Post-it note comments from the AGM

June 2024

VOX AGM – Member feedback          25 June 2024

I have recorded every comment unless they were duplicated – where I’ve put numbers in brackets. And I have grouped them under the main themes of our Strategic Review and then the key topics that came up. At this point I think the best value is in reading through without further analysis.  We can do that later as necessary. I left STRENGTHS to the end, to postpone Harvey’s blushes!

WEAKNESSES

What don’t you like? What improvements could we make?

  1. ARTISTIC VISION

Rehearsals:

  • We should focus more on singing technique from time to time  (x 5)
  • More sectionals would be great   (x 8)
  • It’s hard to learn just from the audio aids – though wonderful
  • The speed at which we learn the music can be difficult
  • More emphasis on finding the start notes and the link with notes that come before
  • I wish my voice was better – I could do with more help with the actual singing.
  • We used to have more sectional leaders – James, Christina and Rick were very good at teaching the notes.

Concerts:

  • It’s better to do one concert per term  (x 3)
  • One concert offers a good level of challenge and it’s harder to get an audience if we do more
  • We should perform more concerts at venues other than St Luke’s
  • When singing with another choir, we need to allow more time to get to know them
  • More rehearsals with musicians would help – rather than just at the last minute  (x 2)
  • The choir is often drowned out by the band     (Note: this is often a comment made by audience members)
  • Avoid concerts at St Luke’s – all people can hear in the band….or put the band somewhere else to balance the sound better
  • Fewer repeated concerts – it’s hard to sell tickets  (x 2)
  • A better balance between new and repeated works  (x 2)
  • Occasionally we feel under-rehearsed
  • Concert days are too long
  • We should do more big projects like Freedom Song and TSDS
  • And more ……..? works like the Kinks.

St Lukes:

  • Acoustics are poor and it’s hard to hear Harvey    (x 3)
  • Especially difficult around the sides – the mike doesn’t always carry
  • Harvey needs to be clearer and louder – also applies to others when they speak

Chamber Choir:

  • Chamber Choir, though great, can at times upstage the remainder of the choir – can create division. Less CC would be better.
  • More classical stuff – not having a select group doing it
  • CC is a good idea but maybe we need to be clearer about the purpose
  • COMMUNITY:

Diversity:

  • The age range of members is an issue. Recently there are more younger people, but not enough. Vox tends to be mainly ‘older’ people.
  • Vox is not diverse enough – how can we encourage more ‘non-white, generally middle-class people’ to join and stay with us?
  • We need more commitment to working with schools and young people.

Member involvement:

  • It would be nice to have more say in decisions about donating to charities.
  • More encouragement is needed to get people to join in with helping eg by advertising what’s needed and providing lists for people to sign up.
  • We need more people to help with catering.
  • Maybe the effectiveness of the committee puts people off – they feel everything is taken care of. 
  • GOVERNANCE

Organisation: 

  • We need more information in advance, eg re concert dates
  • Planning often feels a bit last minute – it would be nice to know what is planned for the next term/year much earlier
  • Internal communications are not always clear – eg Christina’s leaving  (x 2)
  • We should make sure we communicate important updates.
  • Timing of rehearsals:  could they start promptly at 7.30pm and maybe end a little sooner OR start at 7.15 and end at 9.15pm.

OTHER IDEAS / REFLECTIONS

  1. ARTISTIC VISION

Our repertoire:

  • Could we develop core set of works that can be done by everyone at the drop of a hat – ie an in-depth Vox repertoire
  • Classical pieces because used to be greater (???)
  • Encourage choir members to suggest musical works
  • Maybe the choir could vote on the pieces we sing
  • Commission new works by Harvey, but also others
  • Commission more female and more diverse composers
  • The political focus of Vox is really important
  • How can we tap into what’s topical – the sort of issues/music audiences would like?

Our skills:

  • More focus on choir development and training /workshops eg breathing skills
  • Possibly more voice coaching and tuition on technique
  • Could sectional leaders help with training
  • Mixing choir voice parts for part of the rehearsal – scary but gives people confidence!
  • Focus on technical skills – eg one evening per term
  • COMMUNITY
  • More purely social events eg getting individual choir members to sing
  • Get more young people involved and retain them
  • Wine in the middle is a big plus – need more red wine!
  • Mix it up socially / visit the pub  (x 2)
  • Would sectional contact lists be a good idea?
  • GOVERNANCE
  • The committee are great but are there other ways people can help?
  • It does seem like a lot of work falls on a few people.
  • Because the cttee is so effective, offering to be involved might feel a bit daunting to others. Could we have a system whereby people could join the cttee and ‘shadow’ a cttee member for (say) 6 months before taking on new responsibilities?
  • If we are thinking of taking on a young person to provide admin support, we would also need someone to manage and support them – so it could involve more work not less.

Instead, could we identify the gaps and some discreet responsibilities that could be taken on by current choir members with the right skills. There are plenty of capable people in the choir who would step forward once they know what needs doing (paraphrase of written message from Jess – sop)

STRENGTHS

In what ways is Vox special?

  1. ARTISTIC VISION

Inspiration:

  • For me Vox is mostly Harvey – with brilliant support and back-up from the cttee. So long as Harvey is in control, it’s all good for me
  • Harvey’s creativity and motivation
  • Harvey drips musicality
  • Harvey’s style – he’s always calm, encouraging and positive
  • His skill in getting us to buy-in to the music and commit fully
  • Harvey’s humour and the fact that, while seeking perfection, he never patronises us as amateurs
  • Harvey, who is encouraging, positive, but also demanding so we get better
  • It’s a privilege to work with Harvey  (x 6)
  • Singing music written for us by Harvey which is challenging, exciting, difficult and inspirational
  • We always rise to the challenge
  • Harvey’s kindness (a few people commented verbally on how much that meant in making the music accessible to people with different needs or without IT access)

Repertoire:

  • The distinctiveness of Vox – Harvey’s own compositions and the inclusion of every genre of music. Not the usual choral repertoire  (x 16)
  • We love Harvey’s music
  • I like doing the albums, the original works and the politics – music with a message – social justice is important – that’s why Vox is special to me
  • I love the ambitious projects, ambitious music and feeling part of something that is valuable and worthwhile
  • Singing new music about important subjects – having a wider message (x 4)
  • The mix of original music plus occasional classical works
  • The mix of complexity within pieces – some easy bits, some harder
  • I like the variety of venues for our concerts

Support:

  • Audio aids are brilliant  (x 4)
  • Having a composer as musical director is amazing
  • No auditions is great  (x 3)……… but maybe it does compromise quality
  • The hard work that goes into supporting us – mainly by Harvey – before and during every term

Other comments:

  • Working with professional musicians is a privilege (x 5)
  • Being able to make recordings – though some don’t enjoy the process – it is hard work
  • I like that we have a lot of men in the choir  (I presume that’s a reference to their singing!)
  • I love the space at St Luke’s – having a venue like this is a real asset – heating/chairs etc. Pity the acoustics aren’t better.  (x 2)
  • We really like Justin, St Luke’s, the organisation and the ethos of Vox  (???)
  • COMMUNITY
  • I love the friendliness – love the people   (x 12)
  • You meet people you wouldn’t normally meet – strong community spirit – not cliquey – family atmosphere – diverse community  (x 3)
  • Tricia/ doing stuff for others. Vox’s social comment makes me proud
  • The social commitment – charity work, links and contributions  (x 6)
  • Having everyone learning and improving together
  • I like the size of the choir – big enough to sustain Vox and I don’t feel exposed
  • It’s relaxed and FUN!! Even though we work hard  (x 2)
  • I was only intending to join Vox for one term – I was already singing with another community choir – but I’m not going back. Vox is brilliant
  • People with disability feel included
  • Vox is welcoming and even though I’m not a good singer, no-one seems to mind
  • GOVERNANCE
  • The cttee is amazing
  • Polly’s emails are great
  • The choir is so well organised and so well run – the front desk – everything is so efficient
  • The cttee are generally very good at communications (x 4)

Sorry Jonathan – I couldn’t find any post-its relating to the finances. Maybe we could have a  focus group with a small number of choir members who know about finances and are interested in a) understanding better how we work and b) might have interesting ideas.  No rush though.