About the Choir

What we do during A typical session…

  • Arrive from 6:45pm onwards using the side entrance — we’ll be ready to welcome you and help you settle in.

    You’ll be greeted in the main hall, payment will be taken care of (cash, card or pay in advance), and we’ll gather in a friendly circle of chairs. Daisy, our choir leader, will guide you through the evening.

    You’ll typically sit with other singers in your section based on your vocal range (Soprano, Alto, Tenor or Bass). Not sure what you are? No problem — you can try a few parts and we’ll help you find where you fit best.

  • Singing begins at 7pm with about fifteen minutes of gentle warm-ups and musical exercises to build confidence and connection. Don’t worry if you’re running late - just ring the bell and we’ll let you in.

    We sing four or five songs each session, starting with something light and easy. Our repertoire includes folk, jazz, blues, indie, pop, and beautiful pieces from Natural Voice Network composers — anything with satisfying harmonies!

    There’s a short break at 8pm, then we sing a little more and finish with a fun, uplifting song at 8:45pm so everyone leaves smiling.

  • We all help to pack up the hall and return any parking permits.

    You’ll have access to recordings and practice materials to sing along at home, via our dropbox.

    We strongly encourage everyone to sing through the songs at least once between rehearsals, especially in the run up to a performance. This will speed up the learning process and means that we can spend more time in rehearsals refining the sound.

Sharing

our songs

Each year we hold two concerts — one in summer and one in winter. They’re a lovely chance to share what we’ve been working on with friends, family, and anyone who enjoys hearing live harmony.

Performing is completely optional, and we always make sure everyone feels supported and prepared before stepping on stage. Many singers find it a really special moment — a chance to feel proud of what we’ve created together.

We also sometimes sing at local community events throughout the year — a relaxed, joyful way to share our music with the wider community.

 FAQs

Thinking about joining us? Curious about how things work? You’re in the right place!

We know it can feel a little nerve-wracking to try something new, so we’ve put together answers to the questions we get asked most often. Whether you’re wondering about auditions (spoiler: there aren’t any!), what to bring, or how we choose our songs, you’ll find it all here.

And if you still have questions after reading through, we’d love to hear from you — just drop us an email at plymouthcommunitychoir@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to help.

  • Monday evenings from 7pm - 8:45pm at the Plymouth Unitarian Church on Notte St.

  • We offer several payment packages as well as a pay-as-you-go option.

    Pay-as-you-go:

    £7 (full price) / £5.50 (concession) per session

    Pay-in-advance offers:

    • Pay for the whole term up front and get two weeks free.

    • Pay in half-termly instalments and get one week free.

    The total fees for each term fluctuate depending on the length of the term and the number of sessions (typically between 12-14 weeks per term). Please contact us for more information.

  • Not at all! A sense of rhythm and pitch helps, but our choir is open to singers of all experience levels. You don’t need to have studied music or sung in a choir before — this is a space to grow your confidence. Daisy, our choir leader, is an experienced voice teacher and will gently guide you to feel more in tune with your voice.

  • Nope — and there never will be. Instead, we offer a free taster session so you can see how it feels before committing to a term. Just email us and we’ll invite you to your first session.

  • Just bring yourself! We also recommend:

    • A bottle of water

    • A pen and notebook or folder for lyric sheets (everything is taught by ear but we do provide lyrics for those who want them)

    • A warm layer in winter (the church can get chilly!)

  • Most songs are first taught by ear — and for good reason:

    • Everyone can join in. Many people don’t read music, but can still sing in harmony — it’s how humans have been singing together for thousands of years.

    • Better listening. Learning by ear helps us tune into each other and stay present in the music.

    • Better sound. Looking up instead of down at paper keeps your body aligned and your voice freer.

    • Better memory. Songs learned by ear tend to stay with you longer — once they’re in your head, they’re there for good!

    Daisy provides lyric sheets for longer songs and shares scores (where available) in the choir Dropbox.

  • The Natural Voice Network (NVN) are “a network of people who work with voice and song, and who believe that singing is everyone’s birthright, regardless of musical experience or ability”.

    Simply put, we are a group of song leaders who believe that everyone can sing, that singing is a fundamental human behaviour, and that the ability to read music should never be a barrier to music-making.

    You can find out more about the network and the NVN approach here.

  • Our venue (Plymouth Unitarian Church, Notte Street) has step-free access, and a small number of parking permits for those with limited mobility are available on request.

    We are committed to making the choir as inclusive and accessible as possible and follow the social model of disability. If you have any access needs or questions, we’d love to hear from you so we can support you.

    You can read more about the choir’s accessibility here. 

  • We run our choir in termly blocks, with breaks in between so everyone can rest and recharge.

    Daisy leads the choir alongside her full-time work, which includes running music and theatre groups across the city and working for a national charity. Rest is important to keep the choir running joyfully — and to keep Daisy from going a bit loopy!

  • Daisy works with a small, friendly team of personal assistants who help with admin and make sure you get a quick reply. All messages are shared with Daisy, and you’ll probably meet some of the team in sessions and at concerts.

    Our GDPR policy is available in the members’ pack via the Dropbox link.

  • Plymouth Community Choir used to describe itself as a “world music choir.” We still sing beautiful songs from many cultures, but we’ve stepped away from the term “world music” because it’s so broad — after all, all music is world music, including songs from our own traditions here in the UK.

    At the same time, all music is very much rooted in a specific time, place, and community. Our goal is to strike a balance: we don’t want to be monocultural (as much as we love a good Cornish sea shanty!), but we want to honour the origins of songs and treat them with respect. There is a long history of white people plagiarising songs from global majority artists or sharing songs without acknowledging or understanding their meaning or history (or in some cases, making up a completely fictitious origin!).

    We believe music is a universal language that can build connection and understanding between people when shared with care — and it can be a joyful, eye-opening experience to sing music from different cultures together.

    We follow the Natural Voice Network’s Anti-Racism & Cultural Honouring Framework, which guides how we choose and teach songs. This means:

    • We approach each song with respect, research, and a desire to understand its cultural context and meaning.

    • We don’t sing songs which are part of a closed cultural practice.

    • We take things song by song, knowing this is a complex, ongoing learning process — and we’re committed to doing our best. If we get something wrong, then we try to learn from our mistakes and do better next time.

    If you have questions about our approach, or are curious about a particular song, please don’t hesitate to ask — we’re always happy to talk about it.