Fun, friendly and fulfilling community choirs in Horsham and Chichester
YOUR WEEKLY TONIC
Big Notes Choir is a community choir made up of music lovers of all ages and stages. We meet @8pm in Horsham on Monday evenings and in Chichester on Thursdays to enjoy singing everything from classical to pop with a definite stop off in the world of musical theatre along the way. Bring a glass for our break time when we share a complimentary glass of wine or soft drink and catch up with other members of the community.
IS IT FOR ME?
Perhaps you've never sung outside of the shower, or you've trodden the boards in the West End?
We are passionate that singing is an activity that all can enjoy. If you can hold a tune when singing happy birthday and singing brings you joy, then you are welcome to come along. We have all sorts of members from living room pop stars to ex-choristers and many different types of people enjoy our music making. There are no auditions and although we use sheet music for most things, there is no requirement for members to be able to read it. We generally produce learning tracks which some folk find very helpful in learning parts and although the quality of the weekly experience of being at choir is our aim, we also look for diverse performance opportunities on a regular basis. As a guide, most of our members have either sung in choirs at school, played an instrument at some point, enjoyed singing before or had some kind of musical experience when growing up, but this isn't always the case. Choir generally takes place term times only and payments are spread throughout the year with a regular monthly subscription.
MEET THE TEAM
We pride ourselves on getting the balance just right between expecting high standards and making each evening at choir the most enjoyable night of your week. Let's just say Big Notes Choir is 'Seriously Fun'.
MARK BRADBURY
Director
Mark Bradbury trained classically at the Royal Academy of Music. He performed for many years in professional choirs and opera companies at Glyndebourne and in Paris, Berlin and Salzburg. He enjoys training singers across a broad range of vocal styles in his Horsham Singing Teacher studio, works in the voice department at several institutions and is the director of the West Sussex Youth Choirs.
IAN GARDNER
Piano (Horsham)
Ian Gardner is Mark’s regular right-hand man and is at the piano most weeks during rehearsals and performances in Horsham. Ian studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama as a singer and jazz pianist and is an all round whizzy musician. Ian is head of music at The Weald secondary school in Billingshurst and continues to enjoy singing and playing all types of music professionally. He turns his hand to arranging beautifully for choirs and Big Notes regularly perform Ian's creations.
TRACEY CARR
Piano (Chichester)
Tracey Carr accompanies the choir at Chichester rehearsals having previously met Mark through his “Little Notes” music sessions for toddlers. Previously enjoying a career in Finance, Tracey went on to study music at Chichester University and has accompanied adult and children’s choirs in schools, churches and the community. She also works with the Bernardi Music Group with finance, administration and event management.
HOW CAN I JOIN?
You can join any time, although you'll find it easiest coming along towards the start of a school term. Payment is by monthly instalments spread across the year, but you are welcome to leave at any time. Click one of the buttons below to setup your direct debit payment with GoCardless and you will then be directed to join our members only mailing list for your choir, which allows us to keep in touch with you from week to week. You'll then receive a welcome email telling you all you need to know. If you're still not sure you're ready to commit, drop me an email and pop along to see how you get on.
BIG NOTES CHOIR HORSHAM
Horsham Big Notes Choir meets on Mondays at 8pm at St Mary's Barn, Horsham. We have free onsite parking for around 40 cars and are right in the heart of Horsham on the Causeway RH12 1HE. You can find the barn on Google Maps here. We love to welcome new members to this friendly established choir and can't wait to meet you to sing and share a weekly glass of wine.
Summer term dates in Horsham are:
April 15, 22, 29
May 5 (Performance Piries Place 12:45)
May 13, 20
June 3, 10, 17, 24, 30 (Performance Drill Hall)
1, 8 July
BIG NOTES CHOIR CHICHESTER
Our Big Notes Choir in Chichester meets at 8pm in the beautiful Studio with glass walls and a living wall at Graylingwell Pavilion just North of Chichester city centre. Parking is available alongside the pavilion and needs to be paid for using the Just Park app. Please read the find us information on the Pavilion website before your visit and be sure to approach from the West (College Road side) to avoid a walk in the dark. We can't wait to welcome you!
Summer term dates in chichester:
April 18, 25
May 2, 9, 16, 23
June 6, 13, 20 (Performance at Graylingwell Chapel)
June 27
july 4, 11
Concerts
Check out our forthcoming performances
FAQ
DO I NEED TO BE ABLE TO READ MUSIC?
Reading music is a bonus and we will use sheet music for much of our repertoire, but many of our members do not read music and love singing in our choir.
CAN I PAY TERMLY INSTEAD OF SUBSCRIBING MONTHLY?
If you really want to pay in lump sums at the start of each term, you can contact me to arrange this but it will cost a little more over time and we think you'll find monthly direct debit to be the best option. You can cancel your direct debit at any time, however if you leave and rejoin soon after, we ask that you settle up for the intervening period.
DO I NEED TO AUDITION?
There are no auditions in our choir and anyone over the age of 18 is welcome to join. It's easiest joining towards the start of a school term when we tend to take on more new repertoire, but you can become a member at any time. If you are unsure, why not join for a month and you can always cancel your membership after a few weeks if you decide it's not for you.
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU SING?
Our repertoire is very broad and includes choral arrangements of gospel, pop, musical theatre, songs from the movies and some classical pieces.
WILL MY DIRECT DEBIT CONTINUE THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS?
Yes, the monthly subscription is a way of spreading the cost of choir membership over the whole year. If you are continuing as a choir member, please continue with your monthly payments to avoid the need to charge you a lump sum when you return. Do contact me if you need to take some time out during the year or if times are particularly hard.
HOW DO I JOIN?
it's best to join us in the first half of term and ideally not directly before a concert. Towards the beginning of a term, simply click on the 'Join Now' button in the 'How can I join?' section above. If you'd rather pop along first to see what we do, you are more than welcome. Just drop me an email or Facebook message so I know you're coming.
