Join the Brooklyn Women’s Chorus!
Are you a woman who wants to sing?
Do you live in or near Brooklyn, New York?
Come Join Us!
We meet once a week on Tuesday nights from 7:30 – 9:00, at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn.
There is a requested contribution of $10 per week.
We always welcome new members.
Some of us have been with the chorus a long time and some are relatively new, but we have all felt like we were jumping into the pool when we began.
Our director is Bev Grant. It is Bev’s philosophy that everybody can sing–as long as they can listen!
Here are some tips that might help, as well as information that you will need.
- When you first come to chorus, Bev will ask you what range of voice feels comfortable to you. If you find after a while that you want to change sections feel free, just let her know. Or Bev may suggest a change.
Bev may ask you to sit between two long-time members who can help you learn the parts. Sometimes she places people where she thinks they may hear better–some hear better on the left or the right, or she may ask you to sit in front, etc. She may also sing right into your ear, if she feels that might be useful for you. - Helpful hint: if you can’t hear the person next to you, you are probably singing too loudly!
- Come on time (7:30). We start with warm-up exercises. If you must be late,
try to warm up before you arrive. - Bev will give you music for our songs. You don’t have to be able to read music, although a few of us do- and some of us are learning.
- Please keep your music in a black binder (which looks better if you are holding it while performing). Some of us use alphabetical tabs to makes it easier to find a particular song during rehearsal. Some of us have also gotten plastic page protectors, so they rustle less while turning. If you need to bring music to a performance, bring only the music you need, in the order we will perform it. The best thing to do, however, is to try to memorize the music so you don’t have to use it at all.
- Watch Bev at all times while singing (another reason to memorize the music). She keeps the beat and signals to us while we sing. If we aren’t looking, we can miss something important (like when and which direction to move).
- Many of our members find it helpful to bring a tape recorder to rehearsals so you can practice with the tape. You can also buy our CD to help you learn our older songs.
- We each contribute $10 to pay Bev for her work each week. The money is put into a can on the floor. If $10 is too much for you at any time, pay as much as you can, but please contribute the full $10 if at all possible. Checks made out to Bev Grant are also OK.
- We sometimes have extra rehearsals for individual sections. These are in addition to the regular Tuesday night meetings and may take place in a chorus member’s home. These section rehearsals are necessary; we try to schedule them so as many as possible can attend. If you can’t make it to a section rehearsal, try to get a copy of someone’s tape of that rehearsal. We each contribute $10 to pay Bev on section rehearsal nights as well.
- When we perform, we usually wear our “Brooklyn Women’s Chorus” t-shirt which you can buy from Bev for $15. If you don’t have the shirt, you can wear a plain black We usually wear black on the bottom and black shoes.
- We have an annual concert at the beggining of June, as well as other performances throughout the year at venues such as hospitals, nursing homes, at political gatherings and more. We also perform a few songs for the Ethical Culture Sunday Platform (their Sunday morning “service”) once every couple of months. When we are invited to perform, Bev asks if we are willing and how many can attend. If you agree to the performance and say you will be there, please consider it a commitment. On the other hand, although we welcome women who can only come for a short time or whose schedules fluctuate, or women who have left for awhile and then come back, please choose not to perform if you haven’t been to most of the last several rehearsals before a performance.
- One of our members, Linda Wheeler (contralto), keeps a list of all Chorus members with their addresses, phone numbers and email addresses which she then distributes to all of us. We often communicate with each other by email, so please be sure you get onto the list and that your information stays up-to-date.
Linda also collects money periodically to pay the rent for our rehearsal space at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. We have each been contributing a dollar a week. Most of us pay ahead and Linda lets us know when it is time to contribute again. - The Brooklyn Women’s Chorus has grown into more than a group that sings together. Many contribute their talents in various ways as poets, graphic artists, seamstresses, yoga instructors, breathing exercises, and more, as well as in sharing their joys and struggles with us all. We are happy to have you join us.