Welcome to Ely Consort. We’re delighted to have you in the Choir and hope you find all the essential and useful information you need in the sections below. Please use the search facility for specifics (there’s a lot here!). Broadly speaking we rehearse at 8pm on a thursday evening during term time, and perform in Ely or the surrounding area towards the end of each term, where possible followed by a social gathering. Formal matters are addressed through an efficient AGM usually early February.
Choir Governance
Ely Consort is a registered CIO 1194693 since 7 June 2017. Annual reports are agreed and verified by the trustees and lodged with the charities commission to be made publicly available online.
The objects of Ely Consort CIO are to advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in and appreciation of the art and science of choral music in all its aspects by the presentation of public choral concerts in East Anglia and for the general purposes of such charitable bodies or for such purposes as shall be exclusively charitable as the Committee may from time to time decide.
Additional documentation is available in the Choirs Constitution (link) and Choir Rules (link). As detailed in the constitution; the management of the Choir is by committee made up of the trustees, co-opted members, and the Musical Director ex officio. Constitutional and financial matters are voted by trustees only through a formal voting process. As a CIO Ely Consort aims through good financial management to attain a break-even position at the end of each financial year. This is achieved through balancing our costs against concert sales revenues, membership fee contributions and grant aid (where possible). Gift-aiding membership subscriptions helps significantly and the Treasurer will offer advice on this.
| Name | Role | Standing |
| John Simmons | Chairman | Trustee |
| Roger Hill | Treasurer | Trustee |
| Liz Mellor | Secretary | Trustee |
| Angela Major | Advertising | Trustee |
| Miriam Brown | Trustee | |
| Jon Bradley | Trustee | |
| Nick Barton | Website/email etc. | co-opted |
| Helen West | Librarian | co-opted |
| Peter Lancaster | Marketing | co-opted |
| Angela Major | Advertising | co-opted |
Concerts & Programming
We target venues which are amenable to the size of the choir, facilities for accompaniment (solists, piano, organ, orchestra), facilities for the audience, acoustics, availability and cost. We aim to perform in Ely Cathedral regularly, usually once per season, although this cannot be guaranteed due to the busy forward programme of events at the Cathedral. The programming is very much lead by the Musical Director and takes inspiration from varied sources such as anniversaries, commemorations, venues, collaborators and covers an incredibly wide ranging repertoire transcending genres and periods, but always fit for the size and nature of our chamber choir. Have a look at the concert reviews & photos for a better idea. The concert season is booked over 12 months in advance and dates are available on the website (link). A brochure outlining the annual programme of concerts will be prepared at the start of each season to aid long term planning for audiences and friends of choir members.
Communication with Ely Consort
Outside of rehearsals, communication is primarily by email. We currently use a group email system (groups.io) behind the scenes and new members will be asked to click a link initially to confirm they are happy to sign up to this system. Please note default here is reply to all – you will reply to the whole choir. There is a “Reply to Sender” option at the bottom if thats what you wish to do. Please keep an eye on your SPAM folder initially to make sure you are seeing our emails in your inbox.
Direct contact is best made by email to [email protected]. This mailbox is monitored and accessed by all of the committee. For confidential matters; please contact [email protected], financial matters are handled in complete confidence by the Treasurer [email protected]. The Musical Director [email protected] handles artistic and technical performance matters, again in confidence. These addresses are also at the bottom of most emails from the Choir.
For attendance matters please contact [email protected]. Choir members are expected to attend as many rehearsals for each concert as possible. We understand that from time to time this is not possible and we appreciate a note as soon as possible that you are not able to attend on a particular evening. If you have a longer-term planned absence which may mean missing a concert, then its helpful to advise us in the previous term in case this affects concert programming decisions. A singer may possibly be asked not to perform in a particular concert if a significant number of rehearsals have been missed – decisions on this will be solely at the discretion of the Musical Director.
There is a social choir WhatsApp for social and non-essential matters – Click the link if you wish to be included in this. Essential communication will always be through email.
Membership
Membership of ths choir is by annual subscription which can be paid annually, per term, or in other manageable ways by arrangement with the Treasurer. Fees will be adjusted for those joining mid way through the year. Membership confers a vote in the AGM and the ability to stand for office within the choir’s management structure. There is no reduction in the annual membership fee if a member is unable to perform in one or more of the scheduled concerts in that membership year, whatever the reason.
Rehearsals
Rehearsals are held in the Recital Hall of Kings School subject to availability, to start at 8pm and finish around 9:45pm. Some members adjourn to a nearby pub afterwards. There is a rehearsal calendar on the website (link) which kept updated with variations. These can be added to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendars so that they update automatically (please ask). As noted above – please contact [email protected] regarding planned absences.
Music
Music is provided for members by the Librarian. Some is leased for a specific concert (costs included in membership) and some owned by the choir. Very occasionally we will request members purchase a general score for re-use (if costs are prohibitive contact the treasurer). Please only ever use minimal soft pencil markings, and note these may need to be hastily erased straight after a concert. We often use a standard unbranded black folder for concerts, also available from the Librarian if you don’t already have the right one.
Concerts Arrangements
Concerts are generally towards the end of each academic term. As noted above – please contact [email protected] regarding planned absences as early as possible. There is usually an additional rehearsal of around 2 hours at the concert venue on the day of the concert; timings and further details are advised during the term.
Our standard concert dress is as follows:
Male singers: open-necked black shirt and black suit or dinner suit and black shoes, with or without jackets depending on the concert.
Female singers: ‘long black’ i.e. below the knee length non-sparkly black dresses, skirt or trousers with black shoes and non-sparkly black top, covered shoulders (especially in church venues) and minimal jewellery.
From time to time we may be asked to wear formal black tie concert wear or less formal styles -but this is very rare.
Touring with Ely Consort
The choir has a long history of successful tours to interesting and exciting locations around Europe. These are however completely additional to membership of the Choir, and while popular, not an expectation of membership. Tours are generally every couple of years; and we have enjoyed excellent trips to Poland (Gdansk, Krakow), Czechia, Germany, France, Italy and Belgium.