Resources for Choirs

Setting up a Choir or Singing Group

Sing Ireland provides guideline documents containing useful information for conductors and choir committees setting up a choir for the first time or maintaining best practice in accordance with governmental legislation, child protection and welfare safety and guidelines for setting up and running a successful choir. These are updated and added to regularly. A full guide for setting up a choir can be found here

Sing Ireland Workshop Video Resources

Sing Ireland have hosted many conferences and music workshops over the years. A sample of some useful workshops relevant to choirs can be found below.

Sing Ireland's Guide to Choir Governance

Many choirs are formed by a group of committed individuals coming together, with a love of group singing being their primary mission. This mission may remain the same but in order to make the choir sustainable and provide for its growth each group should look at the way in which the choir is run and governed. Many choirs are funded in a variety of ways including choir member fees, concert ticket sales, local authority funding, local business or group sponsorship and fundraising income. Transparency is becoming increasingly important in the not-for-profit sector generally with many controversies emerging at state and donor funded charities across the state. Whilst many choirs will be operating on a different scale than these organisations it is still extremely important that the financing and management of your group is monitored and kept in line with best practice.

Child Safeguarding

Sing Ireland understands that many choirs and singing groups will engage with children, young people and vulnerable adults in their activities. With this in mind we have compiled the following information to give some guidance in the area. This is particularly relevant of course to choirs within Sing Ireland’s membership. The welfare of young people in state and community organisations has become a priority in recent years. It is recommended that all organisations dealing with children and young people implement a child protection policy and ensure staff receive training in child welfare matters.

If you are working with children, young people or vulnerable adults it is important you have child safeguarding policies in place. A comprehensive list of documents and guidelines can be downloaded below.

Guideline to Choral Conductor/Accompanist Fees

Choirs should consider paying a fee (honorarium) to their conductor in recognition of the professional contribution by the conductor to the choir. The fee reflects the qualifications, experience and achievements of the conductor, together with their commitment to the choir, and whether music is their primary source of income.

Fundraising Ideas for Choirs

Fundraising is a good, and often necessary, way to provide support for your choir’s endeavours. Beyond membership fees, choirs can generate income through grants, collections, ticket sales, events and online campaigns to assist with everything from the running of the choir, to a tour, or the production of a CD. Choirs often raise money for others also. Benefit concerts or bucket collections for charities are popular at Christmas time and fundraising for Mental Health Ireland and Sing Ireland is often done during National Choral Singing Week each year.

Although fundraising can be hard work, there is fun to be had in coming up with novel ideas to interact with communities and audiences when asking them to support your choir. See the guide below for a few ideas to get you started.

Exclusive Insurance Facility for Members of Sing Ireland

As part of our work in assisting member choirs to deliver savings on items of current expenditure The Board of Sing Ireland continue to approve the BHP Insurance Brokers Limited group Insurance scheme which is available exclusively to members of Sing Ireland.

BHP is an Irish owned insurance broker, based in Dublin, specialising in the development of Group Insurance schemes for the Not-for Profit sector. BHP has developed a number of very successful Group Insurance schemes for other bodies in the sector including The Wheel, The Irish Council of Social Housing and The National Youth Council of Ireland.

Marketing and PR for Choirs

Sing Ireland's brief guide for attracting singers and audiences can be found below.

Online Resources

Compilation of Online Resources and Useful Links for Choirs

Riser Hire for Sing Ireland Members

Sing Ireland Members can avail of riser hire from Sing Ireland.

Sourcing Choral Sheet Music

Sing Ireland's guide to sourcing choral sheet music can be downloaded below.