Join the choir
Twenty weeks of rehearsing with a fixed group, and then one evening on a real stage in Amsterdam. No audition, no experience needed, so all you need is the wish to join in.
The next large edition is set for December 2027. Sign up now and you will be the first to hear when and where the rehearsals start.
What you get out of it
You stand on a real stage
- A theatre in Amsterdam, with professional lighting and sound
- A live band of six musicians behind you, plus front singers and guest artists
- Familiar Christmas songs alongside arrangements written for this choir
- Recordings and photos, so you keep your own evening for good
And you are not on your own
- A vocal coach and a conductor who build up your voice, experience or not
- A buddy who walks the whole programme with you
- Tea together after every rehearsal, because that moment matters as much as the music
- A group that stays together after December
What it asks of you
Honestly: mostly showing up. The rest we build together.
One evening a week
Twenty rehearsals of about two and a half hours, on a weekday evening. You hear the fixed day and time when you sign up.
A little practice at home
You get recordings to take home. Five minutes of singing along a day is enough, and nobody checks up on you.
Taking part in the themed sessions
Five short conversations during the rehearsals, about connection and resilience. Join in if you want, listening is fine too.
Being a buddy
Everyone looks out for someone else a little. That is the whole system, and it works.
The dress rehearsal and the show
On concert day you are in the theatre all day. That is long, and it is also exactly the best part.
Being willing to be filmed
We record the programme. You decide yourself what you do and do not want to appear in, and we put that in writing.
Is this for you?
The first edition is for Amsterdammers aged fifty to seventy. Have you sung for years, or only in the shower? Either is fine.
- You love music and you enjoy singing with others
- You want to meet new people
- You have no vocal training, and you do not need any
- Home is sometimes quiet, and you would like a warm group heading into Christmas
“Je hoeft geen professional te zijn. All you need is the wish to join in.”The Friendsmas team
Practical information
The dates move with the preparation, so this only lists what is genuinely fixed right now.
Rehearsals
Twenty times, one fixed evening a week, about two and a half hours. We announce the day and start time as soon as the rehearsal space is confirmed.
Location
We rehearse in Amsterdam, in one central place with good public transport links. You receive the address when you sign up.
Cost
Friendsmas is funded by grants, sponsors and ticket sales. Money should never be a barrier to taking part, so we discuss it openly in the introductory conversation.
Signing up
Fill in the form and we will contact you for an introductory conversation. No audition, just a good talk.
Sign up for the choir
Leave your details and we will contact you for an introductory conversation. No audition, no pressure, so you can still decide afterwards that it is not for you.
Sign up
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