Join us
Singing with others is uplifting, challenging, joyful, surprising... Here's what some of our members say about the Staxton Singers:
David H: “When I joined I was new to Scarborough and was made to feel very welcome. It was a great way to make friends – I had things in common with the other bass singers, and have also got to know people in other sections.”
Jane F: “Monday evenings are a highlight of my week. It's such a buzz to sing as a group, and I love the sound we make when all four parts come together in harmony.”
All you need is an ear for a tune. And some enthusiasm...
We sing in four parts: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Not all of us read music or know the difference between a minim and a crotchet, and we don’t hold auditions. If you'd like to sing with us, come along for an evening and give it a try!
Each rehearsal starts at 7.30pm with a warm-up of stretches, scales, tongue-twisters and rounds – a work-out for the voice and the breathing apparatus. Then the singing begins... For new songs, we run through each part, note-bashing the trickier bits, before putting our tunes together in (hopefully perfect) harmony.
Halfway through we have an interval, with time for chit-chat, then we keep at it, honing rhythm, melody and dynamics, or learning new passages, until 9.30pm.
Our 35 or so members are men and women aged from twenties to eighties and from many walks of life. Our repertoire encompasses jazz, classical, tunes from musicals and the occasional charts-topper. Some of us get together in between rehearsals to practise, and many of the arrangements we sing can be found as individual parts on YouTube.
