Q: Does the choir meet every week?
A: The year is organised into three terms: Autumn (September-Christmas), Winter/Spring (January-March) and Summer (April-June/July).
We have breaks for Christmas, Easter and the Summer holiday
Q: What time does the choir start and finish?
A: We meet in time to start singing at 7.30pm and break for a drink around 8.30. The aim is to finish shortly after 9.30pm.
Q: How good do you need to be to sing in your choir?
A: There is no audition to join the choir. If you join you will learn to sing in tune with the more experienced singers around you. Very few people are unable to do this.
The quality of a choir's sound comes from several voices singing in tune together, often at moderate or low volume. (Think of a Welsh male voice choir.)
Q: But when I try to join in with a song on the radio I cannot usually match that. Does that mean I cannot sing in tune?
A: No. There are many reasons why this may occur. For instance the song may be outside your natural vocal singing range. (Professional singers often have wider-than average ranges.)
Q: How much would it cost me?
A: In order to cover the costs of the venue and professional Musical Director and Accompanist, plus most of the sheet music there is a subscription fee which is currently (2023) £60 per term.
Q: Do you raise money for Charities?
A: On most occasions we donate our concert profits to a charity – local or national charities or the church where we are performing. Sometimes we need to raise money for choir expenses.
Q: Do you have a Committee?
A: Yes, we have a Committee of six – the Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Librarian and two others plus the Musical Director when she is needed . We meet about once a term and before a concert and afterwards send out notes from the meeting to each choir member. Communication with the choir is done by the WhatsApp group or by email.
Q: Can you tell me something of the history of SVS?
A: The choir was founded in 1989 by Susannah Edom and Susi Morrow who both left in 2001 to further their careers but returned in 2017 to the present. In that intervening period we had 6 conductors, some for a very short time, and 2 other pianists. Over the years they have performed Gilbert and Sullivan in costume, choral works, musicals, songs written specially for the choir and most other genres of music. We have been rehearsing at Ferriers Barn for many years and they look after us well. Our Chairman, Janet Penfold, has been a member since 1989 and recalls the early days -