The Choral Cruise
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


First of all, it is important to understand that Brandenburg does not sell cruises.

Any questions about the actual cruise should go to their Customer Services (Fred.Olsen 0800 0355 144).

Brandenburg will be responsible for the musical and social aspects of the adventure.

I find that generally, the people who sign up to a Choral Cruise are there because they want to sing well – and that will happen if we work hard (and play hard later!)

How much does it cost?

This is probably everyone’s first question, but we have learned over the years there is not simple answer. It is affected by a number of factors.

The three companies we deal with have slightly different price-points. The price varies directly with the number of days in the cruise. Every ship has a range of prices depending on cabin location, size and level on luxury – often governed by porthole/window/balcony.

And then, of course the prices are dynamic so will probably creep up as the cruise sells out.

The only way to check the current cost is with the Customer Services

How much will we be singing and how will that fit with the ship’s onboard activities and shore trips?

We need a decent space to sing in so we need to fit in with the ship’s schedule. The standard pattern is that on a shore day passengers are usually required to be back on board around 5.00 ish. You will have been asked to book the second sitting for dinner so for example, if Dinner is at 8.30 we will rehearse 6.30-8.00 every evening so you can take part in the rehearsal and all the ship’s activities.

On a sea day we will have an extra rehearsal in the morning. This all means that you can take part in as much or as little of the general cruise activities (including any shore trips) as you like.

Will there be a final performance?

Yes, we will perform to the other passengers on the ship on the final evening.

What repertoire will we sing?

As this is effectively an un-auditioned Come-and-Sing event, there could be quite a wide range of experience, musical tastes and ability. Rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all repertoire, it will be chosen by the participants.

A few months before we sail, I will send an email asking for repertoire requests. I will then distil that large mixed list into a manageable base repertoire list which the singers will then either print or set up on a tablet.

It may well contain a mixture of styles and if Singer A suggests a Monteverdi Madrigal and Singer B suggests an ABBA song, they might both have to put up with the others’ choice briefly!

What will the level of performance be?

I simply don’t know! As above, this is an un-auditioned choir. If you are a decent reader, or already know a lot of repertoire – fine. If not, you will have a couple of months to learn your part of the base repertoire list.

Most of our repertoire will probably have learning tracks online.

It will be more rewarding for all when we get on board if we can work on polishing rather than note bashing.

What happens if the group turns out to be pretty good and gets through the base repertoire quickly?

On every cruise I have printing facilities onboard, so in this situation, I can instantly create more repertoire from my laptop library.

What if I if find the level difficult to keep up with?

If you have prepared your part in advance but still struggle slightly to keep up with the work rate we will help you.

One of us can always fit in a 10m moment going over a tricky corner or we can record a particular line on your phone and use that to reinforce your learning.

And, of course, if you are a regular choir singer, you will know the value of standing next to a confident singer!

What if I find the general level is not stretching me?

Well, in all honesty, there is a limit on what I can do in an un-auditioned environment. However, if this does occur, I might try to create a small sub-section to work on something more challenging.

How can I communicate with the rest of the group?

A few months before the cruise, I will hold a zoom meeting online do discuss any pertinent questions and also for you to see that the majority of folk on the trip don’t have two heads!

We will repeat that a month before we sail.

Around that time, I will also set up a WhatsApp group. This is very handy for singer-to-singer communications. You can, for example, find out if anyone lives near you.

It is also crucial for day-to-day communication when we are on the ship (and near land).

Bob Porter