| About us - Home Page | This Season's Programme & Tickets | Membership - Why not join us? YOU ARE HERE | Rehearsals + Dates & Rehearsal Aids | Press Comment | Hear us in action - John purifies the basses |
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| We want you! Particularly Tenors and Sopranos! |
Do you sing for the pleasure it gives, but do not want the presssure that goes with being a member of one of the larger choral societies? Indeed, several of our members have left the big choral societies to join us for this very reason.
Although we take our singing very seriously, we are a friendly and informal bunch. And, unlike some other choral societies in this area, we actually allow ourselves the luxury of a short tea/coffee break in the middle of our rehearsals!
Are you worried about having to face the ordeal of an audition or voice test, with the possibility that you might not pass? We don't believe in auditions or voice tests. You do not even need to be able to read music to enjoy singing with us! You'll soon learn. No sight reading test is required.
A recent influx of new members has noticeably lowered our average age.
Are you looking for four-part (SATB) choral singing in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere in North or West Yorkshire? If so, singing in Wetherby in harmony in a choir with over 100 others is the place for you!
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| Church Centre, Church Street, where we rehearse. |
As David Denton said of our musical director in the Yorkshire Post, "Dunford has that type of character that persuades people to do things they never dreamed possible and to perform as if their lives depended upon it."
We are a community choir, and Membership is open to all. We are keen to encourage new members to join. You are invited to come along to a Monday evening rehearsal at the St James' Church Centre, Church Street, Wetherby and share the joy of singing. Or, if you prefer, simply contact the Secretary (Anne Sweet - Tel: 0113 266 1955) for further information. We'll arrange for someone to meet you to welcome you and introduce you to those you will be singing with. We usually have a couple of spare copies of the score for prospective members.
Why not come along for a rehearsal or two, to see if you like it, before joining us? We are sure you will want to join us!
Rather than pitch the annual subscription at a level that some members might be uncomfortable with, the Committee have recently fixed it at a minimum level, leaving members to pay a little more if they can.
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| We were founded in 1975!! |
The subscription for the 2011 - 2012 season has been held at the same level as last year - i.e. "a minimum of" £75, payable before the season's first concert. As before, do please feel entirely free to add to this, when paying your subscription, if you feel able to do so.
Please contact the Treasurer in confidence if this is more than you can manage, or if you
are thinking of joining us for only part of the season. Students are welcome without having to pay any subscription.
In terms of value, a Commmunity Choir in the district recently charged three termly subscriptions of £36 each, which is over £100 a year, so we do feel we provide exceptional value for money.
The programme for the first concert of the season is about to be printed, and will only name members who have paid their subscriptions. Under our constitution, members must pay their subscriptions not later than Monday 14 November if they wish to sing in that concert. The subscription includes the hire of books * , apart from Handel's Messiah.
* Please mark up your copy with a SOFT pencil only, NOT in ink or biro! And please rub out your scribbles before the score is returned.
Members are encouraged to pay their subscriptions by means of the government's Gift Aid scheme since, as the Society is a Charity, we can recovered part of the subscription paid by UK tax-paying members.
However, a practical problem has recently arisen. The 'tax man' now says that, to the extent that members are receiving 'tuition', this is a personal benefit and not a 'gift' and therefore does not qualify for Gift Aid tax relief. Your Committee have therefore decided to split our subscriptions into two portions - a 'tuition' part and a 'gift' part. We shall only be able to claim the tax back on the 'gift' part but, as this amounts to 25p in every pound, it is still well worth while.
Now that a decision on this has been taken, you are asked to pay your 2011 - 12 subscription urgently, if you have not already done so.
Please note: Because so many members have their own scores, we don't have copies of the Handel's Messiah score available. If you cannot borrow one, most people buy the New Novello Choral Edition, edited by WATKINS SHAW. This can be obtained from MUSIC DYNAMICS at £7.95 plus £1.25 postage - tel:01242 679379.
We MUST all try just that little harder to invite guests and sell tickets for our concerts. If only half our members could sell just 2 more tickets for each concert, we'd be better off by more than £5,000 each year !
The success of 'The Armed Man' concert in March 2011 proves that this can be done - a church full to capacity and, for the first time ever, we broke even!
The Society is grateful for the loyal support of its patrons and is pleased to offer patronage at £80 per year.
Patrons are offered reserved seats and receive two tickets for each concert. These may be used by patrons or by friends. Should you wish to support the Society in this way, then please ring the Secretary, Anne Sweet - Tel: 0113 266 1955.
If you would like to know what rehearsals are really like, please go to our " HEAR US IN ACTION " page and select "John purifies the basses" or (if you are on broadband) "See, the Conquering Hero comes" - but this might put you off if you are always serious minded and don't like a little fun at times! Rumour even has it that some members visit nearby pubs after rehearsals!
Here we are, singing carols in December 2007 outside Manning Stainton's Wetherby office. This was followed (off picture) by suitable liquid refreshment nearby.
We should very much welcome further Sponsors, both from individuals and from businesses and family or charitable trusts.
If you know of any possible Sponsors, do please contact our Sponsorship Secretary - Peter Jackson on 01937 574 001 or by e-mail at:
