Get involved
Stay in touch
If you’d like to be the first to hear about new concerts, choral workshops and other choir news then please use this form to join our mailing list. We send emails around 4-6 times per year.
For anything else, please contact comms@yorkmusicalsociety.org.uk
Choral workshops
Our extremely popular choral workshops are held once a year, usually in January. These day-long sessions bring together singers of all abilities to learn a new piece of music from scratch under the guidance of our very own musical director, David Pipe.
Workshops are open to everyone, and culminate in a short informal performance for family and friends at the end of the day.
Details of the next workshop will be added here, but they sell out fast so if you’d like us to email you as soon as tickets become available then we recommend you sign up to our mailing list.
Previous workshops
Join as a singer
We welcome new singers to join York Musical Society. We rehearse on Monday evenings from 7.30 to 9.30pm in central York with breaks at Christmas, Easter, and over the summer in line with the school term calendar.
To become a member you'll need to be aged 18 or over, with a love of singing and a reasonable level of sight-reading ability. Members are asked to attend at least two-thirds of rehearsals for each concert and to perform at all but one concert per year — a commitment that helps keep our performances at the high standard our audiences expect. There is an annual membership subscription, with a discount available for students.
New members join at the start of each term. If you're interested, you're warmly invited to come along to a rehearsal informally before a short, relaxed voice test is arranged with our musical director, David Pipe.
If you'd like to find out more or express your interest in joining, please fill in the form with your voice part and contact number and we'll be in touch.
Become a Friend of YMS
Bringing large-scale choral works to life is a costly endeavour. Ticket sales and members' subscriptions make a significant contribution, but staging concerts of the quality York audiences expect requires more. As a registered charity, YMS depends on the generosity of those who share our passion for choral music — and that's where the Friends of YMS come in.
Friends of YMS are people who value the musical life of York and its region and want to see it flourish. Some are former singers with a longstanding connection to the choir; others are simply lovers of great choral music who want to play a part in keeping this 150-year-old institution going. Whatever brings you to us, your support makes a genuine difference — and we don't take that lightly.
For a minimum annual subscription of £50, Friends of YMS receive a warm welcome and a range of benefits: one free ticket per season, priority booking at every concert for as many seats as you wish, free concert programmes, regular newsletters, and the pleasure of being part of a community that cares about live choral music in York.
If you'd like to become a Friend, please fill in the form with your name and contact details and our Friends Secretary will be in touch.
Advertising & Sponsorship
Sponsorship
As registered charity YMS is self-funded, with all revenue directed to the running of the choir. We would very much appreciate the sponsorship of companies or individuals willing to provide us with financial support or to help fund a particular expense.
Our 2021 and 2022 seasons of concerts were generously sponsored by Shepherd Group.
For full details please contact our Treasurer at comms@yorkmusicalsociety.org.uk
Advertising in YMS concert programmes
YMS concerts in York Minster draw attendances of between 500 and 800. Surveys show that our audience is mainly (over 80%) local and regional, plus visitors from the UK and abroad. Advertisements in the concert programme showcase your business to our audience and performers, and can be arranged at very reasonable rates.
Please email to find out more: comms@yorkmusicalsociety.org.uk