Getting Started

There are so many good reasons to join a choir. I myself started because I wanted to learn and perform the great works... as well as to get myself out of the house and put a stop to working late into the evening! Choral singing can offer:

• Music and performance - the chance to sing everything from classical masterpieces to folk songs, jazz, musicals, and contemporary works. 

• Friendship and community - many choirs become strong social communities over time and provide a space to meet local, like-minded people

• Mental wellbeing - singing can be absorbing, calming, and a welcome break from the pace of daily life. 

• Brain and memory exercise - learning music, listening carefully, and singing in harmony all help keep the mind active and engaged

• Breathing and posture — regular singing encourages good breathing habits and body awareness 

• Confidence building - many people discover skills and confidence they did not realise they had.

• A shared sense of achievement — there is something uniquely satisfying about many voices gradually becoming one sound, especially in performance.

A choir is a group of people who sing together. They are usually divided into different "voice parts" - typically soprano, alto, tenor, and bass - to suit the singers' voices, and allow the music to be sung in harmony rather than all on the same melody. 

Most choirs are led by a Musical Director (MD) - the person who conducts rehearsals and performances, helps singers learn the music, and shapes the overall sound of the choir. Rehearsals are generally held weekly, with performances taking place throughout the year.  

Choirs can vary enormously in several respects, including:

• Size — ranging from a dozen singers to well over a hundred. Smaller groups often feel more intimate, while larger choirs can create a powerful, full sound.

• Repertoire — some choirs focus on classical choral music, while others sing pop arrangements, musical theatre, folk songs, jazz, film music, sacred music, or contemporary works.

• Sheet music — while some choirs use printed music scores, others learn mainly by ear using demonstration tracks or call-and-response teaching.

• Ability level — some groups are designed specifically for beginners, while others expect previous singing or music-reading experience.

• Auditions — many amateur choirs are open to anyone, while others ask singers to audition or complete a simple voice check before joining.

• Performance focus — some choirs rehearse towards formal concerts several times a year, while others meet mainly for enjoyment and informal singing.

• Rehearsal style — rehearsals may be highly structured and music-focused, or more relaxed and social depending on the choir.

• Accompaniment — some choirs sing with piano, organ, band, or orchestra, while others perform entirely unaccompanied (“a cappella”).

• Time commitment — expectations vary widely. Some choirs are flexible about attendance, while others expect regular rehearsals and independent practice between sessions.

• Voice parts — traditional mixed choirs usually divide singers into soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, though some choirs are upper voices only, lower voices only, or arranged differently.

• Musical leadership — some choirs are led by a conductor throughout, while others may work more collaboratively or informally.

• Social atmosphere — some choirs are strongly community-oriented with social events and post-rehearsal gatherings, while others are more performance-driven.

• Age range — choirs may be open to all ages or aimed at children, students, younger adults, older singers, or particular communities.

This wide variety means there is usually a choir to suit everyone!

Before you begin searching, it can help to think about the kind of experience you are looking for. For example:

• What style of music would you most enjoy singing?

• Are you looking for something relaxed and social, or more musically demanding?

• Would you prefer a small or large choir?

• Do you want to sing with sheet music, or learn mainly by ear?

• Are performances and concerts important to you?

• How far are you willing to travel for rehearsals?

Having even a rough idea of these preferences can make searching much easier.

There are then several good ways to find choirs:

• Word of mouth — friends, colleagues, local musicians, and existing choir members are often the best source of recommendations.

• Online searches — search engines and AI tools can help you find local choirs, especially if you include specific criteria such as musical style, location, audition requirements, or experience level.

• Choir directories and websites — many regions have local arts directories, and organisations such as local music societies or community arts groups often maintain choir listings.

• Concerts and local events — attending concerts can give you a feel for different choirs before joining, and many groups actively welcome new singers after performances.

• Social media and community groups — local Facebook groups, community noticeboards, and choir pages can be surprisingly useful for discovering nearby ensembles.

Many choirs also offer informal ways to try them out before committing. Some run “taster” rehearsals, particularly at the start of a new season in September or January, where new singers are invited to attend a few rehearsals without obligation. Others operate on a simple “turn up and sing” basis, allowing people to pay per rehearsal and decide gradually whether the choir suits them.

Once you have found a choir that interests you, the next step is usually much simpler than people expect. Many amateur choirs are actively looking for new members and are used to welcoming first-time singers.

The joining process varies from choir to choir. Many groups explain how to join on their website or publicity materials, while others encourage prospective singers to contact the person responsible for membership — often called the Membership Secretary — by email or phone before attending a rehearsal. Some may just ask you to come along to a rehearal. Others will likely will ask you to fill in a simple membership form with your contact details, previous singing experience if any (it's fine to say none! You can also mention any other musical experience if you like), and your voice part if known (e.g. soprano, alto, tenor, bass).  It's completely normal not to know this yet, and most choirs will help you work it out. There's also more about voice parts in the handbook.

Some choirs ask new singers to complete a short audition or informal voice assessment before joining. Don't be put off by this! They are handled very sensitively, and done individually or in a very small group. (Musical Directors are well aware that most people feel nervous about singing on their own in front of somebody else, especially for the first time.) There is usually is little or nothing to prepare in advance. A typical audition may simply involve singing back a few short phrases played or sung by the Musical Director, allowing them to hear your voice and place you in the most suitable section of the choir. If this all still sounds rather daunting, remember it will all be worth it for the subsequent enjoyment and friendship.  There's more on auditions here.

Naturally at some point you will be also asked for some money! Choirs need to cover the cost of rehearsal venues, music, accompanists, concerts, administration, and of course the Musical Director who somehow keeps everybody together and singing the right notes at the same time. Some choirs charge per rehearsal on the door, while others ask members to pay by half term, term, or season. Many groups also offer instalment options to help spread the cost. Compared with many hobbies, choir singing is often surprisingly affordable, when you consider the many hours of music and enjoyment that membership provides.

What to bring

For your first rehearsal, you really do not need very much. Most choirs expect new singers to arrive with little or no experience, and nobody will expect you to own lots of musical equipment straight away. Useful things to bring include:

A pencil — choir rehearsals involve lots of marking in the music, and pencils are universally preferred over pens.

A bag or folder — for whatever you bring, and for carrying your music home afterwards.

A bottle of water — singing can be surprisingly thirsty work.

A small amount of cash — if you choir offers tea, coffee, or biscuits during the interval, often for a small donation.

Reading glasses/varifocals, if you use them - scores tend to have fairly small writing.

There is more information about music folders, pencils, scores, and other useful items in the handbook, but the list above is more than enough to get started.

At the rehearsal

It's a good idea to arrive at least 10–15 minutes early for your first rehearsal. This gives you time to find the venue, introduce yourself, collect any music, and work out where everybody is sitting before things begin.

Most choirs arrange seating by voice part — usually soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. If you do not yet know which section suits your voice, don't worry too much. Somebody will usually help, and an educated guess is perfectly fine for a first rehearsal.

Rehearsals often begin with a few general announcements, before the Musical Director starts work on the music itself. This may include learning new notes and rhythms by slow repetition (known as “note-bashing”), improving diction and blend, working on tricky passages, or rehearsing larger sections of a piece from start to finish. There is usually a short break partway through the evening (some choirs simply stretch their legs or chat, others have a full break for refreshments.)

It is completely normal to feel rather lost during your first rehearsal. . The best approach is usually to listen carefully, follow the music as best you can, and gradually join in where possible. Don't worry if you're not actually singing anything! As a poor sight-reader, this still happens to me when rehearsing pieces I've never seen before.

A few dos and don’ts

• Do make notes in your score using pencil — these may be instructions from the Musical Director, reminders for yourself, or simply marks to help you find your place next time. Much copying from neighbours is entirely normal.

• Do ask quiet questions if you are unsure where you are — choir members are usually very used to helping newcomers.

• Do enjoy listening as well as singing — there is a lot to absorb at first, and nobody expects perfection immediately.

• Don’t wear strong perfume or aftershave — rehearsals can be close environments, and strong scents may affect singers with asthma or sensitivities.

• Don't talk while the Musical Director is rehearsing — or while another section is singing. Quiet consultation with neighbours is normal; full conversations are best saved for the interval.

• Don't use your phone during rehearsal — except in emergencies. If you do need to take a call or message, or read something, quietly step outside first.

One of the biggest surprises for many new singers is that choir singing does involve a little homework from time to time — although usually far less than people fear.

The aim of practising at home is not to become a polished solo performer. It is simply to become a little more familiar with your own notes so that rehearsals feel easier and more enjoyable.

Helpful things to do between rehearsals include:

• Listen and sing along to rehearsal aids (also known as rehearsal tracks or practice aids) to learn your part. This is hard to do from performances of the work alone, as it's hard to pick out your notes from amongst all of the other parts. 

• Follow your score while listening — even if you cannot read music fluently, this helps you begin to recognise patterns and find your place more easily.

• Practise difficult passages slowly — especially entries, rhythms, or large jumps that felt uncertain in rehearsal.

• Listen to recordings of the music — once you have a basic knowledge of your part, becoming familiar with the overall sound of a piece makes rehearsals much less overwhelming.

• Mark your score clearly in pencil — adding reminders, breaths, tricky words, or cues from the Musical Director can make a big difference next time.

• Spend a few minutes regularly rather than one long session — short, frequent practice is usually more effective and less tiring.

It is also worth remembering that most amateur singers are learning gradually all the time. Nobody arrives at rehearsal knowing everything perfectly, and many experienced choir members still spend part of each evening wondering whether they are on the correct page.

There is more about practising, learning notes, rehearsal aids, and reading music in the handbook.

Your first concert can feel both exciting and slightly nerve-racking, even if rehearsals have been going well. The good news is that most choirs are very used to guiding new singers through the process, and there will almost certainly be plenty of people around you who remember exactly what their own first concert felt like.

Before the concert, it is worth checking a few practical details carefully:

Concert dress — many choirs have a standard dress code for performances, often involving black clothing or other agreed colours. Choirs usually provide guidance well in advance; ask if unsure.

Folders — some choirs ask for everyone to put their music into a folder for the concert; again you will be told this, or ask if not. Make sure you bring all the required music, ideally already organised in the correct order inside your folder.

Pencils and markings — keep your rehearsal markings in the score, as they are often surprisingly helpful during performance. And have a pencil for last minute changes.

Arrival time and venue details — concerts usually involve an earlier arrival for warm-ups, dress rehearsals, seating arrangements, and final instructions.

Food and water — as necessary.  Long concerts and rehearsals can be surprisingly tiring, so it is worth arriving reasonably rested and hydrated.

On the day itself, the Musical Director may hold a rehearsal before the concert, which might range from running through the whole work (especially if there is new accompaniment on the day, such as an orchestra) to singing just the beginning, end and/or tricky sections (known as 'topping and tailing'.)  They will also tell you where to stand and sit (which you should write in your score in case the MD forgets!

Once the performance begins, most singers find that concentration quickly replaces nerves. It is completely normal not to sing everything perfectly, and audiences are usually far less aware of small mistakes than choir members imagine.

Afterwards, you will quite likely find yourself buzzing with relief, excitement, and a real sense of shared achievement. And with your first concert now behind you, you are no longer a beginner choir singer!

After your first few rehearsals and concerts, choir singing gradually starts to feel less unfamiliar and more like part of normal life. Many singers find themselves surprised by how quickly they begin recognising musical patterns, following the score more confidently, and feeling at home within the group.

In the short term, most choirs simply move on to a new term and a new set of music. One of the pleasures of choir singing is that there is always something new to learn, whether that means a major choral work, a lighter concert programme, or music in a completely unfamiliar style.

At first, you may simply want to continue building confidence, experience, and familiarity with rehearsals and performances. Over time, however, many singers discover new opportunities opening up naturally:

• Helping with the running of the choir — many amateur choirs rely heavily on volunteers for administration, publicity, music libraries, concert organisation, and countless other jobs. Becoming involved behind the scenes can be extremely rewarding and is often one of the best ways to get to know people.

• Singing in smaller groups or taking solos — some choirs offer opportunities for more confident singers to perform in chamber groups, small ensembles, or occasional solo passages.

• Taking singing lessons — many amateur singers eventually decide to have a few lessons, whether to improve technique, build confidence, or simply understand their voice better. After my first term, I was given 3 lessons with a local singing teacher, primarily to build up my confidence, and was still going along 10 years later!

• Improving sight reading and musicianship — while this will happen naturally, you may also choose to practise independently using music-reading apps, websites, books or short courses.

• Joining additional choirs — you may be invited to come and sing in other choirs, which can be great way to learn and perform new music, and meet new people, as long as you have time for the rehearsals and practicing at home.

• Workshops / singing days — Many singers also go on to take part in workshops, “Come and Sing” days, and festival performances, which can be a great way to explore new music (or perform something you already know and love) and meet singers from other choirs.

• Travel / tours — some choirs and organised tours travel around the country and overseas, singing in cathedrals and other special venues, which can be a great focus for a holiday.

There is much more information throughout the rest of Choir Tonight, including sections on rehearsals, voice parts, concerts, music reading, equipment, choir organisation, and many other aspects of choral singing.

Here are some of the concerns you might have when starting a choir.

“I’m worried everybody else will be much better than me”

This is probably the single most common concern new singers have, and in reality it is very unlikely that you will be the “worst” singer in the room. Amateur choirs usually contain people with a wide range of musical backgrounds and experience levels, from confident sight-readers to people who still feel unsure where they are in the score half the time.

What often creates the illusion that everybody else is far more capable is simply familiarity. Some singers may already know the music well, may have sung in choirs for years, or may even have performed the same piece several times before. New singers simply need time to catch up, and that process happens gradually through rehearsals, listening, and practice at home.

Most choirs are far more interested in enthusiasm, reliability, and willingness to learn than instant perfection.

"I can’t read music well/at all, so I just sat silently while everybody else around me was singing"

This is far more normal than many beginners realise. In almost every amateur choir there are singers with very different levels of music-reading ability, including some who read fluently and others who learn mainly by listening and repetition.

At first, rehearsals can feel overwhelming because experienced singers often appear to know exactly what is happening while you are still trying to work out which line of the score everyone is on. But that is actually helpful: listening to the people around you is one of the best ways to learn.

I still remember my own first rehearsal. We launched into Bach’s “Jauchzet, frohlocket” from the Christmas Oratorio, and it seemed as though everybody around me already knew it confidently. I spent most of the evening thinking, “There is absolutely no way I can do this.” But I loved the music, kept listening at home, gradually learned the notes, and after a few weeks was able to sing out with the rest of the choir.

The important thing is not to expect everything to make sense immediately. Choir singing becomes far less mysterious surprisingly quickly.

“I’ve been trying to learn the music, but I don’t seem to be getting anywhere”

This is another extremely common feeling, especially with larger choral works. Some music can initially sound and feel like a completely random sequence of notes with no obvious pattern at all.

I remember feeling exactly this way when learning the opening chorus of the final movement of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. The music sounded magnificent, but my own part felt impossibly complicated and seemed to go on forever without making any sense. For quite a while, it honestly felt as though I was making no progress at all.

What gradually helped was breaking the music into very small sections, replaying rehearsal tracks repeatedly, and listening to performances while following the score. Little by little, the patterns started to emerge and the piece slowly became familiar. Eventually it became one of my favourite things to sing — partly because of the music itself, and partly because of the sense of achievement that came from finally understanding it.

Progress in choir singing is often gradual and difficult to notice from week to week. Very often, improvement only becomes obvious when you look back a few months later and realise how much easier things have quietly become.

“I’m worried I’ll sing the wrong notes and annoy people”

Believe me, this never goes away... but neither does it matter! Every choir singer sings wrong notes from time to time — including experienced ones. Rehearsals are not performances; they are places where people learn, experiment, make mistakes, lose their place, and gradually improve together.

One of the reassuring things about choir singing is that you are rarely singing completely alone. You are surrounded by other singers in your section, and over time you naturally begin to absorb the sound and confidence of the people around you. In fact, this is one of the main ways beginners learn.

Most choirs are also far less judgemental than new singers imagine. Experienced choir members are usually concentrating on their own music rather than analysing whether somebody two chairs away sang an accidental F sharp instead of an F natural.

Wrong notes are simply part of the learning process. The important thing is to keep listening, keep following the music, and keep coming back. Even in concerts, I'd be amazed if you don't sing a bunch of wrong notes - I know I do - but that's the beauty of a choir: your mistakes are masked by others' (and vice versa!)

“I don’t have a good enough voice”

Many people assume that choir singers must have unusually powerful, polished, or naturally beautiful voices. In reality, successful choir singing is often much more about listening, blending, and musical teamwork than sounding like a soloist. Indeed, I know an excellent Tenor soloist who said he could no longer sing in a choir as his voice was too distinctive to blend in.

A choir is made up of many voices working together. Individual voices do not need to be perfect on their own to contribute to a strong overall sound. In fact, some excellent choir singers have very ordinary speaking voices and would never describe themselves as “talented singers”.

Confidence also plays a surprisingly large role. People who feel uncertain about their voices often sing very quietly at first, making themselves harder to hear and convincing themselves they are weaker singers than they really are. As confidence grows, voices usually grow with it.

Most importantly, voices develop over time. Singing regularly is one of the best ways to improve your singing.

“I’m too old to start”

People begin choir singing at all ages. Some singers join choirs while at school or university, while others do not begin until retirement or later. It is extremely common for amateur choirs to include members spanning several decades in age.

In many ways, adult beginners are often at an advantage. They usually bring patience, listening skills, commitment, and a genuine love of music — all qualities that matter enormously in choir singing.

Nobody expects a new singer of any age to know everything immediately. Choirs are generally much more interested in whether somebody enjoys singing and wants to take part than in how early they started.

In fact, many experienced choir members will tell you they only discovered choral singing later in life and now wish they had started sooner.  That's certainly true of me; I started in my mid-forties and would have loved to have started earlier (but life and work got in the way...)