Sarah Hollick

“Becoming a Rock Choir Leader happened almost by accident for me”

I stumbled across a local performance and was so uplifted by the songs and the energy they were giving that I had to speak to the conductor to find out more! Little did I know I was listening to one of Caroline’s founding member choirs, as I was living in Farnham – birthplace of Rock Choir!

I was on maternity leave at the time, having been working as a keyboard and vocal teacher in a music school, so I decided to go along and see for myself as a means to find the musical outlet I was really missing. Tom George immediately recognised I could be a potential RC Leader and took me under his wing, which I’m eternally grateful for!

I spent two terms in Tom’s choir, which gave me a really deep understanding of what Rock Choir feels like to the members. Eventually, I interviewed and trained, and was offered an opportunity to take on choirs in West Sussex.

Over the next few years, I built my schedule up from 4 to 6 choirs, while working around my young daughter. It can be incredibly difficult for women to balance careers and motherhood, and I felt so lucky that I had the opportunity to build my income whilst not having to take extra time away from home.

I was always able to work around school pick-ups and drop-offs, and the fact that we take long holidays scheduled within the school term was ideal. So many families struggle with childcare across school holidays, but this is something I didn’t have to worry about.

Eventually, the time came to make some changes in my life, which meant moving to a different area of the country and settling down nearer family and having a second child. This meant that I had to say goodbye to the wonderful West Sussex choirs.

Rock Choir loves to keep leaders in the family, and wherever possible, many leaders are offered the opportunity to move their job with them. In my case, after a period of leave, I was able to take on choirs in North Wiltshire from an outgoing leader. This fit perfectly for me — by this point, my husband Andy was also involved in RC and had started up choirs in Somerset!

A further opportunity arose to take a position in the HQ team, which I was pleased to accept. Since 2023, I have been running choirs alongside a part-time WFH role, which has given me the chance to develop my career in new ways, taking on more responsibility in the company.

As you can see, my last decade with Rock Choir has been incredibly diverse. It’s not only been a brilliant job that fits around my life, but also a fantastic way to work with like-minded people, have amazing fun, and perform in incredible venues that I wouldn’t have had access to otherwise!

Marcus Alleyne

“Rock Choir has given me the opportunity to bring together everything I love about music, people and community.”

I became a Rock Choir Leader in 2019, having already spent many years working as a professional conductor, musical director and educator. My career had taken me on international conducting tours and into some extraordinary venues, including Carnegie Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall and the Menin Gate. I was also incredibly proud to win Best International Choir at the Cornwall International Male Choral Festival in both 2019 and 2021, as well as receiving the Best Conductor Award at an international contest.

Even with all that experience, nothing could have prepared me for my first Rock Choir performance. It was BBC Proms in the Park in Hyde Park, in front of an enormous audience. What a way to begin! The atmosphere, the scale of the event and the energy created by thousands of people singing together was unforgettable. I knew immediately that I had become part of something very special.

When I took over Rock Choir in Cornwall, I started with around 120 members. Seven years later, we have grown into a wonderful community of approximately 600 singers, with choirs in Falmouth, Penzance, Helston, Saltash, St Austell, Truro and Wadebridge.

For many people, Rock Choir is far more than a weekly singing session. It is a lifeline. It might be the one moment in the week when someone can walk through the door, leave everything else outside and simply be themselves. It is a place where friendships are formed, confidence is rebuilt and people feel seen, valued and supported.

As a Leader, you become part of people’s lives. You see members arrive feeling nervous and unsure, sometimes convinced that they cannot sing. Then you watch them find their voice, step into the front row and perform in places they never imagined they would experience. You share their joy, their nerves, their laughter and sometimes their tears. Being trusted with those moments is incredibly precious and never something I take for granted.

We have shared some truly remarkable experiences together, from Boardmasters, the Royal Cornwall Show, the Minack Theatre and Truro Cathedral to performing at Carnegie Hall in New York. However, some of the most powerful moments happen in our regular rehearsals, when a song suddenly comes together, when someone returns after a difficult period or when a room full of people sings with such honesty that you can feel the emotion moving through everyone.

Rock Choir has also allowed me to explore a completely different way of communicating music. I came from the formal, traditional world of conducting orchestras and choirs. Rock Choir introduced me to something new, exciting and wonderfully expressive. I have learnt to communicate through movement, energy, connection and emotion, while still holding on to the musical quality and attention to detail that matter so much to me.

The flexibility to continue working in other professional areas alongside Rock Choir has also been incredibly important. This has allowed me to build a varied and sustainable career as a full-time music practitioner. I can lead my Rock Choir communities while continuing my professional conducting, education and creative work, with each area strengthening and inspiring the others.

I also value Rock Choir’s desire to promote greater diversity across its membership and workforce. As a Black conductor and musical leader working in a part of the country where cultural diversity can sometimes be less visible, representation matters deeply to me. People should be able to see themselves reflected in music, within the choir and in positions of leadership.

There is always more work to do, but I believe Rock Choir wants to create communities where different voices, identities and experiences are genuinely welcomed and valued. That is something I feel proud to be part of because I believe music should be open to everyone, regardless of their experience, background or identity.

Rock Choir has become far more than a job for me. It has given me an extraordinary musical family and experiences I will never forget. It has challenged me to grow and allowed me to make a real difference through something I love.

Seven years on, I am incredibly proud of what we have built together in Cornwall. Every time I stand in front of a room filled with Rock Choir members and hear that first chord, I am reminded just how precious it is to be part of this community.