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From Couch to Chorus is back! Join us over four weeks this March to brighten up the winter nights and learn to sing wherever you are…
Over 2,000 people from all over the world joined us for our last edition and we can’t wait to welcome back singers old and new! The course is open to all from complete beginners to experienced choir-goers.
Get a taste of what it feels like to be in the electrifying chorus of Carmen with Bizet’s ‘La cloche a sonné’ (Chorus of Cigarette Girls), and one of the most famous pieces of music in opera – ‘Toreador Song.’ Then drift away to warmer climes and explore Handel’s celebration of island perfection with ‘Chorus of Enchanted Islanders’ from Alcina (although all is not as it seems), before the beautiful ‘Come Away’ from The Emerald Isle – likely the last score undertaken by Arthur Sullivan (Gilbert & Sullivan).
“I have never sung in a choir before, mainly from lack of confidence. So it was wonderful to be able to attempt challenging music when no one else could hear me!”
“I just want to say a HUGE thank you for the wonderful Spring Couch to Chorus! I have absolutely loved every minute!”– From Couch to Chorus: Sing into Spring participants
Dates & times
There is one session a week per voice type which will lasts 1 hour. Details below.
Accessibility
All sessions can be captioned. We can also provide song lyrics in large-print and Braille. If you have any access needs please in touch via info@operanorth.co.uk or 0113 2233600.
If you’d like to join us but need help figuring out which voice type you are, this guide is for you. Listen to recordings of ‘Habanera’ from Bizet’s Carmen, performed by the Chorus of Opera North, and sing along to see which one feels most comfortable!
If you’re still not sure, get in touch with us at lifelonglearning@operanorth.co.uk. Please only sign up to one voice type to ensure we can make as many places available to participants as possible.
There will be a weekly session per voice type. When you booking opens, simply select either the session for the group you’d like to join.
All sessions can be captioned – this can be useful if you are hard of hearing or listening in a noisy environment. See our FAQs for how to enable captions
Dates: Wed 2 Mar, Wed 9 Mar, Wed 16 Mar, Wed 23 Mar
Times: 6.30-7.30pm
Finale session: Wednesday 30 March, 6.30pm
Dates: Wed 2 Mar, Wed 9 Mar, Wed 16 Mar, Wed 23 Mar
Times: 8-9pm
Finale session: Wednesday 30 March, 6.30pm
Dates: Thur 3 Mar, Thur 10 Mar, Thur 17 Mar, Thur 24 Mar
Times: 6.30-7.30pm
Finale session: Wednesday 30 March, 6.30pm
Dates: Thur 3 Mar, Thur 10 Mar, Thur 17 Mar, Thur 24 Mar
Times: 8-9pm
Finale session: Wednesday 30 March, 6.30pm
Do I need to warm up?
No, warm up exercises will be included at the beginning of each session.
I can’t make the session timings – can I still join?
If you can’t make the sessions due to other commitments, we’ll be sending the Zoom recordings after each workshop so you can catch up at a time that suits you.
I haven’t received my confirmation email or Zoom links – what do I do?
If you have not received your confirmation email within 24 hours of signing up the membership, please check the following areas before contacting the Box Office:
How do I download Zoom?
To download Zoom onto your desktop, follow this link: https://zoom.us/download
Step-by-step:
If you don’t have Zoom on your device:
I’ve downloaded Zoom, how do I join the Zoom call?
To join the call, please click the link from your email, which should open in your web browser. Your browser will then prompt you to open Zoom (if you have it installed on your device) or to join the call from your browser. Alternatively, you can open the Zoom application, click ‘join a meeting’, and enter the meeting ID and password.
Why can’t I hear the other singers in the session?
Unfortunately, the time delay on Zoom means it’s impossible for everyone to sing at the same time. To solve this, everyone is muted during sessions so you can sing along and learn at home without distraction.
I can’t see the music properly on Zoom – how do I fix this?
There are two View settings on Zoom – ‘Gallery View’ and ‘Speaker View’. Please make sure you select the ‘Speaker View’ setting on Zoom once the workshop has begun, to ensure that you see the session properly. You change your View settings by clicking the icons in the top right-hand corner of your screen. Sometimes, other participant’s faces can cover the right-hand side of the screen when the sheet music is being shared on-screen. If the faces are obscuring your view of the music, you can remove them by either minimising the thumbnails, or clicking ‘View Options’ at the top of the screen and selecting ‘Side-by-Side’ mode.
Do you have accessible course materials?
We do! We can send you the song lyrics in large-print and Braille. Please get in touch via lifelonglearning@operanorth.co.uk or 0113 2233600 for accessible content and more information.
Will the Zoom sessions be accessible?
We will be captioning all Zoom sessions. To enable the captions in Zoom, click on the ‘CC’ button which is to the right of the ‘Record’ button. You can then follow every word being spoken – this can be useful if you are hard of hearing or listening in a noisy environment.
