Being a member of East London Chorus means being part of a committed, lively and very friendly group of singers. You can be sure of a warm welcome!
We come from all walks of life, range in age from our 20s to our 80s and have a variety of singing experiences. Most of us live or work in the local area, but some travel from further afield in London. Whatever our background, we all share one thing – a passion for singing.
Together we perform at a high level, not just because of the support from each member, but because our rehearsals include expert tuition from our charismatic music team, music director Jessica Norton and accompanist George Ireland. You can expect entertaining and lively rehearsals, where over time you will develop your voice and improve your singing technique.
We are currently recruiting in all voice parts, but would be especially keen to hear from sopranos and basses.
From the moment I joined my first open rehearsal, I knew I wanted to join ELC. What stood out for me was the excellent music team (Jessica and George), and the talent and friendliness of the singers. Since joining the choir, my singing technique, sight-reading and knowledge of music theory have improved so much, and I've been able to tackle some really challenging, enjoyable repertoire.
Steph (Alto) - ELC member since 2019
Everything you need to know
Rehearsals
We currently rehearese on Tuesdays between 7:30pm and 9:30pm at St John’s Church on Broadway in Stratford.
From January 2025, our rehearsal venue will change to Chobham Academy, 40 Cheering Lane, Stratford E20 1BD.
Our rehearsal schedule usually follows school term dates (Autumn, Spring and Summer terms) with a break over the summer holidays. There may occasionally be additional rehearsals on other days (e.g. dress-rehearsals on concert days), but you will receive plenty of notice about these.
Our rehearsal venue is centrally located in Stratford, with excellent access to public transport via bus, tube, and national rail, and the CS2 cycle path. There is also a small car park available at the venue.
Subscription fees
Members of the choir pay a subscription fee each term to help cover the cost of rehearsals.
Our current subscription rates are:
- Standard rate: £24 per month
- Concessionary rate: £16 per month
We would never want financial concerns to prevent someone from singing with us. Please reach out to our membership secretary Rosemary Lucas: to discuss alternative arrangements if required.
Concerts
We aim to give a concert at the end of each term, usually on a Saturday evening, in venues in east or central London.
On occasion, the choir will be invited to sing at other events, which may be during the week or fall during normal working hours. Participation in these events is entirely optional, and you will receive plenty of notice about them.
Entry Requirements
There are only three requirements to join our choir:
- You must be 18 years old or over
- You must be able to read music
- You must pass a short, friendly audition
We don’t require our members to have any formal training or qualifications in music, and are happy to welcome new joiners who have never sung in a choir before. However, to continue performing at the highest standard, our rehearsals are fast-paced and focus less on note-bashing and more on improving our singing and performance technique. Therefore, we do require new members to be able to read music and pass a short, friendly audition.
If you are unsure whether you meet the required standard, you are very welcome to try out the choir at one of our open rehearsals, or to reach out to our membership secretary, Rosemary Lucas: .
Diversity and inclusion
We are committed to developing our choir membership so it represents the full diversity of our vibrant local community.
- Although we regularly sing Christian sacred music and rehearse and perform in churches, we are a secular choir and warmly welcome members of any faith or of no faith.
- Our rehearsal venue is fully accessible, and we will gladly make reasonable adjustments to our rehearsals in order to accommodate those with disabilities. Please reach out to our membership secretary Rosemary Lucas: to discuss your needs.
- As a choir, we respect gender diversity. Each member is assigned to a voice part based on their vocal range and preference, not their biological sex.
I hadn't sung in a choir for a few years and was worried I'd be rusty. The ELC have been so welcoming and I've really enjoyed my first term with them so far - the quality of the singing and musical direction have been fab.
Esther (Soprano)
Interested?
Great! Whether you’re firmly committed or just interested in trying us out, the process is simple. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know us better and ask questions before making any commitments
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Contact our membership secretary
In the first instance, contact our membership secretary Rosemary Lucas: , and let her know which voice part you are (soprano, alto, tenor, bass). She will ensure you have all of the information you need, answer any questions you may have, and will provide a warm welcome at your first rehearsal.
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Come to an open rehearsal
We have two open rehearsals at the beginning of each term. They are great opportunities to get to know the choir and music team, have a taste of the kind of repertoire we sing, and see if the choir is a good fit for you.
Click here to view the dates of our upcoming open rehearsals.
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Audition
After attending two rehearsals, you will be offered the opportunity to audition for the choir. We aim to make ours as informal and friendly as possible. They only last about five minutes and will be conducted privately by the music director either before/after a rehearsal, or during a break. It consists of four parts and is far less intimidating than it sounds!
- Performance of a short prepared piece. This is a work of your own choice. It could be a solo song, folk song or hymn. It should be a notated work. The MD will be listening for intonation, tone, diction, communication of the meaning behind the song, and of course to musicality and attention to details such as dynamics and phrasing.
- Sight-reading. This will be a short extract with some occasional challenging rhythms and intervals. It will be accompanied and you will have two attempts.
- Aural tests. You will be asked to sing a short phrase played to you on the piano twice, and to sing the middle note of a chord played on the piano.
- Vocal range. You’ll finally be asked to sing scales to the higher and lower extremities of your voice so that the MD can assess which voice part you might join.
You will not necessarily be informed of the result of your audition immediately, as this is at the discretion of the MD, but you will definitely be informed whether you have passed within the next two days.
Once you have passed the audition, you will not be required to re-audition in the future.
If you don’t pass the audition, don’t worry! You’ll be given feedback on how to improve, and will be welcome to try again in the future.
