We are seeking volunteer chaperones to join our team looking after the children who participate in our Junior Choir’s weekly rehearsals at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall.
Love Music Junior Choir began in September 2017 and currently has a membership of around 150 children aged 8-12. We welcome children from all areas of the city and from many different backgrounds, providing financial assistance where needed, support with travel and tailored learning resources for children with additional needs. Inclusion and participation is extremely important to us, and our chaperones play a vital role helping us make the choir as accessible as possible.
Over the year, there are 3 terms of 8 weeks’ of Monday afternoon rehearsals, with a concert or other event to celebrate the end of each term. Our young singers are organised into house groups of up to 20 children, with each group having 3 or 4 chaperones allocated to look after them for the term. The house teams come together on stage and rehearse as one group. We would like to increase the size of the choir and are therefore also looking to increase the number of chaperones in our friendly team.
Chaperones are the main point of contact for parents/guardians and children during the rehearsals, and the continuity of meeting each other every week in their house groups helps make the experience a more personal one, despite the large size of the choir and building. Chaperones look after the children’s safety around the building and help pass on information about future rehearsals or concert arrangements, especially to guardians whose English is limited. Chaperones play an essential role in the safeguarding of the children, ensuring that they only leave rehearsals with known adults, challenging anyone unknown coming into the space, and taking an interest in the children’s wellbeing at rehearsals. They also help the children who benefit from a little extra support during rehearsals.
The chaperone role is a non-musical one; rehearsals are led by Love Music’s director Stephen Deazley and our trainee choral leader. There is no need for applicants to have experience of singing or music-making but they should be able to demonstrate enthusiasm and encouragement to the children, regardless of their or your abilities in singing.
Our chaperones are an essential and valued part of Junior Choir – without them, there would be no choir! Here’s a selection of feedback from chaperones, singers and parents:
“We have the chance to experience seeing young people from many different backgrounds coming together to learn about singing as a choir. It has been a privilege to see them enjoying making friends and learning songs so quickly.” chaperone
“The one main thing I LOVE about Junior Choir is how I learn the songs so quickly. The singing teacher is really good in the way that he makes the songs go in our heads. The chaperones are amazing and really nice. I hope more people come to Junior Choir.” singer
“One of the best community projects around Edinburgh – great team of creative minds able to spread passion for new generation” parent
Find out more
Please visit juniorchoir.lovemusic.org.uk/chaperones to learn more, including our person specification, availability requirements and how to apply.
