Where to perform

From the Front of the Choir bemoans the lack of suitable venues for choirs.

The fact that we're often performing in churches adds yet another stereotype image to what we do in addition to the word 'choir' which itself puts lots of people off. Which is why I'm more and more tempted to try and find theatrical rather than musical venues. I have a current bee in my bonnet about making singing performances more varied and interesting as I don't think it's enough these days for an audience to just see a static semi-circle of identically dressed singers standing on stage.

I have a vocal jazz ensemble which sometimes finds itself performing in churches, which feels uncomfortable. Somehow there's a mismatch between the music and the space. But all those union houses are just out of reach — paying somebody $80/hour just to turn the house lights on and off is just out of my price range. I hadn't thought about looking for community theatres.

All this only applies to community choirs, of course. School and church choirs typically have built-in performance venues.