The Dalkeith Singers is a large mixed choir for Dalkeith and the surrounding district. We sing classical, and modern music – all for the sheer joy of singing and entertaining our audiences.
We hold our main concert performances in Dalkeith each year at Christmas time and in the spring. We also perform at other venues on request.
Practices are held on Thursday evenings from September to May at 7.30pm to 9.30pm in the centre of Dalkeith, at St Nicholas Buccleuch Church Hall, High St, Dalkeith, EH22 1AX. (To get to the hall, walk through the church main gates, past the cafe on the left and the hall is at the back of the church).
Frequently Asked Questions
If I’m interested in joining the Dalkeith Singers, what’s the best way to start?
The best way to start is to come and sing with us – either at “Learn to Sing” events we hold through the year, or to come to one of our practice sessions. If you’re interested in joining, please email info@dalkeithsingers.org.uk to find our when our next session will be, or see our “Latest Events” page.
The ideal time to join us is as close as possible to when we start practicing for an upcoming concert. Each year, we start practicing in September for our December concert and in January for our May concert.
If you’d like to start with us later in the term we’ll still be very happy for you to join us and we’ll help you catch up as much as we can. We now have “learning tracks” which makes it easier than ever before to catch up, and experienced singers tend to find catching up easier than new singers. If you don’t think catching up is for you, then January 2025 will be the next best time to start – when we begin practising for our May 2025 concert.
If you’d like to come along or ask any questions please email us at secretary@dalkeithsingers.org.uk!
When and where do the Dalkeith Singers practice and perform?
We practice in the Church Hall of St Nicholas Buccleuch Church, High St, Dalkeith, every Thursday evening from 7:30pm – 9:30pm. There’s extra practice from 6:30pm for those who are available and extra-keen. At the start of “term”, these 6:30pm sessions are especially helpful for newcomers to the choir to gain some extra guidance.
Practices start in August for our December concert and in January for our May concert. We also sing at local events in between, with locations as varied as garden centres, distilleries and Latvian Associations!
What kind of music do the Dalkeith Singers sing?
We sing classical and contemporary pieces, with a concert usually consisting of a main classical work for the first half, and several shorter pieces after a short break. At time of writing, our most recent “main classical works” were Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass, Brahms’s Nänie and Shicksalslied, with the Haydn Mass set to be our next classical piece for December 2024.
As well as Brahms, our May 2024 concert featured Pure Imagination (from the Musical of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory), Somewhere (from West Side Story), Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Verdi’s Va Pensiero, Faure’s Cantique de Jean Racine and Arlen’s Over the Rainbow.
When is the next Dalkeith Singers Concert?
Our next public concert is our 2024 Christmas Concert, which will be held on the evening of Saturday 14th December 2024 at St Nicholas Buccleuch Church in Dalkeith.
What is an SATB choir like the Dalkeith Singers?
SATB stands for Soprano – Alto – Tenor – Bass; an SATB choir like the Dalkeith Singers splits people into sections based on the section most suitable for their voice. Four-part harmony using soprano, alto, tenor and bass is a common way of scoring classical music, as well as music from many modern musicals, and it enables live music to have a deep, rich feel across multiple levels.
Some pieces of music are split only by SATB, while others split each section in two – e.g. “Soprano 1” and “Soprano 2”. This enables people of every voice to be heard, and to focus on the vocal range which is right for you, whatever that is.
If I don’t know whether I’m a Soprano, Alto, Tenor or Bass, how do I know which section I should sing in?
We’ll happily tell you. Email secretary@dalkeithsingers.org.uk and we’ll arrange a time to meet you – usually before our main practice – when we can take you through the scales and help you identify what range is right for you. You may find your section changes over time; people who exercise their voices a lot can learn to sing higher notes, while people’s voices tend to gradually get deeper as we get older.
Do you hold auditions for the choir?
No – we believe anyone can sing with the right attitude and direction so, if you’ve got the right attitude, we’ll give you the direction to help you sing as tunefully as you can!
If you’ve sung in the past but don’t feel you’re as good as you were, we’ll help you determine whether you just need to stretch those singing muscles or join a new section.
If you’ve never sung in a choir, we’ll help you learn. Often people who sing along to pop music are told “you can’t sing” by friends, colleagues or loved ones, but this is usually because they’re trying to sing outside their vocal range. One of our tenors was told by his wife “you can’t sing”, and she was pleasantly surprised when he joined the choir and proved her wrong, so never let anyone tell you you can’t sing!
Do I have to be able to read sheet music to join the Dalkeith Singers?
No – not at all – and reading sheet music is a skill you can pick up by joining us.
We provide you with learning audio tracks as well as sheet music, so you can learn each piece of music by ear, listening to the tunes at home rather than needing to be an expert music reader. The learning tracks split the music into different versions for each section of the choir – so you can listen to just the part you need to sing.
If you can’t read sheet music, following along as you listen will help you learn to count the rhythm and get your timing right when you sing with the whole choir. This takes practice and we’ll give you all the guidance you need, included in your membership fee.
One of our most recent new members came to us with no experience of reading music, so he threw himself into listening to the learning tracks and picked up the basics of timing first, before the tune and notes followed. The “challenge of learning” is one of the things our members value about being in the choir, and reading music is a skill you can pick up by joining the Dalkeith Singers.
What commitment is required to join the choir?
We hold rehearsals in Dalkeith every Thursday evening from 7:30pm – 9:30pm, and extra tuition is available for free if you can make it from 6:30pm. It’s not essential for you to attend every rehearsal (we all have holidays!) but the more you can attend, the easier you’ll find it. We ask choir members to practice in between rehearsals and we have one or two “sectional” rehearsals per term, where each section practices without the rest of the choir. These are arranged based on the availability of people in each section.
What does membership pay for, and how much does it cost to join the choir?
Joining the choir, you’ll get the benefit of our professional Musical Director and professional Pianist, who help us practice every week and provide expert tuition. Our Musical Director, Callum Hüseyin, is an excellent teacher and conductor who adapts his style dependent on the needs of the choir and each of us. He’s always willing to offer advice to those who ask, and has set up workshops and extra sessions based on requests from new and older members who recognised areas for improvement.
Membership also goes towards the cost of buying and printing sheet music, as you’ll receive a printed copy of each piece of music we sing, and we employ professional soloists to accompany us at some concerts, so you can experience what it’s like to sing alongside a pro.
As for the cost, after the pandemic, the choir recognised some people can afford – and are willing – to pay more than others, so we set up three tiers of membership: Bronze (£15/month), Silver (£17.50) and Gold (£20). This works out as roughly £3.50-£4.50 a week and whichever level you choose to pay is entirely up to you. You can choose to pay monthly or in a lump sum for each term. We ask for monthly membership to be paid by direct debit on the first of each month.
When is the best time to join the Dalkeith Singers?
The best time to join us is at the start of a “term”, when we start to practice for the next concert. This means August/September for our December concert, and January/February for our May concert.
If you’re reading this outside of these months please get in touch anyway – we’d love you to join us for rehearsal to get a feel for the choir, and whether we’re right for you. If you have experience singing in a choir you’ll find it easier to catch up than if you’re a newbie!
Do I have to become a member to attend a practice?
No – we welcome you to join us in practices or workshops to get a feel for the choir and what you’ll sing with us, and you’re welcome to join a handful of practices for free before becoming a member. The point where you commit to regularly attending rehearsals is the point where it makes sense to become a member.
What happens if I sing out of tune?
Don’t worry – you won’t be the only one! Even professionals make mistakes – especially in practice. At the start of practising a new piece it’s best to focus on timing and words, which means most people are out of tune for a lot of the time as we learn the pieces and this naturally improves over time. Singing loudly in practice will help you learn faster than singing quietly and when the choir starts to get in tune, our Musical Director Callum has a great ability to fix errors in a very inclusive way, without singling anyone out.
The early practice sessions in a term can be challenging when most people are out of tune, out of time and mumbling the words(!) but one of the most satisfying things about singing in a choir is when it starts to come together as you get close to the concert and you realise the progress we’ve all made together. We all go through the process of learning together, and it feels fantastic when it all starts to come together as a team.
Is the Dalkeith Singers a community choir, a chorale, or a choral society?
We’re an SATB choir, based in Dalkeith, who sing contemporary and classical pieces. We aim to build the singing performance of each of us in a way we all enjoy.
When we recently asked choir members to pick words which describe the Dalkeith Singers, the top responses were “Music,” “Welcoming” and “Challenge”, closely followed by “Joy”, “Fun”, “Friendly” and “Community”.
The “challenge” is about challenging yourself, pushing yourself to learn new skills or build on what you can already do in singing, as part of a group of people who will push and support you all the way. If you’d like to join us in this, we’d love to have you as part of the choir.
What is the Mission Statement of the Dalkeith Singers?
The Dalkeith Singers is a choir that meets regularly in Dalkeith to:
- Present choral concerts of both classical and contemporary repertoire,
- Enhance the musical life of the area,
- Provide opportunities for singers to perform, learn and socialise.
Our Promise to Members:
- We provide a supportive and productive environment.
- We support you in improving your singing and musicianship, both in vocal quality and vocal health as well as music theory and learning to read music.
- We value and respect your commitment.
Expectations
- Our members support one another, are respectful to one another and represent the choir well.
- Our members practise music between rehearsals, guided by the musical director, learning both words and music with the provided vocal tracks and scores.
- Our members to learn to hold their part (to be able to sing their line alongside the 3 other sections), follow direction and attend sufficient rehearsals.
How can I join the Dalkeith Singers?
Please visit our “how to join” page.
More information:
