Members

1. Be on time. That means in your seat and ready to sing at 19h30. If you are late, come around to the rear entrance of the Parish Hall (up the avenue George V to the first left, and then left again on the Impasse du Dr. Bertillon) and enter as discretely as possible.

2. Know your music. We make midi/MP3 files available for practice (see below) so that you can work on your music even on your way to work. Remember that making music together is more rewarding (and useful) than simply learning music together.

3. Bring a pencil – and use it. You’ll need to note precisions and changes in your score as the Music Director gives them. Nobody’s memory is good enough to hold all the nuances of the entire concert in his/her head. All choir members are required to use the score chosen by the musical director to ensure that everyone can find places in the music quickly and quietly.

4. Turn off your phone during rehearsals. Just switch it off and leave it in your pocket or bag. You can do it. Really. And after the break, be sure that it’s off again, or at least on silent, if you’ve turned it on. 

5. Don’t talk during rehearsals. Something being said to another section will probably apply to you at some point, being familiar with other musical lines will help you understand where your own fits, and the additional sound is distracting and annoying for everybody.

6. Look at the Music Director at all times. We change tempo and dynamics at the Music Director’s discretion, and you can’t know what will happen if you aren’t looking!

7. Keep your questions for your section leader or speak to the Music Director later. If you feel that you question applies to the entire section or choir and would be best answered immediately, raise your hand but wait to be called on (or not).

8. Come to all rehearsals and workshops. In addition to the weekly rehearsals there are also generally two Saturday morning workshops which you are strongly encouraged to attend and there may be additional sectional rehearsals. The time commitment is considerable, we know, but that is what it takes to make the kind of sound we want. 

Remember that anyone who has missed three rehearsals can only sing the concert at the Music Director’s discretion and he may require a re-audition. Just because you feel you know the music despite your absences does not mean that the Music Director will feel that you blend with the group sufficiently.

The PCS also occasionally organizes other activities to raise much needed funds for the choir: your participation is strongly encouraged.

9. All choir members are expected to sing ALL concerts. We typically do three programs a year of two concerts each, plus the Sing-Along. The PCS programs a range of choral music, and you may find that some choices appeal to you more than others. Think of this as an occasion to explore something you might not have encountered otherwise.

10. If you find following spoken English difficult, sit next to somebody who can (quietly) help you follow instructions. If you see that your neighbour is lost, do help out (quietly!).

11. If life suddenly gets in the way of your singing a concert, let the President and your section leader know immediately. Choir members may participate in some rehearsals for concerts for which they cannot sing, but will be instructed to withdraw when the musical director needs to begin concentrating on choral balance.

1. Check the choir newsletter and this area of the PCS website regularly. Upcoming rehearsal schedules, concert dates, midi practice files, and rehearsal notes can all be found here and in the newsletter.

2. Know whom to go to if you have questions:

• Your Section Leader is your first point of contact for any questions, absences or if you need any help.

• Your Board Members are also available to answer any questions and each one has their own portfolio to help make the PCS run if you have any specific questions. 

• You can find the current Section Leaders and Board Members in the PCS directory, located in the members section of the PCS website.

3. Bring your own drink and snacks for the break. We have a 15-minute break each rehearsal, which is a chance to get to know your fellow PCS members. Although we don’t have access to the kitchen, do use the opportunity to spend some social time with other singers.

4. Pay your dues promptly. We are a small association, we have overheads that must be met, and it’s not a lot of fun for the (volunteer) treasurer to have to follow up multiple times. If you are considering not singing for financial reasons, please talk to your section leader, the treasurer, and/or the president.

In order to sign up for the current season please visit our HelloAsso page and complete the current season’s form with your details. We need to know your current contact information and your feedback on how you might be able to participate in our association work to keep the choir running. This form is a necessary and mandatory step in membership registration/renewal. In completing the membership form, you give us permission to maintain your profile information needed for your web access and our membership records.

We strongly encourage payment online using this form. However, if you prefer to pay by cheque, you can still complete the form and insert “CHEQUE” on the final “Récapitulatif” screen when asked “Avez-vous un code promo?” – give your cheque to the Treasurer at your first rehearsal. We also support choristers who may may not be able to pay in one instalment: use the same “CHEQUE” promo code and speak to the Treasurer in confidence about alternative payment arrangements.

You may pay for your membership only  if you’ve already completed your vocal reassessment or do not need one at this time. Please contact the PCS Membership Secretary at info@parischoralsociety.org first, if you are not sure of your status.

There are two types of membership: adult (€230) and under 26 years  (€115). For returning members and new choristers joining the PCS at the beginning of the season, the annual membership fee is due to be paid by September 30 irrespective of the number of concerts in which you sing.

Exceptionally, for those new members auditioning and joining the PCS in January, the fees are reduced to 2/3 of the full year membership, that is 153€ for adults and 77€ for those under 26.

Once you have selected the membership type, then click “add to cart” to continue the process. If you prefer to pay by cheque or cash, please pay your dues to the Treasurer at your first rehearsal.

1. Help ensure our financial health – sell tickets! The founding mission of the PCS was and is to make quality music available at a reasonable cost. We try to keep dues low so that nobody should feel unable to participate because of dues. This means that ticket sales are essential to the life of the organization. 

2. You are also a part of a task team – because an organization like ours doesn’t run itself! Be in touch with your team leader, and don’t hesitate to volunteer if you see that work needs doing and you have the skills to get it done. Setting up before and cleaning up after the rehearsal and putting away the conductor’s podium is also part of each section’s responsibility.

3. Sponsor us if you can, and help us find corporate sponsors if you have the contacts. Member sponsors and donors are an invaluable source of revenue for the PCS. If you pay taxes in France, there are generous tax deductions for sponsors and donors - see more details on our Support pages. If your employer or other business contact has a budget for sponsoring cultural activities, talk to the President or a board member!

4. As an Association de 1901, we have byelaws. You’ll find them on the website.

5. Be courteous and respectful to Cathedral personnel and obey all Cathedral regulations. We use this space at the discretion of the cathedral, and we would not be able to function without it.

6. Security is the responsibility of all of us. Do NOT let people into the Cathedral with you unless you know that they should be there. It’s ok to ask them (politely) to politely wait for a member of their group or security to give them access.

7. Be sure to leave the spaces we use at least as clean and well-ordered as when we arrived.

Etiquette

Instructions for entering and leaving the stage will be given at the compulsory dress rehearsals. Professional behavior on stage is obligatory – no waving to friends, no obvious reaction in the case of a mistake, no phones on stage, no slumping in your chair, no filming, etc. Plastic bottles of water can be taken on stage, but no metal bottles please.

Maintain constant focus on the conductor or the soloists, even when you are not singing. If you get distracted, the audience will both see and sense the drop in energy. Do not react to errors or incidents. Project competence, assurance and pleasure at being able to offer a beautiful concert to our audience. Remember that you are on stage from the minute the audience can see you to the minute you are back in the parish hall.

A complete rehearsal schedule for the entire season is provided in September at the start of the season. A full list of rehearsals can be found in the PCS Calendar (also below).

Rehearsals start in September and continue each Monday through June from 7.30pm to 9.45pm. A short break is held mid-rehearsal for announcements, refreshments (please bring your own and feel free to share!) and socialising.

Rehearsals start strictly on time. It is accepted that for various reasons a singer may occasionally arrive late. Regular late arrivals or early departures are not acceptable.

Two “workshops” are organized each term, normally from 10am to 1pm on a Saturday.

Once a term, an additional “sectional rehearsal” may be organized for each voice.

There are two dress rehearsals in the week preceding each concert. Attendance at these rehearsals is obligatory.

A choir member may miss up to three rehearsals for each concert without risking exclusion from the performance. Above this number of absences, the member may not participate in the concert without the express permission of the Music Director whose decision will be final.

Each voice section takes it in turns each week to arrive early to set up the rehearsal space and to clear up after the rehearsal.

Songs of the Earth: MIDI files and rehearsal tracks

• C. V. Stanford: The Blue Bird

• Benjamin Britten: The Evening Primrose

• Ešenvalds: Stars

• Hubert Parry: At the round earth’s imagined corners

• Jonathan Dove: Who killed Cock Robin?

• Benjamin Britten: Advance Democracy

• Alec Roth: Earthrise Parts 1 + 3 (1: Man’s Drive to explore and exploit; 3: A plea)

You can listen to the whole concert on this Spotify playlist.

Ten ideas for the singer who doesn’t think they can practice on their own

Congratulations! You’ve now been told for the millionth time to practice your music for your next choir rehearsal. But if you are someone who hears that and thinks, “I don’t play piano. I can’t do this without someone helping me,” here are some ways you can practice on your own and improve your singing. Grab your music and a pencil. Many of these steps can be done in a public place. No need to head to the practice room (stop using that as an excuse).

1. Start with the text.
Make sure you know what you are singing. Think about the text. Find a translation if it is in another language. Write the poetic translation above/below the lyrics. If you want to go deeper, use a translation site to translate word for word (especially if there’s a word that you sing over and over again. You should know what that specific word means). Do you know who wrote the lyrics and why? Can you put the piece into historical context?

2. Listen to a recording.
We live in a time of unbelievable access to recordings. Find them (on YouTube, for example). Listen to more than one recording and compare them until you find one or two you really like. Follow along with your score. Listen while paying attention to all of the parts. Listen while paying attention to just your part.

3. Analyze your music.
How is the piece organized? Does it have sections? Are there repeated parts? Does your part occur in another voice part? Are there key changes or meter changes? Is there a repeat sign/first and second ending/coda? How would you describe the organization of this piece to someone who has never heard it?

4. Find your starting pitches.
For every entrance you have, figure out how you are going to find the starting pitch. Maybe another voice part just sang the note. Maybe it was just in the accompaniment. Do you know what note of the chord it is (e.g. I’m singing the root of this chord)? There is nothing worse than “sheep singing” (blindly following what the person next to you is singing). Take responsibility for being able to enter on your own.

5. Don’t just sing through the parts you already know.
You’ll be wasting your practice time. Identify problem areas, analyze why you’re having a problem with that spot, figure out ways to solve the problem area.

6. Solve the problem area.
Break it down to something you CAN do. Then add something to it. Practice with repetition, but only if you’re sure you’re doing it right! Start with just the pitches slowly (dare I say on solfege syllables?). Then add the rhythm to the pitches. Next, add in the lyrics. Make sure you slow down the tempo each time you add another layer. No need to practice with dynamics, articulations, and breaths until you have mastered pitches, rhythms, and lyrics.

7. Work backwards to forwards.
How many times have you felt great about the beginning of a piece, but completely unsure of the ending? During your own practice time, work on the ending section and progressively add sections, each time going through to the end. If you think of your piece as “ABCDE,” practice E, then DE, then CDE, then BCDE, and ABCDE.

8. Audiate your part.
Sing your part through in your head. Do this while you are walking somewhere. Do this in your car while you’re waiting for someone. Do this before you go to sleep. Do this ALL OF THE TIME. (Friendly reminder: Audiating is virtually impossible if there is other music playing. Carve out some quiet time in your life.)

9. Use your pencil.
Mark your score while you’re in rehearsal so you remember what was giving you problems. This will save you time when you plan out your next practice session.

10. Just practice.
99% of the time I don’t want to practice. No one does. But 99% of the time, once I start practicing, I get stuff done. I stop when I lose focus or I run out of time. I NEVER regret spending a little time practicing something. Do yourself a favor and make it part of your daily routine.
You have the ability to do these ten things. Do them. You will reap the benefits of being more confident with your part, which will allow you to contribute to the ensemble in a more meaningful way. And your own vocal technique will improve, because you’ll be able to concentrate on how you sound instead of always worrying about how your part goes. You’ve got this. – Doreen Fryling

As a not-for-profit Association, the PCS is managed by a Board of Directors, members of the choral society, elected at the Annual General Meeting for a three year term, with possible re-election at the end of that period. 

The Board appoints a President, a Vice-President, a Treasurer and a Secretary from its members. Each member of the Board is assigned responsibilities corresponding to the needs of the PCS, e.g.  publicity, sponsorship, internal and external relations, the purchase of choral and orchestral scores, the design of concert posters and programs, etc. 

The Board also appoints, from among the choir members, four Section Leaders responsible for communication with members of his or her section and for liaison with the PCS Music Director and President. The Section Leader keeps an attendance record and informs the Music Director or the President of any repeated absences.

Board

Welcome to the newest iteration of the PCS board! The board members for the 2024 – 2025 season are:

• Co-Presidents: Christopher Grinbergs and Jonathan Overett Somnier

• Membership Secretary: Kate Woodman

• Secretary: Cliodhna Fullam

• Treasurer: Robert Rountree

• Communications: Laure Wassen and Madeleine Blumgart

• Front of House: Yolande Nux and Morgan Rose

• Librarian: Angela Peterson Newton

• Music: Deborah Palmer

• Sponsorship: Elisabeth Poy

Section leaders

In addition Section Leaders join the board and are currently:

• Sopranos: Nancy Brune

• Altos: Angela Peterson Newton

• Tenors: Nicholas Norbrook

• Basses: Francois Daguzan

Governance

Want to know more about how we are organized? Please read through this governance document that describes how our association works. And in the PCS directory above, you’ll see the contact information for our current board members. Remember, you don’t have to be on the board to get involved beyond singing. We always need help in areas such as long term publicity, or programme proofreading, or concert logistics. Please reach out to any one of the board members if you’re interested in getting involved.

Corporate documents

Articles of Association (in French only)

By-laws (in English only)

Meeting minutes [LINK TO GOOGLE DOCS FOLDER]