Voices of Bray Community Choir is an open and inclusive choir, formed with the primary objective of making choral music for the enjoyment of its members and for the community and the surrounding areas. The choir promotes the well-being of its members through the enjoyment of singing. Emphasis is also placed on promoting a community spirit and social interaction among its members.
Although based in Bray, our membership spans north Wicklow and south County Dublin.
Concert performances are undertaken with the aim of raising money for local charities and causes.
Rehearsals take place each Wednesday night from 7.45pm to 9.45pm in the Taylor Centre, Sunbeam House, Vevay Road, Bray. There is a 15-minute break midway for a cuppa and a chat. If required in the run-up to a performance, extra rehearsals (which would typically be on a Sunday afternoon) may be scheduled at the discretion of the Musical Director.
The choir year runs from early September to early June the following year, with a break for Christmas and the New Year.
In general, the choir aims to schedule two concert performances each year (typically early June and early December). Outside of this, the choir seeks opportunities to perform shorter recitals at suitable events and venues, including choral festivals and competitions both in Ireland and overseas.
To date, the choir has performed an annual summer season of concerts (typically 3 nights) in the Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray and an annual Christmas concert in St. Fergal’s Church, Bray. The choir has also performed at Culture Night in 2015 at Bray Civic Centre and at the switching on of Christmas lights the same year. In 2017, the choir participated in the North Wales Choral Festival and in the Wicklow Sings Festival in 2018 and 2019.
The choir’s repertoire is mainly drawn from the pop, rock and musical theatre genres (though additional genres may be included in the future). The choir repertoire is constantly reviewed by the Musical Director, with new songs added to the repertoire each year, as well as re-visiting and developing material from the choir archives.
Concert programmes, which are selected by the Musical Director, are designed to include a good variety of songs and something to suit all tastes in our audiences. The majority of the choir repertoire is 4-part singing – soprano, alto, tenor and bass (SATB).
You can send an initial membership request via the Contact Us section of this website. We are at full capacity most of the time but please do contact us. If there is a vacancy you will be more than welcome to join us. If not, you can opt to join the waiting list.
There is a membership subscription fee which currently stands at €120 per annum (2019/2020). This is reviewed by the choir committee on an annual basis in light of projected running costs.
The subscription covers cost of sheet music, occasional choir workshops, several social nights per year, tea / coffee / biscuits at rehearsals and all other running costs of the choir.
For ease of administration, we request that the subscription is paid in two moieties (autumn / spring) or in one payment in the autumn if preferred.
There is no audition to join the choir. If you are unsure which part you should sing, no problem – you can select a section to join and see how you get on. Alternatively, the Musical Director will be happy to advise on a suitable part based on your voice.
We often hear “I love to sing, but I’m not a singer”. Some members have had choir experience, but many have not. The only prerequisite at Voices of Bray is that you enjoy singing.
It is not necessary to be able to read music. The Musical Director teaches each line during rehearsal. In addition, learning tracks are provided (mp3 files) which members can use at home to revise their lines by ear.
Members are encouraged to attend all rehearsals as new ground is covered almost every week. However, with busy lives and other commitments, it is to be expected that members will occasionally miss a rehearsal. In such cases, members can keep up to date using the provided learning tracks. Where attendance falls below 70% for the term, participation in the next concert is at the discretion of the Musical Director.
To contact us please send an email to : Voicesofbray@gmail.com
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