Leslie Robinson, Publicity Officer for the William Byrd Singers, tells us the William Bryds Singers successfully ran a rewards-based crowdfunding campaign for their Christmas concert.
Background
The William Byrd Singers are a Manchester-based chamber choir of 35 auditioned members, founded in 1950. Though we are an amateur choir in name, our musical standards are professional: we are directed by esteemed conductor Keith Orrell, and many of our members are music teachers, performers, or involved in the arts professionally.
In 2022, we undertook an ambitious project: a performance of Bach’s 'St Matthew Passion' at Manchester’s prestigious Stoller Hall. It was a huge step up from our regular concerts, both in scale and cost. To make it happen, we turned to crowdfunding — and with great success, raising over £6,000 through the Crowdfunder platform.
Buoyed by this achievement, we launched a second Crowdfunder campaign in September 2025 to support a December performance of another of Bach’s masterpieces — 'The Christmas Oratorio', also at the Stoller Hall. This case study reflects on both our previous and current crowdfunding experiences, offering insights and lessons for other musical groups who may be considering a similar route.
The challenge
Like many amateur choirs, our musical home is a local parish church — Christ Church in West Didsbury. It’s a beautiful and acoustically rewarding space, but its size and facilities naturally limit the scale of the music we can perform and the size of audience we can attract. We usually perform three or four concerts a year and, like many ensembles, we often just break even.
But every now and then, we dream bigger.
The challenge is obvious: how do we make the leap from parish church to a major city venue? Hiring a professional orchestra and soloists, as well as the venue itself, requires significant funding. We are a registered charity, and our mission is clear: 'To educate the public in the study, practice, and appreciation of the art of music, particularly choral music'. But how can we fulfil that aim if ticket prices are pushed beyond the reach of many simply to cover our costs?
We didn’t want financial barriers to stand in the way of either our artistic ambition or our commitment to accessibility. And so, we turned to crowdfunding.
What we did
We chose to run a rewards-based crowdfunding campaign — a model where supporters receive something in return for their pledge. This approach has many advantages: it can feel more comfortable to ask for donations when you’re offering a reward in return; it allows people to contribute in other ways too, by donating a reward instead of money; and it offers a compelling reason for people outside your immediate circle (who may not know the choir) to get involved.
We compiled a rich and varied menu of rewards, all donated by members, friends, and supporters. Some were choir-related, such as attending a rehearsal (with homemade cake included!), having a conducting lesson with Keith Orrell (including the chance to lead the choir for a piece), or receiving a personalised recording of the choir singing Happy Birthday. Others included free music lessons — singing, piano, violin, recorder — offered by members with professional teaching experience.
Beyond the musical, we had an array of unique offerings: hand-painted silk scarves, handmade toiletry bags, pastel portraits, a weekend stay in a holiday cottage, a noise level survey (!) and even a bespoke website build. Our professional soloists also contributed signed CDs and hand annotated manuscripts from the concert itself.
We carefully priced each reward to offer value to the donor — typically slightly less than the cost if bought commercially — while ensuring that every pound pledged came to the choir, since the rewards were all donated.
We used Crowdfunder, a platform we would highly recommend. While we can’t compare it directly to others, it provided excellent online resources, regular Q&A sessions, and a one-to-one call to support idea development. Its webpage builder was intuitive and user-friendly, and the data and tools provided post-campaign made managing pledges and rewards refreshingly straightforward.
Once the campaign was built and our rewards listed, we knew that promotion would be key. A small marketing team from within the choir mapped out potential audiences, platforms, and messages. We tailored our communications to each group — from friends and family to choral societies, music lovers, and local press — and created a schedule for emails, social posts, and media outreach.
Thanks to contacts within the choir, we were able to reach high-profile figures to help raise awareness. Actors Matthew Kelly and Wendi Peters kindly lent their support, adding star power and reach to our campaign. We recorded video messages, secured radio interviews, and engaged with local media — all helping to amplify our message.
We also planned a launch event: an Open Rehearsal, where the public were invited to sing with us at a rehearsal. It was a fun and relaxed way to kick off the campaign — and naturally, there were crowdfunder posters and flyers at every turn.
The campaign ran for six weeks and exceeded our expectations, raising £6,100 — well above our £5,000 target.
What we learned
Crowdfunding isn’t difficult, but it is demanding. It requires careful planning, creative thinking, and ongoing attention over several weeks. Most importantly, it’s not something one person can take on alone. We strongly recommend forming a small, focused team to lead the project — but also ensuring the whole choir is involved in some way.
Everyone had something to contribute: reward ideas, social media posts, design skills, video editing, or simply sharing the campaign with friends. The collective involvement created an incredible sense of energy and unity within the choir. In the process, we discovered hidden talents among our members — from craftspeople to coders.
One of the most valuable outcomes of the campaign was not just the money raised, but the visibility it brought us. The process forced us to identify and activate our networks, refine our messaging, and build stronger connections with our audiences. We gained new followers, added to our mailing list, and saw increased engagement on social media.
Crowdfunding, it turns out, is more than a fundraising tool — it’s a powerful form of marketing and outreach. We now have a blueprint not only for raising money, but for promoting future events, building partnerships, and growing our audience.
If your musical group is looking to make a leap — whether artistic or practical — crowdfunding is well worth considering. It takes effort, but the results can be transformative. For us, it made the impossible possible.
And best of all? We’re doing it again this year. We can’t wait to share Bach’s 'Christmas Oratorio' with Manchester — and we hope to see you there.
To support the William Bryd Singers's 2025 Bach oratorio crowdfunder, browse the crowdfunder's rewards, sign up to their newsletter and buy concert tickets
Find out more about the William Bryd Singers, visit their website and follow them on Facebook / Instagram / X (Twitter)
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