Our choir is relaxed, friendly and informal so you can expect a warm welcome on arrival. You’ll be greeted by a member of the choir management team who will share some information about Choir on the Hill, explain the registration process and offer you free refreshments. We’ll then pair you up with someone who can guide you through what we do at rehearsals. After the session, we can answer any further questions you may have. We hope that you’ll enjoy your free Taster Session and will want to join us for more.

Yes! You can come for a FREE taster session before joining to see if you like singing with us. You can read more about Choir on the Hill taster sessions by clicking the button below.

Female singers of all abilities may join - no prior singing experience is necessary. As a women’s community choir, we welcome both cis and transgendered women. We also welcome non-binary people who are comfortable being in a womens’ exclusive environment. Choir on the Hill has always aimed to be a space where women can feel safe and empowered to make music and socialise together. We would, therefore, actively encourage men to find choirs that offer the same for them and, where possible, we try to suggest alternative choir groups for men to consider.

No, there is no need to audition. Singers of all abilities and levels of experience are welcome.

No, you don't have to attend every week, however, as a small, volunteer-led, not-for-profit community group, we rely heavily on membership payments so that we can provide engaging, high-quality rehearsals in a comfortable, spacious venue. In order to run, promote and grow this community group, we encourage as many members as possible to sign up for a subscription and commit to attending each week, if they can. If you are unable to come for a week or more, we have resources available via our Members pages in our Lyric and Audio Library so you can practice and catch up on what you've missed. We also provide a weekly update on what happened in rehearsal on our Bulletin board.

No previous experience is required. You don't need to worry about the strength of your voice or what type of singer you are. If you enjoy singing - even if it's in the car or the shower - you are welcome to join!

We sing a mixture of pop music, songs from musicals, folk tunes and sometimes the odd sea shanty! We regularly ask the choir for song recommendations and like to try new things, or sing things in new ways (e.g. acapella, harmonies, mixture of solos and ensembles).

No, we usually perform using a song folder which contains all the lyrics. Learning the words can always improve performances, both for you and our audiences, but it isn't necessary to do so.

No, you don't need to read music, but for those that do, we're hoping to provide the musical score where possible. We make lyrics available in printed form and online via our website Lyric and Audio Library. We learn songs by ear and we make recordings at our rehearsals. These are also stored in the Library so that you can practice at home if you want to.

We try to do at least one performance per term but sometimes we'll do two or three, depending on the term and the opportunities there are - e.g. Christmas can be a busier period for this. We do a mixture of indoor and outdoor performances locally, often with a community focus. Sometimes we perform on our own - for example, outside at the Horniman Museum and Gardens market - and sometimes we'll perform as part of an ensemble show - for example, the Stanley Halls Christmas Concert.

No, there is absolutely no obligation to perform. You are very welcome to attend rehearsals just to enjoy singing without having to participate in events. We do find, however, that the majority of our members thoroughly enjoy performing once they get past any initial concerns about singing live. Our choir community supports anyone who feels nervous or apprehensive and we also help prepare for shows - for example, practicing standing in performance formation to get you used to how that feels.

Our rehearsals are coordinated by our Choir Management Team and led by our Music Director, Elena Corrosa. ​ 7.30- 7.45pm Refreshments and notices - We spend the first 15 minutes of rehearsal having refreshments* and catching up on any announcements and notices. 7.45 - 9.00pm Warm-ups - We'll then spend some time warming up. This usually involves a mixture of gentle physical movement and singing exercises. We also look at breathing and singing techniques. Singing - Once we're warmed up, we focus on learning a new song or revisiting and practicing something we've worked on before. This includes learning different harmonies or working on parts of a song that need a little more attention. Rehearsing for performance - if we have a performance coming up, we will practice the songs in running order to prepare us for singing live. ​​ *Free cake and refreshments are provided before each rehearsal. If you're a keen baker, there's also a chance to join our baking rota!

Rehearsals are on Thursdays during term time: 7.30 - 7.45 coffee and cake 7.45 - 9.00 singing All dates are in our online calendar We meet at: All Saints Primary School Upper Beulah Hill, Upper Norwood, London, SE19 3LG  Details on how to find us are here.

As a small, volunteer-led, not-for-profit community group, we rely heavily on membership payments so that we can provide engaging, high-quality rehearsals, led by an experienced music director, in a comfortable and spacious venue. For this reason, we encourage as many members as possible to sign up for a subscription and commit to attending each week, if you can. Please see FAQ 'What does membership include?' to see how fees cover so much more than just rehearsal time. PAYG Membership is £10.00 per session (or £5.00 concessionary rate*). You can pay on the door using our card reader. We use Stripe, a secure payment processing platform. Subscription is at a discounted rate of £9.00 per session (or £4.50 concessionary rate*). The cost of the subscription will reflect the number of weekly sessions in a given period (half term or full term) and is payable in advance. The payment will be taken safely and securely through Stripe online payments. If you are interested in setting up a subscription, lease email sing@choironthehill.com or speak to a member of the management team. Note: subscriptions will be non refundable (other than in exceptional circumstances) even if you miss a session. What happens to your membership payments All payments will be overseen by the Choir on the Hill management team, accounted for by our treasurer, and will be used solely for the running, promotion and activity of the choir. *CONCESSIONARY RATES At Choir on the Hill, we're committed to removing barriers when it comes to understanding, enjoying, and participating in music. We've calculated our weekly fee to be as low as possible, however, if you find this unaffordable, you may be eligible for our concessionary rate (PAYG £5.00 pw or Subscription £4.50 x no of weeks in a term, which is half the standard rate). The concession membership may be helpful for those who are unwaged, on low income or receiving governmental support through benefits. We don't ask for any 'proof', however, we do ask you to let us know if your circumstances change and you become able to pay the full rate. For every person who is happy to pay the full membership rate, it means that more can go towards growing and running our amazing choir.

*CONCESSIONARY RATES At Choir on the Hill, we're committed to removing barriers when it comes to understanding, enjoying, and participating in music. We've calculated our weekly fee to be as low as possible, however, if you find this unaffordable, you may be eligible for our concessionary rate (PAYG £5.00 pw or Subscription £4.50 x no of weeks in a term, which is half the standard rate). The concession membership may be helpful for those who are unwaged, on low income or receiving governmental support through benefits. We don't ask for any 'proof', however, we do ask you to let us know if your circumstances change and you become able to pay the full rate. For every person who is happy to pay the full membership rate, it means that more can go towards growing and running our amazing choir. Please email sing@choironthehill.com for more information or speak to a member of the management team at rehearsal.

Membership includes weekly term-time rehearsals where you will learn singing techniques as well as a varied repertoire of songs. You will also have access to our website which includes lyrics, musical accompaniment and recordings of the songs we are learning, as well as a back catalogue of songs we've worked on in the past. There will be also be a number of performance opportunities each term.