Community Spirit

Community Spirit is a project run by Town Hall Symphony Hall in partnership with THSH Associate Artists, Black Voices.  The project offers local community choirs the opportunity to share repertoire and perform as a collective in a large-scale concert in Symphony Hall. 

All community choirs are welcome to take part in this event and we encourage all choral music genres from classical, pop, rock, gospel, folk, reggae and barbershop. Last year saw over 350 Community Spirit singers entertaining an audience of more than 1,100 people.  We are delighted to offer participating community choirs the opportunity to perform on Symphony Halls’ stage. 

This year Community Spirit will be celebrating 10 years as a choral music festival so the theme will a retrospective focus on popular Community Spirit Songs performed over the last ten years along with new Community Spirit songs as we enter a new decade.

This year’s concert will take place at Symphony Hall on Sunday 21 June 2020. 

What's Involved?

• Each Community Choir chooses, select and practices choral music repertoire pieces in their own social and community environments. 
• Community Choirs taking part in mass choir rehearsals, to learn more about their voices as an instrument, enjoy singing and work in partnership with other community choirs.
• All community choirs will come together for six mass rehearsals to practice mass singing pieces at Town Hall Symphony Hall on Saturday mornings from 9am – 12pm, from February 2020 – June 2020.
• The final performance will take place at Symphony Hall on Sunday 21 June 2020, 6pm.
• This project is free to take part in.

Who can apply?

• Community Choirs of all ages and abilities based in the Birmingham & West Midlands area.
• New community choirs and established community choirs.
• If you feel that you and your choir are ready to tackle new types of choral music repertoire and are free to perform
  to attend all mass choir rehearsal sessions at Symphony Hall and perform on the night.

Before applying please ensure that you and your choir can commit to all of the following meetings and mass rehearsals dates which are mandatory for all participating choir leaders and community choirs.

• Saturday 8 February, 9am - 12pm 
• Saturday 29 February, 9am - 12pm 
• Saturday 18 April, 9am - 12pm 
• Saturday 25 April, 9am - 12pm 
• Saturday 23 May, 9am - 12pm
• Saturday 20 June, 9am - 12pm 
• Sunday 21 June, 12:30pm - 4:30pm (rehearsal); 6pm - 10pm (performance)

Find out more about the project from Creative Producer, Carol Pemberton MBE

What's Community Spirit like for some of our choir members?