PUCS members rehearsing for Perth Intervarsity Choral Festival 2004
Photo by Scott Membry
PUCS is predominantly a university student choir. We also have non-student members, though most PUCS members tend to be current or former university students. Our constitution has some rules that encourage students and/or UWA Guild members on the PUCS executive, but there are no restrictions if you'd just like to join the choir and sing.
Most notably, there are no auditions to join — PUCS membership is open to anyone from bathroom soloists to hardened operatic performers. PUCS acts as a training choir for singers with little or no experience in choral singing, but we offer a high musical standard in all of our concerts. Many members of PUCS have gone on to pursue their love of singing in other choirs, solo singing careers, and even as choral conductors.
Anyone is free to turn up to PUCS rehearsals to see what PUCS is like. We rehearse weekly on the UWA campus. Rehearsals are held in either room G5 of the UWA School of Music (ground floor) or in Winthrop Hall.
Check the latest rehearsal schedule for details of the location of the next PUCS rehearsal.
Rehearsals generally start in the first week of semester, and run through until the Christmas concert in mid December. A good time to join is at the beginning of a rehearsal series for an upcoming concert. Keep an eye on the web site for details or check out the rehearsal schedule.
It's a good idea to turn up a little before 7, so that you can get some music and find out where you should be sitting. Rehearsals usually warm up slowly to look after your voice and may include occasional music training. As a matter of policy, members need to attend a minimum of 75% of rehearsals leading up to a concert.
Best parking spots for room G5 are in the car park next to the Guild Sports/Recreation centre. When in Winthrop Hall, you may also want to consider the car park between Computer Science and the Lawrence William Art Gallery. Both venues are close to regular bus services on Mounts Bay Road/Stirling Highway.
If you decide you'd like to join PUCS, semester membership is $35 for workers and $15 for students, with UWA/Murdoch Guild members getting a $2 discount. This helps pay for our conductor and accompanist, music hire, and other assorted concert costs.
If you want to find out more about PUCS, or you want to make sure we will be there on a particular night (sometimes we rehearse elsewhere), please email us or phone 6424 9923.
Membership of PUCS entitles you to sing in our concerts (performed publicly three or four times a year). PUCS normally performs a light concert of jazz, choral rock, or contemporary music early in the year, followed with a major concert of more serious works around September, and typically finishes the year with Christmas music and community carols around mid-December.
The PUCS calendar is simply studded with scintillating social events. PUCS members gather after each rehearsal at a nearby member's house or pub for coffee. Also for every concert we have a weekend camp of rehearsals and parties. After each concert there are post-concert parties or "PCPs" which rage until the wee small hours. Finally every year we have our annual dinner, where we get to dress up and have a "formal" dinner. At the dinner the "Morals" awards are given out to outstanding achievements (or lack thereof) within the choir. There are also parties, games nights, social camps and other events throughout the year. PUCS wont leave you bored.
PUCSters at rehearsal camp in 2004 - Photo by Ken/Maya
PUCS is affiliated to AICSA, the Australian Intervarsity Choral Societies Association, and members of PUCS regularly participate in choral festivals arranged by the member choirs of AICSA. Intervarsity Choral Festivals (or IVs) are non-competitive festivals which give the participants the opportunity to sing major choral works, which individual choirs would not have the resources to perform themselves. PUCS hosted the 55th IV in 2004 which was part of the Perth International Arts Festival.
Hobart IV 2009 is the next festival in the cycle.
Members also receive Dischord, PUCS's magazine, as well as Erato, the magazine of AICSA. You'll also have the opportunity to display your love of choral singing by buying a PUCS T-shirt (available in a range of attractive designs), and can join the PUCS mailing list to indulge in electronic gossip with other PUCSters.
Simply turn up to a rehearsal and try it out! Check out the rehearsal schedule to find out where and when we are next rehearsing. You can become a member by paying the treasurer.
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