Description
This subscription is for the Autumn term 2026 onwards and is available only to current choir members. First payment must be made before the end of May 2026.
You are invited to sign up for a subscription membership with Finsbury Park Singers, led by Charles MacDougall.
Contrary to the email sent out, we have now switched to a direct debit method to replace the previous arrangement which took payments by credit or debit card. Sign up here.
Where?
St John’s Highbury Vale School, Conewood Street, Islington N5 1DL (nearest tube Arsenal)
When?
Tuesdays, 7.30pm to 9pm. Term and concert dates to be confirmed. To be valid for the Autumn term 2026, the first monthly payment must be made before the end of May 2026. The cost is £30 / month, equivalent to £120 per term (3 terms per year).
The Autumn term dates are:
October 6, 13, 20
November 3, 10, 17, 24
December 1, 8, 15
Please note that the rehearsals on 24 November, 1 December and 8 December will be taken by an assistant conductor as Charles is away on tour
End-of-term concert on Saturday 19 December at Holy Sepulchre Church, Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2DQ, setting up / rehearsal from 1pm, concert at 4pm
What’s included?
Rehearsals
Sheet music/ lyrics for all songs (which we will supply)
Rehearsal mp3s where appropriate
Cost
£30 per month
The payments are applied as follows:
May, June, July, August – payment for Autumn term. First payment to be made in May.
September, October, November, December – payment for Spring term. First payment to be made in September.
January, February, March, April – payment for Summer term. First payment to be made in January.
If your monthly payments are cancelled, suspended or the payment is not completed, your membership will be cancelled and your place offered to another singer on the waiting list.
If you find you are not able to join for a term you can cancel your subscription up until 14 days before the date of the first rehearsal and you will receive a refund of the fees paid for that particular term, minus an administration fee of £10. Please note that if you leave the choir we cannot guarantee that a place will be available in subsequent terms.
If your voice part is fully booked, please do not book another voice part unless you are willing to sing that part – instead email assistant@hannahbrine.co.uk to be added to a waiting list.
Please note that the cost of the term is fixed regardless of when you join, we do not offer a pro rata rate or pay-as-you-go option, or refunds for missed sessions.
Questions and answers
Q: Who can join? The choir is open to anyone. You don’t need to be able to read music. Teaching tracks (mp3s) for many pieces are provided electronically. We encourage new members to join us up to week 3 of any new term – please note that Finsbury Park Singers has been oversubscribed for the last few terms so there may not be space to join after the beginning of term, however. In our experience, it may feel a little overwhelming to join after this time. This is at our discretion, so if you are a very experienced singer or feel you can dedicate the time for learning, do still drop us an email please to discuss.
Q: Is there an audition? No, but for new members we offer a quick informal voice range check to help determine which section you are best suited to (soprano, alto, tenor or bass).
Q: Will I be able to keep up? Rehearsals can move at a fairly fast pace, but if you are new or returning after a break, be assured that you will find things quickly get easier, especially if you make use of the mp3s provide, and listen to other recordings of the pieces. Many of our singers don’t sight read fluently, but learn a lot by ear. Choral singing skills take a little while to build up, but like any language the more we immerse ourselves, the more fluent we become. If we think that you would benefit from more support, there are avenues of support and opportunities that we can offer. These might include recommendations of singing lessons or music theory lessons.
Q: I’m going to miss a couple of the sessions – is it still OK to come? Yes. So long as you practice at home using the scores and mp3s, that is fine.
Q: Will there be a performance? Yes, there will be an end-of-term performance.
Q: How do I book? Please book by selecting your voice part and following the steps through the checkout process. You will be sent all the information you need by email (please keep an eye out in your ‘junk’ and ‘spam’ folders.)
Terms and conditions
1. If you find you are not able to join for a term you can cancel your subscription up until 14 days before the date of the first rehearsal and you will receive a refund of the fees paid for that particular term. You can then join the waiting list for a place, but please note that we cannot guarantee that a place will be available in subsequent terms.
2. Singers should be able to commit to attending 70% or more of rehearsals and are asked to sign the register at rehearsals each week.
3. We often perform without music. Singers are asked to put in the appropriate amount of time outside of rehearsals to memorise words and learn your parts. There is usually a little bit of homework each week to revise a couple of songs to ensure we are making progress at each rehearsal. Mp3s of parts for some of the pieces are supplied to help with learning – we do not supply mp3s for all pieces and you are encouraged to read the music and improve your music reading skills.
4. Singers are required to ensure they read the weekly newsletter and communicate with us regarding any additional resources or learning.
5. When you sign up to join the choir, you agree to Hannah Brine using your data for the purposes of communicating with you about choir matters plus forthcoming events and news about the choir and Hannah’s activities. Your contact details will also be shared with the section leader so that they can send information about section-specific events (e.g. sectionals). If you do not wish to have your contact details shared for these purposes please email assistant@hannahbrine.co.uk.