Choir with No Name London - Choir Director (Freelance Contract)

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ABOUT THE CHOIR WITH NO NAME

The Choir with No Name runs choirs and builds joyful singing communities with people impacted by homelessness and marginalisation, around the UK.  

We were founded on the premise that singing makes you feel good - it helps you to build confidence, skills and genuine, long lasting friendships. Our choir members are people who have experienced homelessness, or who are going through a tough time in their lives. Our choirs are a supportive, safe space for people to be among friends, where they can experience the joy of singing together, have fun, build confidence and skills, and feel more able to tackle life's other challenges, such as securing housing or finding work.  

What we do is simple: our choirs meet once a week for a cuppa and a catch up, we then sing our hearts out for an hour and a half, and sit down together afterwards for a hot meal cooked by volunteers.  

We perform regularly at a whole load of different places, including local homeless hostels, community festivals and world-class venues, such as the Cadogan Hall and Brighton Dome. Gigs are a highlight for everyone at the Choir with No Name, offering members something to work towards together and feel proud of, showcasing their many talents to the world. The thrill of performing in front of appreciative audiences in inspirational venues can instill a sense of purpose and self worth that may have been lost along the way. 

We also deliver community projects for people at risk of homelessness, or who are experiencing related issues (such as mental health challenges, drug and alcohol addiction, refugees and asylum seekers) in each of the cities where we work, motivated by a desire to share the joy of singing with as many people experiencing isolation and marginalisation as possible, and hopefully recruit a few more choir members along the way! 

KEY DETAILS

Dates: Monday nights from January 2026  

Rehearsals: Monday nights, arriving at 5.45pm for a briefing with the Choir Manager, usual end time 9.30pm. Rehearsals include a hot meal.  

Preparation time: It is estimated that you will spend an average of 6 hours a week on the rehearsal and preparation time. This will vary from week to week. We also request you include a monthly meeting with your choir manager to plan. Within your induction period, this should be weekly.  

Gigs: We usually have between six and 12 gigs a year including a Big Christmas Singalong in Cadogan Hall and performances at St Martin in the Fields. The choir will also be booked to perform at corporate and civic events.  

Fees: £181 per week. Gig fees range from £113 for a small gig to £400 for Cadogan Hall. Fees are reviewed annually.  

Induction: We will provide you with an induction which will include meetings with the CEO, Head of Programmes and Choir Manager, a Choir Director’s handbook and general information about The Choir with No Name.  

The Choir with No Name London is part of a wider family of Choirs based in Liverpool, Brighton, Birmingham, Cardiff, Coventry and Sheffield.

To see the Choir with No Name London in action, please visit the following links: 

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Choir with No Name Choir Directors are dynamic, inclusive and compassionate musical leaders of our singing communities. Our practice revolves around an approach where musical excellence and human connection go hand-in-hand.  

Objective 

Co-create, alongside the Choir Manager, a vibrant singing community of people who have experienced homelessness, or who are simply going through a tough time in their lives, where: 

  • A collective singing environment where artistic ambition and human connection go hand in hand.  

  • Participants are supported to learn, rehearse and perform to the highest standard they are capable of, within a space that celebrates effort, growth and shared ownership.  

  • The musical process is both disciplined and flexible — fostering individual pride while honouring the collective sound. 

  • The space is therapeutic (but not therapy), trauma-informed and psychologically informed. This involves: 

  • Prioritising safety, trust and emotional awareness. 

  • Inviting members to bring their full selves into the music-making process.  

  • Nurturing mutual support between members.  

  • Using music as a tool for rebuilding confidence, identity, and social connection including genuine lifelong friendships. 

  • We strive for musical excellence that is not about perfection but about discovering what is possible together. 

Core Responsibilities (Activity) 

  1. Collaboration 

    Choir directors work in collaboration with the choir manager, accompanist and members of the choir and volunteers in community roles to facilitate the development of a vibrant singing community (described above).  

    This includes playing an active part in co-creating strategies to develop the singing environment with the Choir Manager and people in voluntary roles (including regular meetings with the Choir Manager).  

  2. Creating and maintaining a safe, welcoming and therapeutic rehearsal space

    Co-create, with the Choir Manager and people in community roles, a safe, welcoming and therapeutic community space. This includes actively championing inclusivity and diversity within the community and modelling and encouraging supportive behaviour within the group

  3. Leading musical learning

    Lead weekly rehearsals with confidence, energy and clarity. This includes: 

    • Plan each season’s repertoire and create rehearsal schedules 

    • Lead rehearsals, actively engaging people in community roles to support the choir’s learning and development. 

    • Involve choir members in the leadership of the choir rehearsal through creative co-production approaches such as members leading warm ups, people giving feedback from a ‘listening chair’, members who are strong singers supporting others in their section etc. Creatively involve choir members ideas and approaches.  

    • Prepare the accompanist well to ensure that they are aware of and can contribute to the collective objectives of choir.  

    • Prepare, print and bring all necessary resources such as sheet music. 

    • Prepare and instruct deputy choir directors when necessary, ensuring that they are fully briefed and resourced to lead the session in a way that provides continuity for choir members and maintains our safe and welcoming rehearsal space. 

    • Continue building on the existing repertoire within the choir, as well as introducing your own repertoire.

  4. Leading and coordinating performances 

    Preparing the choir for performances. This includes: 

    • Plan each season’s repertoire and create rehearsal schedules to ensure the choir is ready for each performance 

    • Programme the musical content of gigs as appropriate to the setting and audience. Ensure choir members are centre stage by working with the choir manager to create opportunities for the choir members to actively participate in performances (such as introducing songs and leading audience warmups).  

    • Coordinate the artistic aspects of the gig with the Choir Manager, paying particular care to the booked artists and budget (which should be organised between the two of you) 

    • Any member can take on a solo and they are shared around the choir. You should select soloists fairly and prepare them to confidently perform, paying particular attention to emotional challenges of taking on this task. 

    • Ensure a suitable sound check is carried out on the day and the sound technicians, if present, are supported to mic the choir well so the audience experience does credit to the choir member’s performance and hard work 

  5. Other  

    You may also be asked to: 

    • Attend Choir Director Forums on a quarterly basis, online, for which a fee of £46 will be paid for 90 minutes.  

    • Lead corporate workshops, as required, for which a fee will be arranged on a case-by-case basis. 

    • Lead outreach workshops within local homelessness services, for which a fee of £113 is offered.  

    All these additional tasks are based on availability and are not required for the interim role but are part of the role if permanent.  

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential 

  • Passion for the organisation and its choir members’ potential, and commitment to its vision, mission and values. 

  • Experience, skill, and demonstrable knowledge of leading a choir with mixed abilities.  

  • Able to collaborate with choir members who have a variety of needs or vulnerabilities with empathy. 

  • An understanding of trauma informed practice, psychologically informed environments and co-production, or a willingness to learn.   

  • Demonstrate ability to work under own initiative, whilst collaborating with the choir manager in creating a safe and inclusive choir environment 

  • Being able to work under your own initiative and with minimal in person management presence (although organisational presence is available throughout the week) 

  • Able to work closely with the Choir Manager and wider team to co-lead the choir community.  

  • Understanding of current safeguarding vulnerable adult legislation or a willingness to learn 

  • Inspiring, encouraging, and approachable personality alongside clear professional boundaries 

  • Excellent musical skills with the ability both to arrange music and to improvise and think on the spot. 

  • IT literate (Microsoft Office including Word and Excel) and able to communicate effectively through email and phone 

Desirable 

  • Knowledge of the homelessness sector and services in general and/or in London specifically. 

  • Training to degree level in music education, community music or other related area. 

HOW TO APPLY

In the interest of a non-biased approach to recruitment, all applications will be anonymised before they reach the selection panel.  We are not, at this stage, asking for information about your work experience or education, we are only seeking the answers to questions that will demonstrate the skills required to deliver the role.   

Please follow these steps: 

  1. Copy and paste the questions on the final page of this document onto a separate Word document. 

  2. Answer the questions, trying not to use more than 300 words per question.   

  3. Don’t put your name or any identifying information on the document.   

  4. Email the document as an attachment to info@choirwithnoname.org, by 12pm on 10 October 2025.  Include your phone number in the email.   

  5. If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to an interview w/c 20 October and audition w/c 3rd or 10th November. At this point we will ask you to provide your CV.  

If you have access needs that make any aspect of the application process difficult, please contact us at info@choirwithnoname.org and we will make reasonable adjustments.  You can also use this email address if you have any questions about the process.   

Thank you so much for your interest in working with us at the Choir with No Name, and good luck with your application! 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

Try not to use more than 300 words per question – thank you.  Don’t feel you need to use the full word limit if you can answer more succinctly. 

  1. Why is the Choir with No Name where you want to be, and why now? If relevant, feel free to tell us how your experience makes you the perfect person to lead our London choir. 

  2. Tell us about two contrasting songs you would want to arrange for the London choir, describing your approach to the arrangement. You don’t have to write the full arrangement down but if you have a previously written example of an arrangement, you’ve written that you think would suit our London choir, then feel free to include it.

  3. Imagine you are bringing one of these excellent arrangements to rehearsal and trying it out for the first time. One of the choir members tells you they hate the song, and it reminds them of a very difficult time in their life. In addition, one of the parts you have written just isn’t working and the altos can’t pitch their harmony. What would you say and do? 

  4. Our London choir encourages members to contribute to the running of rehearsals and gigs.  Could you let us know what challenges you think this might bring, and what ideas you have to manage them and make the environment a positive one. Please also consider safeguarding and member welfare. 

  5. Tell us your overall vision for the London choir. Think about the Choir with No Name and who would be in the choir. What environment would you like to create within rehearsals and what would you do to make it feel that way? How would you prepare the members for gigs and tell us how you would build relationships with the members outside of leading rehearsals.