Be part of Heartwood!
We welcome new members: come and get involved. We currently have a waiting list, and encourage anyone who’s interested in singing with us to join it.
We’re capped at 64 singers, with equal-sized voice parts, to ensure a balanced sound. We perform without paper, so everything is sung from memory. We provide recordings, lyric sheets and scores for every song, so that everyone can approach the music in the way that suits them best. Some of our singers read music, but others don’t, and it’s all good.
You must be able to sing in tune to be a member of Heartwood
When and where
We rehearse every Thursday evening of term time, 7-9pm, and we break in school holidays.
We meet right in the middle of Bristol, in the central Quaker meeting house, which is next to Cabot Circus on Champion Square. We also run the odd ad hoc session in the woods or other pretty places, and hold socials, singing walks, camps, workshops and retreats.
How to Join
There’s no audition. Just fill out the form and sit back! At some point, when a space becomes available, we’ll be in touch. If you’re still interested, at that point, you’ll have a chat with Neil, our choir leader.
Who Can Join
We welcome everyone, with the additional criteria that all members need to be able sing in tune and have a basic sense of rhythm. If you can bring that, we can do the rest. We’ll support you on an exciting journey of harmony singing.
You don’t need:
to sing at a high level
to have had any kind of singing training
to have sung in a choir/group before
to be able to read music
You do need:
to be able to sing in tune
to have a basic sense of rhythm
to be committed to attending rehearsals and open to learning new things
to be revise songs in your own time, between rehearsals
All our songs are taught by ear, and so being able to accurately copy phrases is a very important skill to have.
If you’re not sure what we mean by singing in tune, it’s about being able to match the pitch of notes you hear, and being able to repeat that with some consistency. If you’re worried about whether or not you’re good enough, you probably are. In reality, lots of people think they can’t sing, when in fact they very much can (and of these who can’t yet, many can learn).
If you are interested in singing with us (or in general), and you’re not sure if you meet our criteria, or if you just want some advice, please do feel free to get in touch. Wer’re happy to help, and our leader, Neil, offers 1-to-1 session you might find useful.
We don’t have auditions. Instead, we ask every new joiner if they think they can sing a 5-note phrase back. If they reckon they can, they are in. Simple as that. If it turns out down the line they are struggling with this, we might need to check in. We can offer support and a plan to try to help you reach the level required.
Sessions cost £10, payable termly, in advance. You can join any time, it doesn’t need to be the beginning of a term. Your first session with us is free, so you can try before you buy.
Because we are capped, we often have a waiting list to join, as mentioned above. In fact we have 4 waiting lists, as each voice part has its own. Do you know if you’re happiest singing soprano, alto, tenor or bass? If you don’t know, don’t worry (we can figure it out).
It’s hard to predict how long it might take to reach the top of a waiting list. It can be pretty quick, or it can take a while. However there’s no obligation to join once you get to the top. At that point we get in touch and see if you’re still interested. If so, you come in for a free taster session, and after that the ball is in your court. If you’d prefer to have your free taster session sooner, we can arrange that no problem.
If you’d like to be added to the waiting list, please complete the short form on this page.
If you have any other questions, please get in touch.