Rehearsals and Subscriptions

We rehearse every Monday evening during school term times between 7.30pm and 9.30pm in the main hall of Abbey Park middle School in Pershore.You would be welcome to come to a rehearsal for a taster session to decide if the choir is for you. For a short extract of a rehearsal session, please watch the video below.

Singing in the Abbey.
How often does the question “Do you play an instrument?” get a reply such as “My parents made me take up the piano when I was 7, but I lost interest later on and gave it up – but I wish now that I had kept it up“. Not to worry! We all have a God-given instrument from birth – the human voice – that we know how to use, but can always learn to use it better.
In recent years, people have been talking a lot about their Mental Health which seems to cover a myriad of conditions including such things as insecurity, anxiety and loneliness. What people forget is that there is help close at hand to help them cope with this and that is Singing Together. Just look at what Gareth Malone’s Military Wives Choirs were able to achieve!
My singing journey began 70 years ago as a chorister in the Victorian Gothic splendour of Cheltenham College Chapel. From there the journey has taken me to sing in different choirs – some of several hundred strong – in some fabulous locations such as King’s College Chapel at Cambridge, Free Trade Hall in Manchester, Worcester Cathedral, the Royal Festival Hall and many concerts in the Royal Albert Hall. Music that was not only sacred but also joyous secular works such as Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast and the Gilbert and Sullivan night at the Proms.
For the last 7 years my musical home has been Pershore Choral and the wonderful music they perform in The Abbey with its amazing acoustics accompanied by an orchestra or the fabulous Ruffatti Organ.
As I look around the choir before the start of a rehearsal, I am struck by smiling faces, animated conversation and then the joy of achievement at the end of the rehearsal. If this is what you would like too, come and try it! Singing does not have a “sell by date” or, indeed, a minimum age! As the chorus of the Hymn “Let us build a house” puts it – “All are welcome in this place”!
If you are still not quite sure, why not come to our Come and Sing Day on 10th October 2026 when we shall be rehearsing the main work to be performed at our November 2026 concert “The Armed Man” by Sir Karl Jenkins which has just been voted top of the Classic FM Hall of Fame for 2026? Details will appear on the Pershore Choral Website in the Summer. The feedback from our previous Come and Sing Day highlighted the friendly atmosphere glorious musicmaking and the wonderful cakes at Coffee time! Don’t miss it!
John Waters   Tenor

     Letters from recent members

I would like to thank the choir (especially the altos) for being so welcoming when I joined two years ago. I have thoroughly enjoyed singing with Pershore Choral and I have learned so much from Carlton’s musical direction. The performance which will remain with me is Bob Chilcott’s Requiem (who knew singing a piece with 7 beats in a bar could be so much fun!). The rehearsals which have made the greatest impression on me were those last term for Haydn’s Creation, when we were drilled to stay on/ahead of the beat to be best prepared to sing with orchestra. This really brought the music to life for me.
MR April 2026

This is the start of my third year with Pershore Choral and I have really enjoyed it and .I have learned so much under the direction of Carlton and Tim. We are very fortunate to have them both.
I am particularly enjoying the current session with the Vivaldi and Mozart and looking forward to the May concert.
My previous choir in France was similar in repertoire to Pershore Town Choir but I was always drawn to sacred music so the repertoire of Choral is ideal and fits in well with my Christian beliefs.
I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for all your efforts in connection with the choir.
Kind Regards, A,    May 2026

Subscriptions are due at the beginning of the season in September.

Current subscription rates are:

Free for members 25 and under
£100 for members aged 26 and over

New members who join Pershore Choral in January pay 50% of the membership fee. Please note only ‘paid up’ members will be allowed to take part in our concerts.

Musical Standards and Auditions

Pershore Choral is an amateur choir with an excellent reputation and members are expected to be able to sing in tune, hold a line and follow a standard four part vocal score. The ability to sight read is a definite advantage.
There are no formal auditions, however you may be asked to attend a simple voice test at the discretion of the Musical Director. 

Music Scores for Concerts
The cost of these are covered by annual subscriptions with the exception of 100 Carols for Choirs (Wilcocks and Rutter edn) and The Messiah (Novello Handel edn), which every member needs for Christmas Concerts . A black concert folder should be purchased from the Librarian.

There are often free online music accompaniments for each voice part available , particularly for the larger scale classical works. These make practising between rehearsals easier for most choir members with internet access. YouTube clips of other good quality choirs performing the pieces are also a help

 Commitment

We ask that members commit themselves fully to the programme. Some works are more challenging and less well known than others but it is only in this way that we can improve and enlarge our repertoire. Regular attendance and a willingness to practise at home is required. Attendance at all rehearsals is desirable and at the very least, attendance at 75% of sessions is expected. In addition to qualify to sing in the concert, subscriptions must be up to date and members must be in attendance at 2 out of the 3 last Monday rehearsals and attend the Saturday afternoon rehearsal of the concert.

 Concerts

We perform in Pershore Abbey, a superb venue with acoustics which are ideal for a chorus of our size. We work with a number of professional orchestras and soloists who join us from all over the country. Choir dress code for concerts is black tie for men and black for women. Saturday afternoon rehearsals start at 2.30pm promptly.

Constitution
For the rules governing our activities, please click here to read out Constitution.