The prospect of starting University is incredibly daunting. You can feel lost in a sea of thousands of students, all wanting to find their feet and make lifelong friends. It is a massive task to undertake, but becoming part of a society is one way in which you can quickly feel a sense of belonging and involvement with university life. For me, this came from joining Revival Gospel Choir.
“didn’t mind what your experience of singing was, as long as you were enthusiastic and brought positive energy”
I have always sung and music is a massive part of my life, therefore I knew I wanted to join a music based society. However, I was overwhelmed by the choices available to me – did I want to sing in an acapella group? How about a classical choir run by the music department? I wanted to do something fun and where I knew I would meet like minded people, but also didn’t want a massive amount of responsibility or pressure to be involved, in case I found my academic work to be overwhelming. Revival Gospel Choir was perfect for me. From the first rehearsal I was greeted by warm and friendly people, who didn’t mind what your experience of singing was, as long as you were enthusiastic and brought positive energy!
Although we sing religious music, given that we’re a gospel choir, there is no obligation to have a particular religious orientation. The choir is so diverse, with people from all backgrounds, cultures and religions. The range of songs taught is vast, and there is truly something for everyone.
“from singing on BBC Songs of Praise and BBC Radio Nottingham’s Christmas concert, to our own concerts in Lenton twice a year”
The experiences that being in the choir offers are fantastic, from singing on BBC Songs of Praise and BBC Radio Nottingham’s Christmas concert, to our own concerts in Lenton twice a year. There are so many opportunities for performances (and solos as well, if that’s your type of thing) and although we are a non-auditioned choir, we make an amazing sound!
So if you’re looking to try something new, I would definitely recommend joining. I am now in my second year of being in the choir, and loved the people so much that I joined the committee.
Emily Hall
Featured image courtesy of U.S. Embassy Kyiv Ukraine via Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
Follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to get involved.
