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Members Agreement

‘R’ Voices Choir Member Agreement

‘R’ Voices choir is run under the leadership of Richard Forbes.

This document sets out what you can expect as a member of ‘R’ Voices, what the choir commits to delivering for you and the commitments you are required to make as a member. By becoming a member of ‘R’ Voices, you are committing to having read and accepted this agreement.

This document was updated in December 2023.

THE CHOIR’S COMMITMENT TO YOU:
  • Arrange and teach multipart harmonies for songs selected exclusively by Richard Forbes.
  • Provide access to lyric sheets and MP3 files in reasonable time for you to be able to learn them.
  • Run rehearsals every week, each of 90 minutes duration, in ten-week terms. Term start and end dates, and any variances will be announced in good time.
  • Provide opportunities for public performance as a full choir, including one main concert, and [three] additional performances that may be in support of local charities or voluntary groups.
  • Provide a welcoming and nurturing environment in which everyone can express their creativity free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and sexual harassment.
  • Take reasonable care with your personal information and use it only for administrative purposes related to the choir’s activities.
  • Employ trained, qualified professionals to lead choirs who are DBS checked and First Aid trained.
YOUR COMMITMENTS TO THE CHOIR:
  • Payment of termly fees in a timely manner and giving adequate notice if you do not intend to renew your membership (see below).
  • Payment of fees will be taken as confirmation of your agreement to these Terms and Conditions.
  • Conduct yourself in choir rehearsal, choir performances and related environments (e.g., the pub or choir social drinks with other members) in a way that reflects the choir’s values of  inclusivity: with respectful communication, avoiding chatter that causes disruption when other parts are being rehearsed and avoiding any behaviour that might be considered discrimination, harassment, bullying or sexual harassment.
  • All choir members participating in performances commit to learning their choral parts correctly.
COMMUNICATIONS
  • By joining the choir, you agree to receive regular communications from Richard [or members of his team] regarding your membership, subscriptions, and choir activities, as well as other occasional messages.
  • ‘R’ Voices operates a main WhatsApp group as well as sub-groups for the different choir sections. All members are invited (but not required) to join these.
  • For informal communication among members, the main WhatsApp group can be used between 7am and 9pm throughout the seven day week.
  • The WhatsApp group should not be used for any political or religious discussion or as a forum/platform to express personal opinions on such matters.
  • All announcements relating to performances will be sent by email as well as posted on the main WhatsApp group. All new Dropbox links will be sent by email and may also be posted on the main WhatsApp group.
  • All communication to choir leaders should be sent by email and not via bilateral WhatsApp or text messages. The choir leadership aims to respond to emails between  9am and 7pm, Monday- Friday.
PRIVACY
  • When joining ‘R’ Voices your personal details such as your name, email address and mobile phone number will be added to our contact list for us to send you information relevant to choir.
  • Your data will not ordinarily be shared with third parties and will only be used in connection with collecting subscription fees and announcement or admin matters. If your personal information is shared with a third party (e.g., a venue requiring participant details as part of a booking) you will be informed of this in advance.
PAYMENT
  • ‘R’ Voices runs on the basis of ten-week terms, with one term rolling directly into another.
  • Where holidays may interrupt term , any announcement of revised dates will be made at least two weeks prior to any proposed date change.
  • Payment must be made in full in and in advance before the start of each new term and, in any event, by no later than the end of the first week of a new term.
  • For new joiners starting at a time other than at the start of a new term, payment will be due on a pro-rata basis for the remainder of the term: again, in full and in advance and no later than the end of the first week of the active membership period.
  • Failure to pay promptly may result in suspension of your membership.
  • Members facing financial difficulties or requesting special arrangements for payment are encouraged to raise this confidentially with Richard Forbes by email to support@rvoices.co.uk.
CANCELLING MEMBERSHIP
  • If you intend to leave the choir at the end of a term, you commit to notifying Richard Forbes in writing at least two weeks before the start of the next new term. Please email (CHOOSE ADDRESS) and state your name, choir location and any other information you would like to provide.
  • If you fail to provide two weeks written notice of your intention to leave the choir at the end of a term, you will be liable for 50% of the cost of the following term’s membership fee.
  • If you choose to leave in the middle of a term, ‘R’ Voices is unable to refund your membership fee for any remaining weeks of that term.
  • Once you have terminated your choir membership, you may not take part in any performance beyond that date.
  • You are welcome to return to ‘R’ Voices at any time. Please email Richard Forbes to discuss this.
CANCELLATION OF REHEARSALS
  • In the unlikely event that a rehearsal needs to be cancelled, ‘R’ Voices will always attempt to reschedule the cancelled rehearsal.
  • ‘R’ Voices cannot guarantee that a rescheduled rehearsal will take place at the same time. or on the same day of the week as the cancelled rehearsal.
  • On occasion a cancelled rehearsal may be rescheduled to take place in the next term
  • Where necessary a rescheduled rehearsal may be led by a deputy choir leader approved by Richard Forbes.
PERFORMANCES
  • Occasionally the choir will do performances (as mentioned above).
  • Participation in performances is optional for choir members.
  • All choir members participating in performances commit to learning their choral parts and lyrics correctly.
  • Word sheets are not permitted at performances.
  • In the exclusive circumstances of an annual show, members may be asked to adhere to a dress code or theme. Members are expected to cover the associated costs of adhering to the dress code, although suggestions to minimise costs, through using charity shops and borrowing from friends and family, will always be given and encouraged.
  • As a member of ‘R’ Voices, you agree that images and/or sounds recordings of you performing in the choir may be used, without limitation, by ‘R’ Voices in its marketing, social media outreach and member recruitment activity.
  • If there is a particular reason why it is not appropriate for images and recordings of you to be used in this way, please raise it in confidence with Richard Forbes (EMAIL ADDRESS) in the first instance to see what accommodations can be made. ‘R’ Voices commits to taking on these discussions in good faith.
INCLUSION

R’ Voices puts inclusion at the heart of its values: there are no auditions, and the choir is open to all over 18s. It aims to provide a supportive and inclusive environment.

The choir and its leadership will never discriminate on the basis of protected, personal characteristics protected under the Equality Act (2010) – race, religion or belief, gender, sex, sexual orientation or disability.

Creative decisions, such as the allocation of solo parts or the composition of sub- choirs in venues that are not of sufficient size to accommodate the entire membership, will always be made by Richard Forbes and/or the appropriate leader of the regional choirs. These decisions will be made purely on musical and artistic/performance grounds and in the best interests of the choir.

  • ‘R’ Voices commits to making best efforts to ensure that our rehearsals and performance spaces are as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility requirements, please advise Richard Forbes (EMAIL ADDRESS) in the first instance so that reasonable accommodations can be made to facilitate your participation.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 

R’ Voices membership gives you access to our musical arrangements. These are the intellectual property of either ‘R’ Voices, the original composers/authors, or (in the case of backing tracks) the owners of the copyright in the sound recording.

When taking part in ‘R’ Voices activities, you commit to not using these resources, arrangements, or audio files in any other context than rehearsal and performance and commit to not making or sharing unauthorised copies of them.

‘R’ Voices commits to granting you continued access to these resources for the duration of your membership. ‘R’ Voices assumes responsibility for having secured all necessary permissions for the use, in this way, of works of original composition and related sound recordings that are protected by copyright.

PERSONAL CONDUCT
  • ‘R’ Voices strives to be, and to provide, a supportive and welcoming environment. Other members of the choir have the right to expect a professional creative environment in which low level chatter is kept to a minimum during rehearsals.
  • Choir members are not permitted to smoke, use e-cigarettes or Vape in the rehearsal room during choir rehearsals. The consumption of alcohol in rehearsals is firstly dependant on the venue policy, and secondly at the discretion of the choir leader.
  • The choir operates a zero-tolerance approach to behaviours that may be characterised as bullying, harassment, discrimination, or sexual harassment with reference to the Equality Act 2010. As a choir member you commit to always conduct yourself in a way that reflects these principles.
  • This commitment applies at or around rehearsals, at or around performances and in online forums where the choir operates (WhatsApp groups and email) as well as at social gatherings related to choir (e.g., the pub, social drinks). ‘R’ Voices management and leadership are not responsible for any individual member’s actions or behaviour in these environments.

If you experience bullying, harassment, discriminationdiscrimination, or sexual harassment from someone else in ‘R’ Voices, raise it with Richard Forbes in confidence in the first instance by emailing: support@rvoices.co.uk

Issues can also be raised with Richard by other choir members on your behalf.

‘R’ Voices will take allmake every reasonable stepseffort to investigate any incident reported or issue raised, and to ensure that the behaviour does not recurpersistrecur. If any such the behaviour does recuroccur, this will usually result in the individual or individuals responsible being immediately removed from the choir.

At the sole discretion of Richard Forbes, consequences may include individuals being asked to desist from specific behaviour, to apologise to an affected choir member or to leave the choir entirely.

In the case of conduct that may amount to a criminal offence, consequences may also include referral to the Police.

In addition, any behaviour considered to be disruptive or damaging to the harmony or reputation of ‘R’ Voices will not be tolerated.

If you are asked to leave you will forfeit any fees paid for the remainder of the term.

© Copyright 2023 ‘R’ Voices