All of our choirs are partnered with at least one other choir running in the nearby area (usually 10-15mins away by car) but on a different night. For example, Tunbridge Wells Choir runs on a Monday evening and Tonbridge Choir runs on a Wednesday eve. This gives members the opportunity to attend either or both choirs as and when they need to - for example, you have a one off engagement but don't want to miss out on the learning, or your shift patterns change from month to month. You do not need to let anyone know, just turn up. The same material is learnt across all our sessions every week for consistency and progression. You are also not limited to the nominated partner choir, for example, you could drop into one of our London choirs before commuting back to Kent.

We do not offer refunds unless something has been charged in error. We have Pay As You Go plans for those who are not yet sure if they want to commit for a year, so if you are unsure, choose one of those (monthly or termly) and you can upgrade to an Annual plan whenever you want, should you want to. Please refer to our membership policy on our website footer for our cancellations policy on Annual Plans.

A year. It is still an Annual plan but by paying monthly you still get a saving for your commitment and the membership is split into manageable monthly payments. If you sign up for this plan then you are still committed for a year. However, if you wish to cancel within this term, you can revert to a FLEXI Monthly plan (what you would have been on for flexibility - and pay an early cancellation fee worked out as follows; Months with us @ £40 minus fees already paid.

If you can commit to our choir annually then we get to spend more time arranging great songs and organising exciting gigs - and less time administrating you! We are more than happy to pass on the saving to you, the more you can commit, the better the saving.

No. All payments are handled through the website using Stripe's secure card payments. We no longer accept cash or cheque or accept payment through BACs.

No. Unfortunately we don't have the facilities or suport staff to manage payments weekly at sessions. We offer PAYG monthly and termly for those that want the option of a shorter commitment although we recommend the annual memberships for the best savings! We also believe that in order to get the most out of choir, a degree of commitment is necessary. We also run a workshop series if you are looking for one-off events.

We offer a drop-in style in-person membership - if you can't make your usual home choir then you can drop in to any other session that week so you don't have to miss out. If you are away for the whole week then our monday night rehearsals will be livestreamed and archived on our exclusive facebook group UK Soul CHoirs - HOME SING so you don't fall behind.

No. Unlike some other choirs, we believe that your membership should include the core tools to learn the repertoire we teach. And so all learning resources are included in your membership and fully accessible through your member's area using your registered email address to login!

Yes we do, we offer the following concessions, if you fall under one of these categories then apply CONC30 as a discount code on annual one off membership or CONC30MONTH for annual monthly payments. This will reduce your membership by £30. Concessions are only applicable to Annual Memberships and Annual Pay Monthly Memberships. You are limited to one concessions discount per membership. We can only operate concessions on a trust basis so please consider not using the code if you don’t need to so we can prioritise those that do. We reserve the right to withdraw our concessions policy if misapplied. Please check the following concessions definitions to see if it applies to you: Senior/Retired - If you are officially retired or aged 66 or over. Family - It’s a family affair! For those who have a spouse or family member also paying choir membership (including any multiple household members). This should be applied to all family members. I.e mother/daughter, spouses, long-term partners. Unemployed - For those who are receiving jobseekers allowance, or the self-employed going through a difficult patch, no questions asked. Students - Students in full-time or part-time education. Registered Disabled - If you have a registered disability and receive benefits or a blue badge for example. NHS and emergency services workers. A small thank you for the work you have done over the last few years and continuing forwards.

Each of our 3 terms work towards at least one end of term performance in each of our 3 main areas (SE London, Kent (Whitstable and Canterbury) and Medway (Maidstone and Rochester). This usually includes a ticketed evening concert raising funds for charity, when friends and family can come and enjoy the work you have put in all term. These concerts are not obligatory but we do encourage members to take part - even in their first term - as they really build confidence and are brilliant fun! We also regularly do local public events too such as community fairs and events etc or even busking for charity! We have been involved in many high end performances such as the main stage at On Blackheath Festival and Dreamland Margate and also performed alongside major artist such as Jocelyn Brown and Lemar. As well as the main choir, we sometimes audition for our smaller chamber choir to perform at concerts and we also have a professional arm of the choir for more experienced members where we perform at weddings and corporate / private events. We dedicate the summer term to outdoor and popup performances at community events and local festivals.

We don't have any uniform at UK Soul Choirs so you are welcome to dress however you like for rehearsals. We recommend something loose and comfortable so you feel relaxed when you sing. For performances we ask everyone to dress in black and purple (without patterns) as these are our choir colours, but this can be as smart casual or as glam as you like. We also always encourage a bit of sparkle!

Absolutely! UK Soul Choirs is as much about friendship as it is about singing and great friendships have been made at all our branches. We have a private members facebook group for London and for Kent, so members can chat and get to know each other between rehearsals. We encourage people to get to know one another in person too and often go for a local post-rehearsal drink. Everyone is very friendly so even if you come to choir by yourself you wont be left alone. We also have social secretaries in each of our 3 choir areas who organise at least one termly social event which everyone is invited to attend. This can be anything from a dinner or a party through to a coach trip or a theatre show. Our social secretaries are great at finding fun things that appeal to all our members and we have had many brilliant events!

There are several options for members if you can't make your usual rehearsal. Firstly, you can just go along to a different rehearsal that week and join there instead - they will be learning the same song at a similar pace. If you can't make any in person rehearsal you have the option of logging in to our private facebook group to watch a video of the Monday evening rehearsal that week (or watch it live) so you can catch up anytime on any weeks you miss. As a member you will also have full learning resources with recordings of everything we are learning in choir so you can certainly keep up to date by practising from these resources at home.

Ideally we prefer members to learn everything by ear during rehearsals but we understand this is scary at first, so you can use lyrics whilst you're getting to grips with the words. Usually lyrics can be found on google on your phone if needed or always via the members resources area. As a member you have full access to learning resources on the website. Here you can find recordings for each song with individual voice parts, plus 'full parts' so you can practise singing along and sticking to your part at home. It's not obligatory to practise between sessions but we know that those that do find rehearsals and performances easier and more rewarding. Our recordings can be downloaded so you can listen to them as and when you like - in the car is always a good one!

No, the joy of choir is the chorusing of voices, many sound much better than one in our opinion. Occasionally we do have small solo opportunities within arrangements to mix up the textures and anyone can audition for these by sending us a recording using their phone once we’ve been learning it for a few weeks. We’ve had so many members who vowed never to sing a solo who now put themselves forward all the time. We also have members who have been with us for years who still have no interest in doing solos, it’s entirely up to you!

Absolutely not! Whilst we welcome experienced singers who become an integral part of choir makeup, we also thrive on nurturing untapped ability which we believe 99.99% of people have. The voice is a muscle that needs training and your ear is a sensor that needs training. If you’re keen then anyone can do it! Check out our testimonials from current members!

This will vary between people but as the voice is made up of a series muscles, the more frequently you work on it by listening and practicing, the easier it will become. Be patient, most people start feeling more vocal confidence after the first or second term. Remember, our membership includes dropping in at any rehearsal each week, and since we practice the same material across our sessions, you can dive in for as much choir as you want!

In most cases the leader will get a good idea of your natural voice part by listening to your talking voice but if you haven’t sung much before or it’s been a while you will find your range has decreased, usually putting you in the altos rather than sopranos (as a female voice). As an alto, when your voice strengthens you may find you will move into the sopranos which might be better suited to your voice. If you have a male voice, you will be sat with the tenors but don’t worry if you don’t have a high male voice, most of our parts sit in a baritone range between bass and tenor, always with options on the high notes!

No, we introduce all the material in the session and if you are on a Free Taster in the middle of a term then whilst there may be some songs others have learnt, there will always be new material for you to try in the session. If you don't manage to join at the beginning of a term then catchup is made easier for you, as,when you sing through songs, others who have already learnt them will have more confidence around you.

Once you have paid and registered as a member, you will be sent an email to confirm and you will be redirected to the members page. You will have access to the choir resources from there.

The Annual membership is a rolling contract for a full 12 months and includes access to our resources, attendance at the rehearsals and 3 full terms and performances. You can either pay in one lump sum, or split the cost across 12 months - both are extremely good value. The Flexi membership is a little more, but you can come for just a few months or terms. We'd always encourage you to switch to Annual if you can as it will save you money.

Arrive 5-10mins before the session start and introduce yourself to the leader who will probably be near the piano at the front. They will help find you a seat by asking you a few questions about your voice and introduce you to some people in your part.