Dress Code & Concert Guidlines

Last updated 03/07/25

Based on the feedback from our survey conducted in May 2023 we have decided to put down some guidelines for performances in writing.

Our main focus of every concert is very simple and all revolves around two things

- Having Fun
- Sounding Great

In order for us to continue performing in wonderful venues we need our audience to continue to attend, along with encouraging new audience members with no connection to the choir to come along too. To help us put on a great show for these people we would kindly request members follow the following guidelines.

Dress Code

You will need to choose from 1 of the following options. The options are deliberately not gender specifc.

Option 1

- Black or red shirts (no white shirts!)
- Black trousers
- Red or black tie or dickie bow
- Black jacket or waistcoat
- Black shoes
No Patterned shirts
All block colours please
No jeans or trainers.

Option 2

Dresses/smart skirts – Red or black block colours. No patterns
Top & trousers – Red or black top. No patterns. Smart black trousers.

No jeans, no trainers, no crazy patterned clothing that separates you from the rest of the group.
Accessories: Red accessories are lovely! This is where you can really show off your personality. Scarves, flowers, belts etc...

I love colour and encourage you to include as much red as you can.

I do not want us to become a stuffy choir where everybody looks exactly the same, but we need to be uniformed enough that we don’t look messy.

Stage Etiquetee

Every venue will require slightly different things from us regarding how we enter/exit the stage etc. Please follow the instructions on the day.

We will usually try to have you seated before the show starts, and then the performance will start with Robert entering the stage.

In between songs, Robert will signal when to stand up and sit down. It’s small things like this that will make us look professional.

Performance Tips

In between songs, we should try and refrain from having individual conversations whilst Robert/the host is compering. The last thing we want though is for you to be sat stiffly on the stage. Please have a laugh at his HILARIOUS jokes, smile and engage with the action. But try not to have a chat about what you may be having for dinner!

Do not leave folders and water bottles on stage. You must not reserve or save your seats by leaving things on stage.

Many choirs I have seen will stand super smartly and sing.

Regardless of the song. What I love about this choir and what I wholeheartedly encourage is that you have fun, you dance, and you clap along.

The sound goes BOOM in these moments. It improves your singing and the atmosphere. Music is a celebration and you do this better than anyone.

So, smile and have fun, if you’re smiling the audience will too. It’s the easiest win of performing!

These joyous moments will also add contrast to those beautiful moments where we do bring the mood down and sing a ballad. So, when we are singing a song like ‘Colour My World’, for example, enjoy yourselves, clap along and dance!

Height Order
Inclusivity

In a venue (for example Morley Town Hall/Yeadon) where there is no sloped seating, we request that people allow the shorter people to get closer to the front so they are seen, and so they can see Robert.

This will often need to be self-policed as we will not have time, or be able to get everybody into height order. This should be as simple as when somebody smaller than you asks to move forward, you allow them. Ultimately the choir, and the show, will benefit from this because we will see more faces and hear more voices due to them being projected over heads rather than at the back of.

Please though be aware that not everybody’s needs are visible, some people will feel they need to be in a certain position for their own comfort. I appreciate these situations are less easy to manage and where people are less comfortable discussing their needs it can lead to some miscommunications. We (Robert & Sophie) will try our best to handle these situations as sensitively as possible, but please make sure we are aware of any non-visible needs prior to the performance, so we have an opportunity to give you the support you deserve.

We are also a fully inclusive choir. So, if anybody requires a chair for a performance, they will always be given priority. These people will also be given time and space to enter the stage first and we will make sure they are comfortable before sorting our other members. Thank you for all your help and understanding with this.

We will try, where possible, to make sure you know where you are sitting/standing before the performance. Please try to stick to your position.

Drinks & Sheet Music

Drinks bottles ARE allowed on stage. We performed professionally for many years and ALWAYS had a drink with us. It’s really important. Just please make sure your drinks bottle has a lid; no open liquids are allowed on stage at any point. Please only drink in between songs as it doesn’t look good during a song if people are drinking.

Sheet music is allowed at performances but you should be turning up to concerts prepared enough that the sheet music is more of a safety blanket rather than an essential to get through the performance. Glancing down occasionally rather than reading throughout. The audience wants to see your beautiful faces and hear your wonderful voices.

When you sing over your folders the sound improves beyond comprehension.

All sheet music should be kept in a plain black folder.

Please make every effort to try and follow any instructions on the day. You could understandably assume that doing something different to what has been asked will not make a difference to the way we are trying to do things, as it’s just one person. But if everybody took that approach, we’d never get anything done efficiently.

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Thank you so much for your cooperation on these guidelines! These are designed to enhance our performances. I appreciate when something like this gets put in writing it can be extremely formal and it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters: ‘having a great time’, ‘having a laugh along the way’ and ‘sounding great!’ I appreciate that a majority of members will be regularly doing most, if not all, of the above but it’s good to have it in writing so I know I’ve been clear about what we are expecting.

If at any point you have any questions you can always chat to me at rehearsal, or send me an email.