Join us
We’re a friendly bunch, always eager to welcome new faces.
If you like singing and meeting people, we could be just what you’re looking for!
How to join
Come and meet us at a rehearsal! We normally rehearse on Monday nights, 7.30pm to 10pm, at St Stephen’s Church, Parkside Road, Hounslow TW3 2BP.
Getting there is easy by public transport.
Buses: 110, 111, 281, H20, H28
Hounslow Rail Station: 5 mins walk
Hounslow Central Piccadilly Line: 15 mins walk
How much does it cost?
If you decide to join you’ll need to pay the basic membership fee of £30 a year by bank transfer.
The basic fee allows you to take part in social events, carol-singing and some concerts, and vote at the Annual General Meeting. We have show fees for the main yearly show and other concerts or revues. The amount varies – as a rough guide, around £30 to £40 for a concert and £100 for a main show at Hampton Hill Theatre.
If you’re a current or recent student you get a 10% discount on fees up until one year after your graduation date.
Do I have to audition?
Not to join. We want as many people as possible to enjoy the benefits of singing in a group, which is well known to be good for your physical and mental health. We only hold auditions for principal parts in shows.
A lot of the music we sing is in harmony, so we will ask which voice part you want to sing in. If you’re not sure, you’re welcome to try a couple of different ones or ask the musical director to check which part would suit you best.
Do I have to be able to read music?
No. We use sheet music, but we note-bash new music thoroughly. You’ll probably find you start picking it up after a while.
Diversity and inclusion
We’ve long been an inclusive company, welcoming and including people of all backgrounds and abilities on stage.
It’s a natural part of who we are, rather than an add-on.
Offstage help
Even if you don’t fancy being on stage, there’s a place for you at HLO. We always need people to help with our shows, backstage and offstage.
Main shows need stage managers, lighting and sound operators, someone to organise the costumes and props, and ‘front of house’ people to welcome audience members and sell tickets and programmes.
Concerts need ticket and programme sellers, and people to organise refreshments.
Shows and events
Main show
Our main show at Hampton Hill Theatre is in October or November. We usually start rehearsing in April or May and hold auditions in May or June. Rehearsals are Mondays with some Thursdays (mainly for principals) and Saturdays, usually from September.
Smaller-scale shows
There’s usually a concert or revue in March or April, which we start rehearsing for in January. In the past we’ve also done Christmas concerts and plays. More recently we’ve held singing workshops on a particular piece of music or theme – for example, Christmas films – over six weeks in the run-up to Christmas.
Other singing events
We’re a regular seasonal fixture at Osterley Park, usually outside the Stables Cafe. We have a summer singing slot over the August Bank Holiday weekend and sing carols a couple of weekends before Christmas.
We also sing carols at Hampton Pool in aid of the Hampton Pool Trust and Shooting Star Hospices (this is usually a weekday evening in December).
Other events we sing at include Whitton Church May Fair (usually the first Saturday in May) and charity events such as Macmillan Coffee Mornings (which are usually afternoons, with cake).
Social fun
We like to have social events throughout the year, some of which are fund-raisers as well as being fun. We’ve had quizzes, barn dances, wine and beer tastings and Promise Auctions, not forgetting our annual Christmas party, the last Monday before Christmas. You can usually invite non-members to social events. Suggestions for events – especially if they involve fund-raising for the company – are always welcome.
