Home

The Wing Singers – who are we?
The Wing Singers
is a Community Choir, open to all ages (including accompanied children) and levels of ability from absolute beginners to confident and able singers, whether living in Wing or any of the surrounding towns or villages. Founded in January 2015, The Wing Singers provides a wonderful opportunity to find your voice and learn a variety of classical and contemporary songs in a relaxed, friendly, nurturing and fun environment.

Although about 75% of our choir members are from Wing, we have members from 26 other towns, villages and hamlets, currently: Aylesbury, Aston Clinton, Berkhamsted, Bletchley, Burcott, Cheddington, Cublington, Drayton Parslow, Eaton Bray, Eynesbury, Granborough, Leighton Buzzard, Linslade, Luton, Mentmore, Milton Keynes, Newton Leys,  Soulbury, Stewkley, Stoke Hammond, Toddington, Tring, Weedon, Wendover, Wingrave and Winslow.

No singing experience required!
There are no auditions and there is no need to be able to read music. The choir learns songs in unison as well as in two, three and four part harmony. Teaching tracks are posted on the website for members to use to help with their singing practice at home. Occasional workshops help develop members’ musicianship skills, vocal technique and confidence.

Where do we sing?
Rehearsals take place in the Wing Village Hall, 71 Leighton Road, Wing LU7 0NN (see the Calendar section for specific dates and times).

The Wing Singers meet for rehearsals lasting two hours, with an interval, on most Sunday evenings during school term time. The normal starting time is 5pm (doors open at 4:30pm and voice warm-up exercises normally start at 4:45pm) and more than 50 members attend each rehearsal.  From time to time the choir performs at weddings, concerts, carnivals, funerals and other special events in and around the local area.

Prospective members are very welcome to attend any rehearsal (with no obligation) – taking part within the choir if they wish –  to see if the choir suits them. Car parking is available both at the Village Hall and in the (free) public car park diagonally across the road.

What do we sing?
The choir’s music repertoire is essentially a mixture of popular and less well-known songs, including those from Broadway hits and West End musicals. Popular older songs are also included, together with a very small amount of more serious church music. The full listing of our songs is shown on the Repertoire page under the Musical Direction tab.

How are we organised?
The choir is directed by Jill Neenan and run by a committee of hardworking volunteers;  other members take on specific roles as needed. If you enjoy the choir and want to see it continue, do have a think about volunteering to help with the running of it.

Membership Fees and Costs
Membership fees are reviewed annually at the choir AGM (Annual General Meeting) each May, with any changes effective from September of that year. Fees are payable by all adult members.
Payments can be made on a termly or annual basis and there is also the facility to ‘pay as you go’.
Members under the age or 18 or those over 18 and in full time education are exempt the membership fees.

Membership fees are necessary to cover at least the cost of:
– rental of the rehearsal hall,
– the accompanist’s fees,- Performing Rights royalties and
– Public Liability and ‘All Risks’ equipment insurance.

The termly fee for the period up to September 2024 is £20 per adult, paid in advance.   Any member or prospective member unable to afford a subscription should speak with or contact the Treasurer, as assistance in paying the subscription is a possibility.

Members are expected to buy their own set of the choir’s selected music scores, which are preferably ordered centrally through a choir committee member, to ensure that the correct score arrangement is purchased. Doing it this way also means that you only need to buy the scores required in the upcoming term. Until their own sets arrive, a few library copies of the evening’s music scores are available for new members (or visitors) to borrow – just for the rehearsal evening and not to be taken home.

____________________________________….________________________________

The Wing Singers were awarded the bronze medal (with commendation) in the competition for community choirs at the 2019 Milton Keynes Festival of the Arts, after which the adjudicator included in his critique: ‘Surely every person in this choir is the richer for being part of it.’

In 2023 the choir achieved a distinction and glowing report from the adjudicator, but were just pipped to first place in our class by a group made up mainly of music professionals from the Milton Keynes district.

____________________________________….________________________________

Competing for the first time at this prestigious Festival on 9 March 2018, The Wing Singers came FIRST in the Class for Open Community Choirs with more than 21 singers.

_____________________________________…________________________________

In 2020 The Wing Singers received funds from the Aylesbury Vale District Council’s New Homes Bonus Micro Grant Scheme.

The Wing Singers choir is registered as a beneficiary of the Buckinghamshire Lottery, that has been established to help raise funds for community causes.  Of every £1 lottery ticket purchased, 50p will come to the choir if the purchaser elects to support it.  To register to play, go to http://www.Buckinghamshire Lottery.co.uk

In both 2015 and 2016 The Wing Singers received funds from the Aylesbury Vale Community Chest, a now discontinued community grants scheme that was run jointly by AVDC and VAHT.

AVCC logo - small