FATT PROJECTS CHOIR

WHAT IS THIS CHOIR?
The Fatt Projects Choir (we will come up with a proper name soon) is going to be a semi-professional* queer choir specialising in performing contemporary and popular music.

The aim of this choir will be to bring together queer singers (and allies) from across Birmingham with the aim of coming together to make a beautiful collective sound, packed with sexy harmonies and good vibes. This is not a community choir (there are already great community choirs in Birmingham and we’re not trying to step on their toes). We recognise that for a lot of queer singers it’s rare to have a space to be together and make music, despite this being essential for our development and wellbeing. Lots of choral environments are very traditional, or are attached to religious practice which we know can be difficult for queer people to navigate.

We really want to emphasise the performance of choral music, this isn’t going to be a traditional formal choir. Our ideas at the moment include live instruments, DJs, dancing, and bringing audiences together with a gig-like atmosphere - our aim is for the choir to perform at nightclubs & festivals as well as more traditional and community settings. 

The music we will perform will draw on a wide range of genres from club-classics to folk, rock, R&B, jazz, soul, pop, and original compositions pulled together around a particular theme or idea. The music we choose to perform will be shaped by the members of the choir, their interests, the sounds we make, and the various contexts we might perform in.

This is very much the beginning of a thing, and we’re looking to develop it, see what happens, and be responsive to what we make together. We are delighted to say that the choir is being supported by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) as part of a new partnership.

What do we mean by semi-professional?
To start with, the choir will be unpaid. Everyone involved is giving their time voluntarily to make it happen because they want to do it and want to be a part of it. However, we are aiming for a professional quality sound and performance.

Our intention is that we will work to a point where we are able to pay singers for gigs (eg. if we’re booked at festivals/events) - but we want to be upfront that it will take some time to get to that stage, so it’s an intention rather than a promise. 

Do I need to be a professional singer to join?
No, you don’t need to be a professional singer to be part of the choir (although you absolutely might be). 

We understand that people sing for lots of different reasons and everyone will be coming from different kinds of experience, so you don’t need any formal singing training or experience to be a part of the choir. Here’s what you do need:

• to be a confident singer, and comfortable singing in front of people. Ideally we want everyone to feel able to take on singing solo if desired. 

• to be able to sing to a good standard, have good musicality, and to feel comfortable singing a harmony line with others. 

• to be able to bring your personality to singing and feel comfortable performing in front of other people. 

• To identify as LGBTQ+ or consider yourself an active ally to our community. 

This choir might not be the place to try singing for the first time. We will be ambitious with the music we perform and the sound we make together. 

Please note you must be over the age of 18 to join the choir, there is no upper age limit. 

What kind of voices are we looking for?
We don’t have a fixed idea of who can or should sing in a choir, we want to do lots of different styles of music and create different vocal sounds so we’re going to need a range of singing styles. Don’t worry that you sound too much like one thing or another, we want this choir to be a place where the unique qualities of your voice are celebrated. 

Our initial plan is for the choir to be split into four voice parts - Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Bass, although this might change once we have formed the choir and got a sense of the voices we have. If you aren’t sure which voice part you sing, we can help you figure that out in rehearsal. 

We particularly want to connect with singers who haven’t felt comfortable in other choral settings including trans, non-binary and/or gender non-conforming singers whose vocal ranges may not match traditionally gendered voice parts - we hope this will be a space where you are able to bring your full self to singing. Voice parts will be based on range only and are open to people of any gender to sing with the part they are most comfortable with.

Do I need to be able to read music?
No, you do not need to be able to read sheet music - although if you are able to read music this will be helpful. We will provide everyone with sheet music and lyrics to follow, but we will teach the parts by ear and repetition. No-one will be expected to sight-read. 

What is the rehearsal commitment?
We will rehearse once a week on Monday evenings from 7-9pm at the CBSO Centre, Berkley St, Birmingham B1 2LF. 

Is there a cost to being in the choir?
No, there isn’t a membership fee or a cost to being in the choir. However, as the choir is currently running without funding we will ask for people to either print their own sheet music, bring it with them digitally (eg. on a tablet) or to cover the costs of us providing printed music. 

Is the rehearsal venue accessible?
The CBSO building has good accessibility, and step free access throughout. Our rehearsal space is on the 1st floor, which can be accessed via a lift. If you have any specific questions about access please email hello@fattprojects.org and we’ll get back to you asap.