Gospel Choir auditions

by ageism? Mon Jan 21, 2008 15:23

What is the reason for the bar on applications from the over 35's? Not that I believe that there is a huge group of older people who want to sing, but casually excluding people because of their age is to be avoided.

Is there a good reaon?

by Purplesam79 - Sli-Eile Thu Feb 14, 2008 00:05

Hi there Ageism.....

I am the co ordinator of the Ballymun Gospel choir and therefore would like to take the oppertunity to answer your well justified question on our age limit for choir members.
We are an organistation called Sli-Eile which means "Another way".....It is a jesuit run organisation that promotes a 'faith that does justice' way of life for people aged 18 to 35.
The reason that age limitations where decided upon (after many heated debates and arguments) was because in our experience if there is no age limit on a group then the group tends to age along with it's members. It becomes very knitted and close and often does not leave room for younger people to penetrate it. We felt that if people were "encouraged" to leave at a particular age then we would always be on a recruitment drive to get younger people to join and therefore keep ourselves as an organisation on our toes with regards to current trends, social justice issues, and the needs of people from a faith based perspective.
As much as it pains a lot of people in our organisation and our two choirs (Ballymun and Gardiner Street Gospel choirs) we feel that this is the best formula to be as "inclusive" as we possibly can be.
We feel that we have as much of a right to set age limits as shops, cinemas and hairdressers do for senior citizen days, or as youth clubs do for an "Up to 18 or 21" age limit, as well as night clubs and bars to name but a few.

We do not do this in order to exclude people, we simply do it in the hopes that we will not become stale, rigid and an inner "click" and will there fore be able to "include" the generation of people who so very often get left behind. This is often because they are at an age where they are working, buying houses, having children etc and people feel they do not need an organisation or group for this age group. We provide a space where they can meet like minded individuals of their own age group and express their faith in God and in Social issues in a comfortable and safe environment.
And personally I make no apologies for that.

by DTDUBLIN Sun May 25, 2008 21:45

As an over your age limit singer, I find your answer on the age discriminaton that you,carry out is an insult to every person above your age limit . Also your final comment was a bit arrogant to say the least !!