*If they aren't, call Val Hirst (01763 224982) or Caroline Franks (01920 822723)

There are no auditions to join the choir, but we do expect people to be able to sing the same notes as the person next to them! You will never be asked to sing on your own. The ability to read music helps a lot, but is not essential. We welcome singers of all ages from 16/17 upwards and, like most choirs, we are always on the look out for more men!

The main aim of singing in the choir is having fun by doing your best. Most people find that the learning experience adds to the enjoyment, even when it's hard work. Some people really struggle, don't enjoy the singing, and a few decide it's not for them. However, we do encourage newcomers who are unsure about whether to stay or not to come along to at least 3 rehearsals to give yourself a chance.

This is your chance to 'have a go' and it's the time most new people join the choir. They happen in Autumn, Spring and Summer. While we hope most people will come back, there's no pressure to do so. If you decide to leave the choir at any time, please return all borrowed music straight away. There are Open Rehearsals on 7 January 2003 and 6 May 2003.

Yes. The Open Rehearsals are usually the second rehearsal of each term (we tend to follow school term dates). If you know a little about music, but can't make it to the Open Rehearsal you can join at a rehearsal soon after that one.

If, after a few rehearsals, you decide to joint the choir a membership fee is payable. The standard fee is £20 per term or £55 for the year. There is a concessionary rate of £12 per term for singers who are students, unemployed, or retired. We ask you to pay the relevant fee to our Membership Secretary Rachel Gallon (cheques payable to 'Royston Choral Society' please) by the fourth rehearsal.

As a registered charity, we also invite tax-paying singers to make the payment under the Gift Aid Scheme. To do this, you will be given a simple form to fill in and then we can then reclaim £5.64 tax paid on each £20. This increases the income for the choir at no extra cost to you!

Each term we give Royston Parish Church (where we rehearse and perform most of our concerts) a contribution to heat and light, and we pay David Boarder, our Musical Director. Add to that the cost of putting on a concert - hiring the church and staging, producing publicity materials etc and you'll see how the costs mount up. When we sing with an orchestra that is also a massive additional expense. By combining members' subscriptions, with ticket sales, small grants and a couple of fundraising activities, we just about manage to 'balance the books' each year.

We hire copies of the music for each concert and this cost is covered by members' subscriptions. However, we do ask all choir members to provide a cheque equal to the purchase price of the music we use that particular term. We have to pay for replacement copies of any music not returned on time, so your cheque is only cashed if music you borrow is not returned immediately after the concert. If you prefer to purchase copies of some of the music, David Boarder will make a bulk order. However, you are not obliged to buy any music if you don't want to.

Most rehearsals are held in Royston Parish Church in Melbourn Street, Royston (next to Priory Gardens). In early 2003, some will be held in Queen Road Methodist Church. Rehearsals are 8 - 10pm every Tuesday during term time. We largely follow school terms, and this includes breaks from rehearsals at half term and in school holidays. We have a tea/ coffee break half way through each rehearsal, charged at 20p a cup to keep the refreshments kitty topped up!

Our Membership Secretary Rachel Gallon brings a register to rehearsals each week and we ask each singer to mark their attendance in it. The register also gives precise dates for the rehearsals during that term. If you know in advance that you will be missing a particular rehearsal, we ask you to put 'A' (for absent) in the relevant column. There is also a column for you to show if you are planning to sing in the concert itself.

From the 2002-03 season onwards, we will be performing more than our usual three concerts a year. Concert dates for 2002 - 03 are 23 November, 21 December, 15 February, 5 April, 28 June. Musically speaking, the summer concert is lighter than those in Autumn and Spring. There are also invitations to sing in other choirs from time to time, for example at Christmas time, and at the occasional wedding. Most concerts are held in Royston Parish Church but, we are starting to perform locally in other places. For example, the 15 February 2003 concert is in Barkway Church.

We aim to get coverage in the local press and in community magazines in Royston and surrounding villages. We also put up posters around town - in shops, the library etc - and distribute publicity through other local organisations. We have a website www.roystonchoralsociety.co.uk and we do a bit of paid advertising.

Our publicity budget is limited so we ask choir members to help. This might include hand delivering publicity leaflets to friends, family and neighbours, leafleting houses in your street or handing out leaflets in the High Street the week before a concert. At each concert, a large number of those attending say they have heard about it through choir members, so we know the personal contact works!

Some choir members volunteer to help get the staging up in the church around mid-day. We usually have a final rehearsal from about 2 - 5pm. The final rehearsal is vital because it is the first time we sing with the orchestra (when we perform with one). We meet back at the church at 7.10pm, with the concert starting at 7.30pm.

We very much welcome volunteer help (friends and family?) on the night at the concerts. Jobs include taking tickets, handing out programmes, selling wine before the start and in the interval. Help with taking down the staging at the end is also appreciated.

We dress formally with men in dinner jackets and bow ties and women in long black dresses if possible. Charity shops in Cambridge are good for the men with jacket and trousers for less than £20!

The rehearsals, concerts and other plans are developed by the committee (elected at the AGM every September) in association with our Musical Director David Boarder. David also plans the concert programmes, takes rehearsals, and conducts the choir and orchestra.