train songs, Christmas songs, Victorian/Edwardian songs, world music, madrigals.

Do you do choreographed dance moves like Rock Choir?

No. That's just not our thing. We encourage an element of 'performance' i.e. engaging with an audience, smiling, occasional finger-clicking etc.

What do you wear?

For rehearsals whatever you feel comfortable wearing. For performances we usually go for a blue shirt or blouse and black bottoms. However, since we often perform outside clothing can be determined by the weather!

How often do you perform?

Frequently, in all sorts of venues and often at short notice. We like to be available for community events. There is no compulsion to perform, but most members enjoy it and we often find our performances develop into a social occasion.

What does it cost?

South Devon Singers is a registered charity. We pay our musical director (and his substitutes when he is away) and we hire a conductor and other professionals for concerts on occasions. We have venue hire to pay, public liability insurance and lots of music to print.

Our charges are:-*

An annual membership subscription of £7 due in September - the only compulsory payment

Advisory rehearsal contributions are £6 per night or

monthly standing order £18

Under 18's are FREE

*We do not offer concessions, but anyone who would find these payments difficult to meet need only have a discreet word with our treasurer. Your presence is more important than your ability to pay.

Four weeks free introductory period. Because our music is original and therefore likely to be unfamiliar we like to offer new members the opportunity to get to know David's music before making a commitment. As one of our members frequently says ~ "it becomes addictive".

More detailed information for members can be found here