About the AGS

If you are thinking of joining the Addison Singers and wondering what we are like, here are some quotes from choir members:*

"Last year I worked in London and had the pleasure to attend the jazz choir ... a bus journey every week of over an hour just to join the singing :) It was a brilliant time and a great choir with fun people!"

"I've found AS extremely welcoming and have thoroughly enjoyed my first six months singing with you all."

"AS are outstanding choirs - both in terms of repertoire/high standards and friendliness. One of the most enjoyable choirs I have ever sung with." (member of Chamber and Oratorio Choirs)

[Jill Jarman - Jazz Choir] "Jill's enthusiasm, energy and dynamism make it a pleasure to attend rehearsals and perform at concerts."
"I'm always on a high after rehearsals."
"Great arrangements and awesome playing at concerts."
"Jill is wonderful, inspirational and I am so lucky to have the privilege of being in her choir!"

[Matthew Hough] "very supportive and calm. He and Jill make an excellent team."
"Jill and Matthew together are a class act and make rehearsing a real pleasure."
"I really appreciate the rehearsal tapes and your [Matthew's] boundless enthusiasm."

"Having sung for many years with classical choirs, the Addison Jazz Ensemble is a real breath of fresh air. The hour-long Monday evening rehearsals are relaxed and great fun - good arrangements of jazz standards, sung with a small group of like minded people. A perfect way to start the week!"

"The friendliness of the choirs is a real asset - I think there's a good balance between the music and social side."

[David Wordsworth - Oratorio Choir] "He's brilliant - keeps you on your toes, witty, very talented."
"He has the right balance of praise and criticism. He seems to send us away each Wednesday having sung a piece well. This lifts the spirits and encourages people to return."

"I like the choice of music which offers a wide range of challenges."

"David and Matthew are excellent and are quite the best combination of conductor and accompanist that I have had the pleasure of singing under!"

[Alice Hyde's Vocal Technique class] "She [Alice] got me to do things with my voice I would not have believed!"
"A useful and very enjoyable class. It is an opportunity to gain experience and confidence by standing up singing in front of other people."
"Had great fun and learnt a lot - techniques have really helped me not to strain when singing, and to make the best of my voice generally."

"I first joined because the Oratorio Choir was not auditioned; I had never done an audition and would have been too scared because I was rejected by the school choir and therefore believed I could not sing. After a while with the Addison Singers, I discovered I CAN sing (another thing my teachers were wrong about!), and my confidence has grown sufficiently that I have auditioned and been accepted into the Chamber Choir which is for more experienced singers."

"As a newcomer to London I have found the choir an excellent way to meet people who like music."

"Unlike many choirs which sadly only seem to attract older retired people, the Addison Singers has people from early 20s up to late 70s. This makes for a vibrant mix of people and I never know who I will be sitting next to! Also, in both the Jazz and Classical choirs, there are people who like doing other activities, e.g. going to concerts and other social events, which I enjoy."

"I hadn't sung in a choir since school, so was a bit apprehensive about the first rehearsal [Oratorio Choir] - but everyone was very friendly, it was easy to follow what was going on and it was good fun. Now I always look forward to rehearsals, especially if I've had a hard day at work."

"I very much appreciate a choir that welcomes people with little experience and gives them an opportunity to enjoy singing."

"It [Jazz Choir] is very stimulating - not much else would get me out on a wet Monday evening!"

Jazz Choir in rehearsal, Chiswick Town Hall, July 2003

* We get feedback from members through our annual distribution of evaluation forms.

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