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Voices of the River's Edge FAQs

Can you tell me more about this project?
Voices of The River’s Edge is Sage Gateshead’s brand new choir. We are in an exciting partnership with the BBC, working towards a high profile performance on 23 July 2022. This will involve a collaboration with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Folk collective, Spell Songs.

Who will be in the choir?
We hope the choir will be a great mix of 16-30 year old from throughout the North East. Like-minded people who love to sing.

What happens on Saturday 7 May (singing workshop day)?
On the singing workshop day we will start by getting to know each other, before starting to learn some of the songs. Our Choral Director will listen to individuals and groups in an informal setting to make sure all the voices blend together well.

How will I know if I have a place in the choir?
After the singing workshop day we will be in touch with you to let you know next steps.

There are a lot of rehearsals. Do I need to come to them all?
We all know rehearsing together is really important and we need to make sure there is enough time in the plan to make sure everyone is comfortable with their part and sounding good. We do however know that there are things in life that come up that will mean you can’t make every session. That’s OK. Although we think it would be best if you can commit to the majority of the sessions, we’ll all work together to make sure everyone is up to speed.

Can you help me with my travel expenses?
Yes, if you need help. Please get in touch. voices@sagegateshead.com

What venue will the rehearsals be in?
The majority will be in Sage Gateshead itself which is very accessible. There are occasions when we need to be out of the building and this will be in a central Gateshead location.

Will I have material to take home and practice?
Yes, everyone will have a resource pack with the music and lyrics in. We will also give you access to the songs on Soundcloud for people who learn best by listening.

What will I be singing?
You will be singing songs from all genres. For the first event, we will be working with folk and choral music specifically.

How do I get to rehearsals?
Sage Gateshead is super accessible. It’s a 10 minute walk from Gateshead Metro and the 53 and 54 bus will bring you here straight from Newcastle central locations as well as Gateshead interchange. We have a large car park and will offer discount parking to all in cars.

What about additional rehearsals?
There will be a number of Wednesday evenings where we will ask you to do some additional rehearsals. The time of these rehearsals will be 6-9pm. This won’t be everyone, every week. We may decide that some weeks we will work on different voice parts. We will give you plenty of notice as to when you need to attend rehearsals.

What about after the event on the 23 July? What’s next?
This is not a one off choir. This is Sage Gateshead’s new choir that we hope you will enjoy and stay with for future projects. Further details about this will be given to you before the end of the summer term.

What are you doing about the ongoing risk of COVID and other infections?
We take the health of our participants and staff very seriously. Although controls are now relaxed through the UK, we would like to keep some elements in place. These include making sure you stay at home when you feel unwell. Other guidance includes wearing masks when coming into enclosed spaces, keeping windows open in rehearsal spaces, some social distancing and using hand sanitiser where you can. We will follow the latest government guidance and keep our covid policy up to date to keep everyone safe.