Choral Scholars

Hertford Choral Society is delighted to announce the opening of applications for its Conducting Fellow and Choral Scholar schemes for the 2023-24 season.

Hertford Choral Society is a friendly, non-auditioned choir with over 100 singers which rehearses on Tuesday evenings in Hertford directed by Manvinder Rattan. We perform major choral works alongside modern pieces - four concerts each year with professional soloists and orchestras, usually at All Saints’ Church, Hertford, together with other singing events led by HCS and involving others from the community. This provides for a rich and enriching musical experience for all those involved and particularly for the successful applicants, giving access to hands-on experience with repertoire and orchestras.

After a gap of many years, this season, 2022-23, we were pleased to re-start our schemes to offer a conducting fellowship and choral scholarships. In this short film you can hear more about the schemes from Tristan Weymes, currently our Conducting Fellow and Susanna Farrell, our current soprano Choral Scholar.

The Choral Scholar role is as follows:

• To support the Musical Director in his whole musical approach and delivery for each concert
• To support the relevant voice part in their learning journey in an empathic and engaging manner, singing in the core of the voice part to a high standard
• Attend all rehearsals and concert performances, ideally, but 80% of rehearsals as a minimum for each concert
• Demonstrate and use good vocal and sight-reading skills
• Carry out warm ups on occasion, if required
• Communicate well with the MD to communicate and enhance rehearsal effectiveness
• On occasions, perform a step-out solo as part of a concert, at the MD's discretion

The scholarships would suit students or recent graduates who are keen to build their experience working with a well-established choral society. Ideally applicants will also have well-developed keyboard skills and must live within reasonable traveling distance to Hertford in order to attend regular rehearsals. The choir is recruiting four Choral Scholars, one each soprano, alto, tenor and bass. The scholarships will last from September 2023 to June 2024 and attract an honorarium of £1,000 for the season. Performance dates: 28 October and 16 December 2023, 23 March, 27 April and 22 June 2024.

Choral Scholar applicants should apply here by Monday 22 May 2023; applications may still be considered after this date if the posts have not already been filled.