We welcome adults of all abilities and you don’t need to audition, have any experience or read music. With 8 groups across Suffolk, daytimes and evenings, there’s something for everyone. Many of our singers had never sung in groups before, and you only perform if you want to.
- Pay membership subscription (3 terms per year)
- Weekly termtime sessions
- Harmony-based pop from A-ha to Gaga
- Excellent learning tools and support online
- Workshop opportunities
- Exceptional experience opportunities – from beatboxing with Shlomo and performing to thousands at Latitude, to recording charity songs and singing at the virtual Suffolk Show on the BBC during lockdown
We unashamedly sing POP songs in multi-part harmony to professional backing tracks, from popular favourites to current hits and obscure classics. We tend to leave classical, choral or musical theatre numbers to other, more specialist choirs.
Each song is then expertly arranged in multi-part harmony to professional backing tracks by founder Yula Andrews, a professional singer and experienced choir director and vocal coach.
Blondie, Radiohead, Florence, Queen… we love them all. Songs are often given their own twist, and we do love a ‘mash up’! Sample some recent choices on this Spotify playlist, or click the Spotify and YouTube links to check out older repertoire.
With a choice of 8 daytime and evening groups across Suffolk, there’s something for everyone:
Monday 7:30pm: Halesworth (Holton Village Hall)
Monday 7:30pm: Long Melford (Village Hall)
Tuesday 7:30pm: Ipswich West (Burstall Village Hall)
Wednesday 10am: Kesgrave (Kesgrave Social Club)
Wednesday 7:30pm: Ipswich Central (Paul’s Sports & Social Club)
Thursday 10am: Felixstowe (Welcome Hall, Trimley)
Thursday 7:30pm: Framlingham (St Michael’s Church)
Thursday 7:30pm: Stowmarket (Haughley King George V Playing Field Pavilion)
Choir sessions last 90 minutes and run every week throughout each term (starting September, January and after Easter, each lasting around 12 weeks), and members can attend as many groups as they like. Each choir benefits from having its own regular, experienced choir leader.
Our choir ethos means that we take collective responsibility for each others’ wellbeing and naturally, we do our best to ensure the safety of all our members and team. Venues are risk-assessed and the robust procedures we introduced during the pandemic taught us a lot – much of which we’re continuing as we move forwards, particularly regarding airflow and ventilation. Our exceptional online learning resources are always available for anyone unable to attend.
How
WE LEARN
We sing in 5-part harmony with voices arranged into ‘tops’, ‘middles’ and ‘bottoms’, and supply MP3 guide vocal recordings, lyrics and video tutorials to teach your part’s harmonies.
Each session starts with exercises and warm-ups before we get into singing, and lasts 90 minutes. We’re a really friendly bunch and other members will be more than happy to help you find your feet.
Find out more below.
FIND YOUR 'PART'
Our choirs sing in 5-part harmony and voices are arranged into ‘tops’, ‘middles’ and ‘bottoms’.
You may already have a clear idea of your vocal range. You’ll discover that your choir leader is like a mystical sorting hat, helping you to find the best part to sing!
Fun, focused rehearsals
Each session starts with breathing exercises and vocal warm-ups, followed by learning new repertoire (we tackle several new songs each term, so it’s pretty fast paced) and singing through songs from our existing repertoire.
We teach the songs part by part, and most members scribble arrows, diagrams and notes on their lyrics as they learn – whatever works for you. And of course, this is all backed up the fabulous home-learning resources we provide.
Practise at home
On the members’ area of our website you can access MP3 recordings, lyrics and video tutorials to teach your part’s harmonies. The MP3s use guide vocals to emphasise your part against the others, or you can hear all parts singing together. (We don’t provide ‘notes’ or sheet music).
HELP AT HAND!
Don’t worry if you’ve not sung before – we can ‘buddy you up’ with a member in your part to help you find your way. We have an active, supportive FaceBook members page. And the Pop Chorus team are easily contactable for additional help.
Participation in performances is optional, but many of our members have loved singing at local events, festivals and our own concerts.
We’ve raised over £50,000 in the last 5 years for St Elizabeth Hospice, Iceni, FIND (Families In Need) and 4YP, amongst others – and hit the singles chart in 2017 with our fundraising single ‘Always’.
We also host fun, informative workshops and run social excursions, usually centred around singing – from collaborating with other artists to recording sessions, attending soundchecks and Q&As at gigs.
Find out more below.
We didn’t start as a performance choir, but we’re often asked to perform at events locally and sometimes further afield.
We’ve supported many local community activities from school fetes to Christmas markets and charity launches, we’ve also played Latitude and First Light festivals and sold out our own concerts at Ipswich Corn Exchange and Regent Theatre.
Performing is entirely up to you, people are often nervous about singing in public, but we usually find that once singers give it a go they are hooked!
You can register your availability for gigs on the members’ area of the website and we ensure that everyone who wants to, gets opportunities to perform.
Human
Rag ‘n ‘ Bone Man’s ‘Human’ from our December 2018 concert of the same name at Ipswich Regent Theatre.
White Winter Hymnal
A beautiful Fleet Foxes song from our 2014 Christmas concert.
I’m Not The Only One / Thinking Out Loud
Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran mash-up, from summer 2015.
We support many charitable organisations, but we particularly love finding local charities to throw our collective support behind and make a real difference.
We’ve raised over £50,000 in the last 5 years for St Elizabeth Hospice, Iceni and FIND (Families In Need), amongst others – and hit the singles chart in 2017 with our hospice-fundraising single ‘Always’.
We’re currently supporting 4YP – a fantastic charity who provide and coordinate services that improve the social, emotional and physical health of young people in Suffolk.
In addition to core membership, we also run fun, informative workshops (online and physical) and the occasional social excursion, usually centred around singing.
We’ve hit the charts, beatboxed with Shlomo, sung with Rolling Stones backing singer Lisa Fischer, recorded backing vocals for pop artist Jack Robertson and during lockdown we recorded a new arrangement of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ for Bruce Munro’s ‘Ribbon Of Light’ art installation.
‘Springtime Girl’
The choir backing stunning folk duo Honey & The Bear at our Winter Songbook concert, December 2019.
‘Singing together safely’
Over 100 singers reconvening outdoors for the first time after months in lockdown.
‘Ribbon of Light’
Another lockdown recording, to support artist Bruce Munro’s shimmering NHS-celebrating ribbon.
Come and try a session to see if you like what we do and how we work. We’re enormously proud of our choir ethos, which sets out our standards to help everyone have fun, develop and flourish within an outstandingly positive and supportive environment.
If you want to join we’ll ask you to complete a short registration form so that we can contact you and keep you up to date. Membership costs £82.50 per term (concessions available, talk to us if affordability could prohibit you joining). You’ll then receive your welcome pack which includes our ethos, a folder for your music and we’ll get your Pop Chorus name badge printed.