Registration is now open for our 2023-2024 Season.
Book your trial session here!
Book your trial session here!
We are a community of 8 choirs and we welcome everyone from age 4 to adults. Through our different choirs, we provide a music education programme tailored to each age group.
Our main choirs rehearse on Wednesday evenings. Within our community are Spotlight Choirs for pupils of Boldmere Junior School and Wylde Green Primary School and their rehearsals take place at their school premises.
Wednesday evening rehearsals
Little Voices (ages 4-6) 4:30pm-5:15pm
Junior Voices (ages 6-9) 4:15pm-5:15pm
Intermediate Voices (ages 8-13) 5:40pm-7:10pm
Senior Voices (ages 11-19) 5:40pm-7:10pm
Ensemble Voices (ages 13-19) 7:30pm-8:30pm (auditioned)
Dynamic Voices (adults) 7:30-9pm
Spotlight Choir rehearsals
Boldmere Spotlight Choir 3:30pm-4:30pm (Tuesdays)
Wylde Green Spotlight Choir 3:30-4:30pm (Thursdays)
All of our choirs have the opportunity to participate in at least three performances each year at venues in and around Sutton Coldfield. Our advanced choirs (including Intermediate Voices, Senior Voices and Dynamic Voices) compete at national and international level and are invited to join us for workshops and residential trips.
Our choirs are open to all and we pride ourselves on providing and inclusive and nurturing environment in which our members can develop their musicianship, grow in confidence and have fun.
Wednesday evening rehearsals
Little Voices (ages 4-6) 4:30pm-5:15pm
Junior Voices (ages 6-9) 4:15pm-5:15pm
Intermediate Voices (ages 8-13) 5:40pm-7:10pm
Senior Voices (ages 11-19) 5:40pm-7:10pm
Ensemble Voices (ages 13-19) 7:30pm-8:30pm (auditioned)
Dynamic Voices (adults) 7:30-9pm
Spotlight Choir rehearsals
Boldmere Spotlight Choir 3:30pm-4:30pm (Tuesdays)
Wylde Green Spotlight Choir 3:30-4:30pm (Thursdays)
All of our choirs have the opportunity to participate in at least three performances each year at venues in and around Sutton Coldfield. Our advanced choirs (including Intermediate Voices, Senior Voices and Dynamic Voices) compete at national and international level and are invited to join us for workshops and residential trips.
Our choirs are open to all and we pride ourselves on providing and inclusive and nurturing environment in which our members can develop their musicianship, grow in confidence and have fun.
Guided by our SC Choirs Musicianship Levels, we approach music via Kodaly and Dalcrose disciplines which use movement and visual stimuli. This develops the whole child via kinaesthetic learning.
Kodaly and Dalcrose approaches enable children to:
- sing, play, and move from memory via a varied number of songs
- perform, listen to, and analyse how music works
- develop musicianship skills, such as musical reading and writing, singing and part-singing
- improvise and compose, using their known musical vocabulary at each developmental level
Kodaly and Dalcrose approaches enable children to:
- sing, play, and move from memory via a varied number of songs
- perform, listen to, and analyse how music works
- develop musicianship skills, such as musical reading and writing, singing and part-singing
- improvise and compose, using their known musical vocabulary at each developmental level
A Kodaly-based music curriculum
The Kodaly method was developed by Hungarian composer and educator Zoltán Kodály in the early 20th century. It combines several powerful techniques for developing the core skills of musicianship.
Kodály believed that music was among the most important - if not the most important school subject. In his method, children unconsciously learn the basic musical elements: sol-fa (or solfège), rhythm, hand signs, memory development, singing, and more.
Kodály believed that music was among the most important - if not the most important school subject. In his method, children unconsciously learn the basic musical elements: sol-fa (or solfège), rhythm, hand signs, memory development, singing, and more.
Benefits of using the Kodaly Method
Developing audiation skills is at the heart of developing musicianship skills
Audiation is the ability to internally hear music in your head without an external sound stimulus. The process of learning to read and write music using an “ear” to “eye” process (sound to symbol) is fundamental to developing audiation skills.
Singing, movement and active music making are the foundations for teaching Music literacy
Laying the foundations for developing music literacy skills begins with active music making. The singing voice, coupled with movement, is essential to music learning.
Singing and analysing repertoire plays a significant role in the process of teaching improvisation.
Improvisation, the art of formulating and writing music, are integral components of a music curriculum. Both improvisation and composition extend and develop students’ creativity and musicianship. We nourish children’s ability to improvise by focusing on the forms and rhythmic and melodic building blocks.
Teach children to play instruments using “a sound to symbol” orientation.
This method accelerates and aids the child learning a musical instrument. Students need to be able to sing/say what they are going to play on their instruments. Sight singing allows students to internalise the sounds of music before they play them.
Audiation is the ability to internally hear music in your head without an external sound stimulus. The process of learning to read and write music using an “ear” to “eye” process (sound to symbol) is fundamental to developing audiation skills.
Singing, movement and active music making are the foundations for teaching Music literacy
Laying the foundations for developing music literacy skills begins with active music making. The singing voice, coupled with movement, is essential to music learning.
Singing and analysing repertoire plays a significant role in the process of teaching improvisation.
Improvisation, the art of formulating and writing music, are integral components of a music curriculum. Both improvisation and composition extend and develop students’ creativity and musicianship. We nourish children’s ability to improvise by focusing on the forms and rhythmic and melodic building blocks.
Teach children to play instruments using “a sound to symbol” orientation.
This method accelerates and aids the child learning a musical instrument. Students need to be able to sing/say what they are going to play on their instruments. Sight singing allows students to internalise the sounds of music before they play them.
Elements of Dalcrose methods compliment the Kodaly approach
Designed by Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, this method explores the relationship between music and body movement, developing a greater sense of rhythm, harmony, and melody. Children develop a physical awareness and experience of music using all of their senses, especially their kinaesthetic sense. For this reason, teachers who use the Dalcroze method in their lessons often teach students through full-body movements before teaching them to read music. By using this method, children develop a stronger sense of rhythm and harmony, they move to a more expressive performance, and listening skills/intuition is heightened.
