Membership
The Edinburgh Bach Choir has a mixed membership of up to 100, and welcomes new voices. (Download an information sheet here)
Rehearsals
The core of our activity as a choir is our Tuesday night meetings. Under the guidance of our Music Director Neil Mantle and with top quality support from Gill Gray, our piano accompanist, we learn and practise the pieces for our next concert.
We meet from 7.30pm to 9.30pm to enjoy the excellent acoustics of the Assembly Hall at the Edinburgh Academy, Henderson Row, Stockbridge where there is ample parking available in forecourt. (click here for a map)
We have 3 ‘terms’ per year:
September-December, January-March and April-May.
Auditions
In order to maintain the high standards that the Edinburgh Bach Choir is renowned for, our Musical Director, Neil Mantle, requires new applicants to give a simple audition. You will be asked to sing from a short piece of your own choice (for instance from an oratorio chorus or aria, classical song or folk-song, etc.). You will also be asked to sing scales to assess the range and the blending quality of your voice, and to undertake simple tests to show reasonable sight-reading ability and a good musical ear.
Concerts
Members are encouraged to be actively involved in selling concert tickets, although no minimum ticket sales per person are required.
Dress for concerts varies. It is normally long black dresses (or long skirt and blouse) for women and dinner jackets for men. Recent performances of the Bach Passions have been in sombre casual clothes.
Joining