St. Bartholomew's Catholic Church, 159 Ellison Road, Streatham, London SW16 5DE

If your question is not answered below, then why not drop Tony Price a line from our Contacts page?

The Choir

How do I join the choir? Just turn up on any Tuesday evening just before 8pm and you'll receive a warm welcome! Access to the Choir Gallery is from the double doors facing onto Ellison Road.

How many members do you have? We currently have around 45 members.

Will I have to wear anything special? No, we do not have choir gowns or anything like it. Just normal everyday clothing is fine.

Do you hold auditions? You are not required to audition for the choir, just have a love of singing. If you would feel more confident about joining by knowing more about your vocal range and capabilities then, by all means, do contact Tony Price to discuss the matter further.

Which voice will I be asked to sing? We generally sing in four parts. Ladies with higher voices sing soprano, those with lower voices sing contralto. Gentlemen with higher voices sing tenor, those with lower voices sing bass. You will soon discover the voice with which you are most comfortable.

How often would I be asked to sing? We practise every Tuesday evening from 8pm to 9.45pm. We generally sing at the 11.30am Mass on the first Sunday of Each month, and also at Christmas Midnight Mass, the Good Friday Solemnity and at the Easter Vigil.

What is the annual subscription rate? Membership of the Polyphony Choir is entirely free.

How old do I have to be to join the choir? We prefer to encourage people to join us from mid/late teens onwards, when their adult voices have settled down.

Am I too old to join the choir? There is no upper age limit to our membership.

Is the music difficult? The majority of of our music is extremely approachable, and of modest difficulty only. It is loaned to members free of charge.

What kind of music do you sing? We have a huge repertoire of music from 15th century polyphony as written by Palestrina and Victoria, through baroque music such as that by Bach and Handel, music by Mozart, Franck and Fauré, right through to the modern styles of John Rutter, Bob Chilcott and others. We also have music that has been recently commissioned by us from Nicholas Wilton. Our archive contains music from a great number of other composers. We are especially fond of the music of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, particularly that of the popular Catholic composers of the time such as Charles Kitson and John Turner OSB.

Do I need to be a Roman Catholic to join the choir? No: the choir extends a very warm welcome to anyone of any religious denomination, or none.

Do I need to live in the parish to join the choir? No: the choir currently draws its membership from a wide area, particularly the London Boroughs of Lambeth, Croydon and Merton.

Do I need a sense of humour? This is extremely desirable! We like to have fun whilst we are making music!!

Will there be an opportunity to play the organ? Yes, there are possible opportunities to play the organ, and people with confident keyboard skills and a reasonable sight-reading ability will be encouraged in this direction.

What else does the choir do besides singing at Mass? The choir has an annual Christmas Carol Concert, and generally sings as a guest choir at least once each year in another church. In addition, we are asked to sing at weddings occasionally. We generally have a bit of easy-going fun fund-raising from time to time, to ensure continuing investment in new music, and to retain our subscription-free status. Currently published details may be found on our Choir Diary page.

How do I ask a different question? Just drop Tony Price a line from our Contacts page
 

The Church

Is there disabled access? St. Bartholomew's does it's utmost to accommodate the needs of those with disabilities. Whilst the church is accessible with assistance to people with mobility disabilities, the choir gallery is, unfortunately, both approached by stairs and the seating is stepped by design. The Choir has an open membership policy, and is always happy to meet individual needs as far as it is reasonably able to.