Description
Finsbury A Cappella is an exciting upper voices ensemble for sopranos and altos, conducted by Charles Béquignon-MacDougall.
The aim of the choir is to sing intermediate to advanced repertoire with focussed work on vocal technique and musical detail. Entry for new members is by audition. Please fill in an application form and upload a short video of yourself singing to this Dropbox folder. If you have any problems sending your video, please email assistant@hannahbrine.co.uk
Your video should be 1 to 2 minutes long, unedited, showing you singing your choice of unaccompanied repertoire in any style. The purpose of the video is for Hannah and Charles to assess your tuning, tone and musicality.
Rehearsals are held at St John’s Highbury Vale School, Conewood Street, Islington N5 1DL on Tuesdays from 6.15pm to 7.15pm with a break for half term (see below for dates), with the option of taking part in a workshop led by VOCES8 soprano Andrea Haines on Saturday 13th June.
Where?
St John’s Highbury Vale School, Conewood Street, Islington N5 1DL (nearest tube Arsenal)
When?
Tuesdays, 6.15pm to 7.15pm, arrive at 6.05pm.
April 14 (this will be a 2 hour rehearsal from 6.30 to 8.30pm), 21, 28
May 5, 12, 19 (no rehearsal on 26 May)
June 2, 9, 16, plus Saturday 13 June – rehearsal 2pm to 4pm, and optional workshop with Andrea Haines (VOCES8) from 4.15pm to 6.15pm, venue TBC
End-of-term concert – Monday 22nd June at 7.30pm (rehearsal from 6pm)
Given as part of the Amwell Society festival at St Mark’s Church, Myddelton Square, EC1R 1XX
What’s included?
• 10 one-hour choir rehearsals plus a 2-hour Saturday rehearsal
• Sheet music/ lyrics for all songs (NB we do not supply mp3s but you may record sections of rehearsals on your phone if that’s helpful)
Cost
£120 plus £20 if you wish to attend the Andrea Haines workshop on 13th June
Low income places
To assist people who are on a low income and would otherwise be unable to afford the choir fees, we can occasionally offer reduced fee places. This is for adults aged 18+. If you would like to discuss this further, please email assistant@hannahbrine.co.uk with details of your circumstances, why you would like to join the choir and how much of the fee you could afford to pay.
Questions and answers
Q: Who can join? The choir is auditioned – this is done by video, with applicants sending a short video (1 to 2 minutes). Repertoire will be reasonably challenging and rehearsals will be focussed on a lot of detailed work.
Q: I’m going to miss a couple of the sessions – is it still OK to come? Yes. So long as you practice at home, that is fine.
Q: Will there be a performance? Yes, there will be an end-of-term performance.
Q: How do I book? Please book by selecting your voice part and following the steps through the checkout process. You will be sent all the information you need by email (please keep an eye out in your ‘junk’ and ‘spam’ folders.)
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
1) There are no refunds on membership fees.
2) Singers should be able to commit to attending 70% or more of rehearsals and are asked to sign the register at rehearsals each week.
3) We normally perform without music. Singers are asked to put in the appropriate amount of time outside of rehearsals to memorise words and learn your parts. There is usually a little bit of homework each week to revise a couple of songs to ensure we are making progress at each rehearsal.
4) Singers are required to ensure they read the weekly newsletter and communicate with us regarding any additional resources or learning.
5) When you sign up to join the choir, you agree to Hannah Brine using your data for the purposes of communicating with you about choir matters plus forthcoming events and news about the choir and Hannah’s activities. Your contact details will also be shared with the section leader so that they can send information about section-specific events (e.g. sectionals). If you do not wish to have your contact details shared for these purposes please email hannah@hannahbrine.co.uk.
