Organisation Details

CONGRATULATIONS to Brighton Sound of Zion (Gospel Choir) for winning Society of the Month for April. Here's what they had to say about the event they ran that bagged them the award.

#1 What was the objective of your event?

In this competition we competed against 7 other choirs from universities across the country. Our Gospel Choir travelled to Croydon on 6th April to take part in the UGCY 2019. After auditioning towards the end of 2018, we progressed onto the live finals for the second time ever and were so excited to be back! Leading up to the competition, we needed to raise funds towards our travel/food and managed to raise far above that. We took part in the University Crowdfunding scheme alongside holding an open mic fundraiser and managed to raise over £1000 in the short space of around 1 month. The fundraiser was held 1 month before the competition and the crowd fundraising was held for around 2 weeks.

#2 When did your event take place?

06/04/2019

#3 Where did your event take place?

Oasis House, 5-9 Peall Rd, CR0 3EX, London, United Kingdom

#4 How many people came?

35 (in our choir) but the total number of those at the event was likely over 200 although i don't have an exact figure.

#5 How did the attendees participate?

The attendees consisted of family and friends in the audience. They were given the opportunity to vote for their favorite choir alongside the votes of the 4 judges. Our choir members took part in games set up by the organizers during the day, rehearsed for our final performance and socialized with members from other choirs. Although we did not come top 3 during the event, our members found the entire experience extremely enriching whilst our team felt satisfied whilst accomplished arranging our attendance on the day and seeing weeks or planning/preparation end in a successful/enjoyable experience. We loved every minute of the event! We had an amazing open mic fundraiser in which we invited friends of those in the choir to a bar at Sussex campus to share their gifts. Individuals came and sang whilst those watching by invitation or pure chance, voted towards our attendance to UGCY.

#6 What did you learn?

As a team, i feel this experience has allowed us to work better as a unit. We have improved n terms of our communication and how we can optimize how efficiently we work together by using each others individual gifts. Personally, i feel i improved my ability to take the lead and make this happen in terms of taking the initiative when required in certain situations. Preparing for UGCY this second time was much smoother than last year which really highlighted our growth as individuals in our team, but also as a choir also.

#7 How does your event benefit students?

I feel the overall experience has allowed us as a choir to bond as individuals from such diverse backgrounds. We all really had to pull together to push ourselves on through what was a long day (coach at 7am and arrived back in Brighton the following morning at 1am) but one that went by in a flash because it was so fun. It was invaluable getting to see the smiles on the faces of our choir members, many of which that had never sang on a stage so big yet still have it their all. This opportunity has allowed new relationships to form within our choir and between members of our choir and other individuals attending the event in other choirs. Whilst preparing for UGCY in weeks prior, i was given the opportunity to speak to another choir in Brighton with very experienced directors, building a network we can use in the future. I have loved being able to chat to the wonderful ladies in the SU alongside being able to outreach to our families, friends and Brighton as a whole to raise funds for the competition. The way the individuals in Brighton and outside have come together to support us as students, coming from two separate universities, and make this experience a reality has been a highlight for me personally.