Membership

Becoming a member of the Harbour Capital Chorus isn't a long and involved process, but there are a few steps before you'll be ready to sing with us at performances.

A typical process goes something like this

On your first night you will be voice placed. This is a simple test to tell us what part you're singing so that we can put you where you will fit best.
At that time you will be assigned a buddy. He will look after you until you've completed the process.
After a few weeks of standing on the risers with us learning some barbershop craft you will be invited to audition. The audition process involves a few exercises to confirm you can sing with us, and a bit of talking about how you think you're doing. During that session we also note down any areas of improvement so that we can make sure we help you be the best singer you can be.
Some people don't pass their audition the first time, and may be invited to continue with the chorus for a few more weeks before re-auditioning.
After successfully auditioning, you will be invoiced for your membership fees and uniform deposit, fitted out for a uniform, and will be issued some music.
Don't worry if you don't pass your first attempt. A cappella singing (singing without any instrument backing) is a very specific skill and can take some people a little while to get used to.

Support

Every voice part in the chorus has a Section Leader whose job it is to make sure you're all singing the part correctly and to give you guidance. They run section practices and review your riser tapes (recordings you make to confirm you've got the music sorted) and will be there if you have any questions about your music. We also have jobs for almost every person in the chorus, so there are people whose job it is to answer any questions you might have about music, performances, attendance, rehearsals or any other facet of chorus life.

Education

Every year we provide Personal Voice Instruction sessions (PVIs) for each of our members to help them become better singers. We also engage coaches from around New Zealand and overseas to help the chrous grow and develop in the barbershop style. You will be invited to attend weekend coaching sessions and retreats to further develop your performance abilities.