Information for singers

Festival rehearsals fall into two groups:

For the Spring concert in March, weekly rehearsals are held in the period leading up to the concert on Saturday / Sunday afternoons. It is expected that all singers will attend most of these rehearsals, which are taken by our Chorus Master Ian Assersohn, and accompanied by our Festival Accompanist. The Festival Conductor Jonathan Willcocks usually attends one or two, as well as taking the final mandatory rehearsals on Saturday / Sunday afternoon immediately before the concert.

For the main two-day Festival in April, choirs rehearse and prepare independently for the most part. However, any choir member wishing to participate in a Festival concert must have sung in the combined rehearsals for that concert (below). There are three combined rehearsals lasting two hours for each choir group, each accompanied by Principal Festival Accompanist, Alan Brown. The final afternoon rehearsal on the day of each concert is also mandatory. These rehearsals are the opportunity for the Festival Conductor to prepare the combined choirs for their performances at the evening concerts.

Rehearsal schedule

Mozart - Requiem

Vaughan Williams – Serenade to Music

Choirs: Capel, Dorking, Epsom, Leatherhead and Oxshott

Concert on Fri Apr 12th 2024 19:30 in the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, RH4 1SG

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls

    Please make sure you register at the tables in the corridor on the right of the tiered seating (seating plan here)

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls

    Please make sure you register at the tables in the corridor on the right of the tiered seating (seating plan here)

    Please also support the cake stall which is raising funds for Leith Hill Music Festival by bringing and / or buying a cake - ideally both! Bring cash!

  • Morning

    09:45 - Choirs to be ready in the Grand Hall

    10:00 - Choirs on the stage for a warm up and the draw for the order for choir recitals and ensembles

    10:10 - Warm up including Song for a Spring Festival

    10:20 - LHMF Competition begins

    c.12:00 - Recitals competition finishes

    c.12:05 - Ensembles competition begins

    c.12:30 - Adjudication

    12:45 - LHMF Competition ends

    Afternoon

    14:00 - Choirs to be ready in the Grand Hall to load onto the stage

    14:15 - Choirs seated on the stage

    14:30 - Rehearsal with soloists and orchestra begins

    c.15:45 - 15 min rehearsal break

    16:00 - Rehearsal with soloists and orchestra continues

    c.16:40 - Rehearsal for the choirs finishes

    Evening

    19:00 - Choirs to be ready to go on stage

    19:15 - Choirs start to load onto the stage

    19:30 - Start of concert

    20:15 - Interval (20 mins)

    20:35 - Second half of concert

    21:25 - End of concert

    Dress Code for Concert

    • Ladies: black trousers or long black skirt, white blouse with long sleeves, plus small black handbag if required.

    • Men: black trousers. white long-sleeve dress shirt with black bow-tie (no jackets)

    Seating plan

Puccini - Messa di Gloria

Lauridsen – Lux aeterna

Choirs: Beare Green & Newdigate, Bookham, Buckland & Betchworth, Holmbury St. Mary, Horsley and Mickleham

Concert on Sat 13th Apr 2024, 19:30 in the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, RH4 1SG

Handel - Messiah

This event is open to singers belonging to Leith Hill Music Festival choirs and independent singers

Concert on Sunday 9th March 2025, 19:30 in the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, RH4 1SG

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls

    Please make sure you register at the tables in the corridor on the right of the tiered seating (seating plan here)

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls

    Please make sure you register at the tables in the corridor on the right of the tiered seating (seating plan here)

    Please also support the cake stall which is raising funds for Leith Hill Music Festival by bringing and / or buying a cake - ideally both! Bring cash!

  • Morning

    09:30 - Choirs to be ready in the Grand Hall

    9:40 - Choirs on the stage for a warm up and the draw for the order for choir recitals and ensembles

    9:50 - Warm up including Song for a Spring Festival

    10:00 - LHMF Competition begins

    c.12:00 - Recitals competition finishes

    c.12:05 - Ensembles competition begins

    c.12:30 - Adjudication

    12:45 - LHMF Competition ends

    Afternoon

    14:00 - Choirs to be ready in the Grand Hall to load onto the stage

    14:15 - Choirs seated on the stage

    14:30 - Rehearsal with soloists and orchestra begins

    c.15:45 - 15 min rehearsal break

    16:00 - Rehearsal with soloists and orchestra continues

    c.16:40 - rehearsal for the choirs finishes

    Evening

    19:00 - Choirs to be ready to go on stage

    19:15 - Choirs start to load onto the stage

    19:30 - Start of concert

    20:15 - Interval (20 mins)

    20:35 - Second half of concert

    21:25 - End of concert

    Dress Code for Concert

    • Ladies: black trousers or long black skirt, white blouse with long sleeves, plus small black handbag if required.

    • Men: black trousers. white long-sleeve dress shirt with black bow-tie (no jackets)

    Seating plan

  • In the Martineau Hall, Dorking Halls

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls

  • In the Martineau Hall, Dorking Halls

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls

  • Afternoon

    14:00 - Choirs to be ready in the Grand Hall to load onto the stage

    14.30 - Rehearsal with soloists and orchestra begins

    16.30 - rehearsal for the choirs finishes

    Evening

    Concert starts 7:30

How do I get my music?

For the Spring concert:

When enrolling for the Spring concert you will have the option to include music hire within your fee and you can collect your music at the first rehearsal. It is important to use the correct editions when singing at the Festival which will be advised when the concert is announced.

For the April competitions and concerts:

The music to be sung at the Festival in April is chosen by a Music Committee chaired by Jonathan Willcocks.

The music is announced well in advance and is sourced and distributed to Choir Librarians by the Choral Librarians, to ensure consistency of editions and fairness for all and to help with the cost.

Competitions

Each choir will present an ‘own-choice’ recital (max. 15 mins), to include:

i. A piece with accompaniment

ii. A piece sung unaccompanied (a cappella)

iii. A piece written by a living composer

Ensemble Competition:

As a ‘prelude’ to the Competitions, there will be an optional Ensemble Competition each day where groups of between 4-12 singers will perform a single unaccompanied piece, selected by the Music Committee. Choirs may enter as many groups as they wish.