JOINING
We'd prefer it if you contact us first so we can have a chat about what we do and answer any questions you might have. Also, we cap the number of members at our choirs so there may be a wait list so it's always worth checking.
Definitely not! Auditions can be scary and that’s not what we’re about. If you have any concerns about your ability please feel free to discuss them with our musical director and she will set your mind at ease.
No, we don't use musical score or expect you to have any musical knowledge. Often musical score can appear quite intimidating to non music readers.
If we do use any musical terms we always explain them, We place the emphasis on listening to others and learning to sing and harmonise naturally.
However, if you do read music don't let this approach put you off -- we find that by not using score it allows us to adapt songs as we rehearse them to get the best balance and sound from the choir.
We're a contemporary choir so we cover a wide range of modern music and genres, including rock, pop, gospel, as well as songs taken from films and stage shows. Hopefully there's something for everyone to enjoy singing and performing.
We welcome song suggestions from our members and if they're suitable for choral arrangement we'll do our best to accommodate them.
We cap the number of members in each of our choirs at 60, with typically 40-50 attending each weekly rehearsal.
A contemporary choir with 60 members is large enough to make a wonderful sound, but still small enough that everyone knows one-another so there’s a really friendly atmosphere and every voice matters.
As we have a number of VoxRox choirs we can combine them for larger shows too if needed.
We have some stylish VoxRox T-shirts and hoodies which are very popular and we sell them to members at cost price -- you can even have your name on the back! You don't have to wear a VoxRox T-shirt though, it's entirely up to you.
We're a very informal and friendly group but there are some simple rules of etiquette which are really for the benefit of everyone
- Have respect for your fellow choir members -- we promote a safe, inclusive and fun singing environment for all
- When you're in "choir formation" please keep chatting to a minimum, particularly when the choir director is speaking -- we tend to have a break halfway through the rehearsal so you can catch up with other members then
- If the choir director is focused on teaching one group their part please practise singing your own part in your head -- it really is a good learning technique and also allows the director to listen to the group she's working with
- When performing, if there are any technical hitches please stand quietly until the choir director or technicians resolve them -- problems happen in live shows, it's how you deal with them that matters
That's pretty much it -- the real idea is just to have fun and enjoy singing.
Of course. In fact we actively encourage you to sing whenever and wherever you can.
COSTS
That’s right, if you attend you pay, simple as that.
Unlike most choirs, we don’t charge for:
- Joining fees
- Membership fees
- Monthly subscriptions
- Lyrics
- Tracks
- Performing in shows
If you attend more than one choir a week we offer a discounted rate.
Definitely not. We believe everyone can sing and everyone should be given the opportunity. That's why we operate a Pay-As-You-Go policy with no membership fees as it's fair and accommodates even those on the tightest of budgets.
We pride ourselves on the quality and the high standard of our choirs.
SINGING
We usually project the lyrics onto a screen so you can sing along to them. The reason why this method is so effective is that it allows you to sing with your head up which improves your vocals and also gets you used to singing without using lyric sheets.
You are welcome to use printed lyrics sheets if you like to mark them up as you rehearse.
We usually rehearse two or three songs each week and introduce new songs regularly. This may seem a lot, especially if you've been in other choirs where you practise maybe two or three songs per term. You'd be surprised though just how quickly you can learn a new song and also how quickly you can perfect it.
We all make mistakes, it's how we learn. The important thing is to be in a safe and fun environment where you're not embarrassed to make a mistake, and that's what we provide at VoxRox. We don't expect perfection, but you'll discover that you learn far more quickly when you're not worried about making the odd mistake or two.
Technically we have up to six vocal parts: altos, mezzos and sopranos for female voices, bass, baritones and tenors for male voices. If you don't know which one you are don't worry as our choir director will be able to tell you.
We're not prescriptive about vocal parts though, it's far better that you learn to choose the part suited to your own voice for a particular song.
Some songs are split into a number of vocal parts so you learn to harmonise, others have fewer parts so you can just have fun.
Absolutely. Singing, like any other form of exercise, requires muscles to be warmed up and cooled down to be safe and effective.
Our legendary warm-ups and cool-downs are always varied and fun.
Definitely. Our choir director is a qualified vocal coach and, whilst the emphasis is on singing for fun, there will always be an element of learning new vocal techniques. The voice is a musical instrument so you need to know how to use it properly so you can perform at your best.
Of course. We do a lot of fun exercises where we split the choir into groups and sing rounds or different songs at the same time. This gets you used to sticking to your part which is vital when it comes to harmonising.
We also break songs into different parts and teach each vocal group separately before combining them to give the full harmonised sound. You'll be surprised how quickly you learn to harmonise naturally even if you have no prior musical experience.
Very, very few people are actually tone deaf. It's far more likely that you simply haven't practised singing or learned the correct vocal techniques in the past. After all, the voice is a musical instrument, and like any other instrument you need to learn how to use it properly.
Lack of confidence is the commonest problem we come across and you'll be glad to know it's easily solved. Singing with a large group of friendly people is by far the best place to build your self-confidence and improve your vocal technique.
If you ask any of our choir members I'm sure they'll tell you they lacked confidence when they first joined, but we're proud to say that most of them have now performed live shows and what's more, over half of them have come forward to sing in small groups, duets or even as soloists.
Whilst you'll never be forced to sing on your own or perform in public, our aim at VoxRox is to build your self-confidence and singing ability and to offer you the opportunities if you want them.
PERFORMANCES
Ideally yes, especially as singing without holding a lyric sheet helps you to vocalise and move better. However, we understand that some people have learning difficulties so using lyric sheets during performances is perfectly acceptable under such circumstances.
Not if you really don't want to, it's not expected and we'd never force anyone to. However, we have a lot of choir members who were nervous about performing when they first started and now absolutely love it. The choice is yours.
RESOURCES
Once you join you'll be given access to our website's members area where there are lots of resources for you. You can download set lists, lyrics and tracks free of charge. Also, you'll be able to listen to tracks online, view lyrics and even sing along to videos of our tracks.