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 and accompanied by our Festival Accompanist. The Festival Conductor 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 the Festival Accompanist. 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
Festival: Friday
Will Todd's Passion Music and Jazz Missa Brevis
Choirs: Beare Green & Newdigate, Bookham, Buckland & Betchworth, Holmbury St. Mary, Horsley and Mickleham
Concert on Friday April 11th 2025 19:30 in the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, RH4 1SG
Festival: Saturday
Elgar: Dream of Gerontius
Choirs: Capel, Dorking, Epsom, Leatherhead and Oxshott
Concert on Saturday 12th Apr 2025, 19:30 in the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, RH4 1SG
Spring Concert
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
Book Singer ‘tickets’ here
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
-
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)
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We use the Dorking Halls Box Office system to enrol singers to sing in this event. So please buy a ‘ticket’ and you will see the next page asks you what voice part you are singing and choose whether or not you need music. Assuming you are just registering yourself put ‘1’ in the appropriate voice part. As you navigate through the following pages select E ticket because this is a free option and we are not actually issuing tickets.
Buying a ‘ticket’ enrols you as a singer and entitles you to come to every rehearsal.
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In the Martineau Hall, Dorking Halls
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In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls
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In the Martineau Hall, Dorking Halls
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In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls
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In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls
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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.