Why Your Choir Rehearsal Might Be Putting Off New Members

Picture this: a new recruit walks into your rehearsal space. It’s a church hall. It smells faintly of dust and digestive biscuits. The heating’s broken. The chairs are plastic. The music is… unfamiliar. The welcome? Tepid.

They stay for the full rehearsal. Ninety minutes later, they slip away. You never see them again.

Sound familiar?

We put enormous effort into performances and virtually none into the rehearsal experience. But if you want new members to stay, it’s the rehearsal that counts most.

Start with the physical space. Most choirs rehearse in churches, but only 5% of the UK population are churchgoers. For most people under 50, church buildings are unfamiliar - even intimidating. Could you rehearse in a school, a theatre, a studio? Somewhere warm, accessible, and welcoming?

Then there’s the atmosphere. Are rehearsals challenging? Fun? Is there laughter? Is there progress?

I visited a choir recently where the entire rehearsal was spent re-learning the bass line for "Gwahoddiad." Again. It was like musical Groundhog Day.

New members want to develop. They want to be inspired. That means a pacey, purposeful rehearsal led by someone who knows what they’re doing.

And finally — what happens at break time? Is there a formal introduction for newcomers? Someone to sit with them? Or are they left standing awkwardly, clutching a cup of instant coffee?

Make rehearsals count. They are your most powerful recruitment—and retention—tool.