At Wall of Sound - Community Choir, rehearsals are the highlight of the week for many of our members. Every Thursday evening, we gather together at Gateacre School to blend our voices and create beautiful harmonies. Our skilled choir director, Grace Allwood, leads us through the entire session. Expect to bond with like-minded people, make new friends, and enjoy the joy of singing together as a team.

Before rehearsal:

Our group generally start arriving around 15 minutes before rehearsal starts. Grace fully encourages conversation and connection before rehearsals. These are the times where our friendships are formed, we get to know a little about each other and connect on more topics than just music.

Can you guess how many of our members have cats? Neither could we until we started talking.

Warming up: Why?

As singers and performers, it is vital to take care of our vocal health. Our voice is our primary instrument, and its proper functioning is crucial in singing with ease and expressing ourselves through music. Warm-up exercises before singing and cooling down after are equally as important in fostering vocal health. It is also essential to be mindful of our vocal technique, striving to use proper breath support, and avoid straining our vocal cords. By prioritizing our vocal health, we can ensure long-term successful singing and a lifetime of musical expression.

The sense of community and connection we feel as we create something special together is truly priceless. Even though rehearsals can be intense at times, we always have a lot of fun and leave feeling uplifted and fulfilled.

What we do regularly:

We start with working around our speaking voice, and gradually increasing the pitch that we’re using in our voices. This is a friendly and accessible way to warm up our voices at the beginning of each session. It’s also chance for us to break down our “sensible” barriers and start to have fun.

Working the Rep:

This takes so many shapes and forms, but what we can say is that you will not sing just one piece in rehearsal.

Normally, we sing something we know to start.

We then move onto our WIPS (Works in progress) this could be anything from an entire song, to one phrase or chorus. We focus on pitch, rhythm, and dynamics, trying to create a beautiful blend of all the voices present. This also allows us to build confidence, comfort, and joy into the songs, embedding the skills needed along the way.

Some weeks we do a “Sing Through”. This is where we simply gather to sing through as much of the repertoire as possible in our rehearsal session. This is a great way to go back and visit old favourites, as well as find areas that might need a little refresher in one of our sessions or before the next concert.

All along the process, we’re focused on having fun while improving your musicality and singing techniques.

Ends of rehearsal:

We always try to end with time to sing at least one song in our repertoire suggested by our choir members present. The first to shout out gets their choice. Sometimes these are songs that are loved by the whole choir, sometimes they’re songs that are only loved by a few. Nevertheless, we sing through them and have a great time doing so!

After Rehearsal:

For those new to rehearsals, Grace will gather contact details so that you can be added to the mailing list. The wonderful members help put the space back to “normal” and if there’s enough of us we head to a local establishment to share in a drink and more gossip about the week we’ve had and our plans for the weekend.

Why not come and join us?

Your first week is completely free with no obligations or tie ins. Simply turn up and sing. We can’t wait to meet you!