Christmas With Your Choir
Christmas is that time of year when many choirs come into their own! You may be in high demand because who doesn’t love hearing those beautifully harmonised voices during the festive season? You’ll be busy, so it takes planning; although it doesn’t have to be all work and no play, why not consider some of the following options for making the best of the time of year?
Choosing the right performances!
You’ll most likely be inundated with requests to perform at this time of year, from Christmas Markets to Care Homes; everyone wants to book a local choir for their event. It’s not always about reaching the largest audience at this time of year, so look for varied opportunities. Maybe picking one significant event and then selecting some feel-good performances is the way to go; a series of care home performances would bring so much joy to the residents, and if you’re a large choir, you could split your group over a couple of different dates, so that everyone has the opportunity to perform. Plus, you can cover more venues and spread the joy of singing!
Joining other choirs
Looking for opportunities to join other choirs can be a rewarding experience and give you great exposure. Maybe there is an annual Carol Festival in your area or a Christmas event that brings in more than one performer. Not only will you have a chance to connect with other leaders, but your choir will also have the opportunity to perform for a wider audience. You never know; you may even gain some new members who like what you do!
Finding other outlets to share your music
Look at what’s happening around your town or city during the holiday season. Maybe there’s something new coming to town, like a new festival or market; they’ll be doing lots of promotion, and you could be part of it. Alternatively, look for other performers putting on Christmas Shows and approach them to see if you could back them in a couple of songs. We have been supporting three tenors for the past couple of years, and it’s been a great experience for everyone. We’re definitely of the philosophy that if you don’t ask, you don’t get and honestly, what have you got to lose?
Bling it up!
Moving onto the actual performance itself, Christmas is the one time you can “let your hair down” and be less formal. Most choirs tend to wear black for traditional performances, so why not brighten the stage with some “Christmas Bling”? Earings, tinsel, hats, reindeer ears; anything that will bring a smile to your audience’s faces and get them in the Holiday mood!
Organise a Christmas Social
Whether this is an informal pub night, Karaoke social or a formal sit-down event with entertainment, it’s fun to celebrate the end of the year with a Choir social. It’s a great way to connect with your members, and there is no better time for them to mix and mingle with their fellow choir members. It can cost as much or as little as you choose and take a lot or as little effort to organise, depending on your schedule. Or, why not approach a couple of members to help you? You could even organise an ornament exchange, gift swap, or prize for the best Christmas sweater, anything to bring the members together for a few hours of fun.
Find a charitable purpose!
As Christmas is the season of giving, why not find a charitable way to bring your choir together? Collect for the local food bank, bring warm hats and gloves for the homeless or wrap gifts for children and donate them to your city’s annual toy drive. There are many ways you, as a choir, can connect with your city or town in addition to your singing, and what a joy for your members to be part of something that benefits their local community.
When all is said and done, Christmas is a time of celebration, reflection and thoughtfulness, so find your own ways to bring the sentiment of the season to your choir, whether it’s through a charitable donation, Christmas social or spreading some Christmas cheer through your music, make the most of the season and move into the New Year, fulfilled and full of joy!
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