About us
Jazzmanix is one of the largest choirs at the University of Southampton. The society is run by a hard-working committee of elected students who ensure the continued success of the choir.
Our aim is to provide an opportunity for everyone associated with the University of Southampton to sing Pop and Gospel music and to provide musical entertainment within the University, local community and beyond. We have now been doing this for 25 years - and intend to continue doing so for many more to come!
We feel that one of the most important aspects of Jazzmanix is that we are a non-auditioned choir. We also teach songs by ear and not through sheet music, so anyone can come along and sing with us, regardless of their musical abilities!
Members of the choir love the relaxed, friendly atmosphere that this attitude creates. Our auditioned a capella small groups, which rehearse and perform alongside the main choir, means that there’s something for members of all musical levels to get involved in. Our auditioned band rehearses alongside the main choir and makes our concerts truely special. They are an integral part of the society and invited to all socials and tour. As a result, we have many enthusiastic members from across the university and a wide range of backgrounds, who are all joined together under this fantastic society by their love of music.
The choir's musical repertoire for each academic year is specially selected by our musical directors, and so is often completely different from year to year. The songs we sing are generally Pop and/or Gospel, and have ranged from pieces by gospel legends such as Kirk Franklin and Israel Houghton, all the way to John Mayer, Bob Marley and even Disney! If you would like to hear us, you can watch our concert videos online.
Choir members have opportunities throughout the year to audition for solo parts in some of the songs that we perform. In addition to the main choir, Jazzmanix also runs a series of smaller groups (such as a Barbershop Quartet) which members can audition to be a part of. These small groups perform alongside the full choir at main concerts, and sometimes at smaller functions too. With these options for the more accomplished singers, we think that Jazzmanix can provide a fantastic experience for everyone, from secret-shower-singers to semi-professional musicians.
Jazzmanix prides itself on the musical quality of its performances, which we keep to as high a standard as possible. This is why we perform with a live 9-piece band, comprised of some of the finest musicians the university has to offer.
Performances are always given with an abundance of enthusiasm, emotion and professionalism. You can read reviews of some of our recent concerts here and here. For information about when our concerts are held, visit our concerts page.
In addition to the regular rehearsals and performances, choir members find plenty of time to socialise. We have our own annual Christmas and Summer Balls, in addition to a variety of socials throughout the year. In the past these have included theatre trips, pyjama parties, and of course regular trips to Southampton's finest drinking establishments!
Every year the choir also goes on tour to perform at music festivals across Europe, often alongside performances by some of the biggest names in music. In recent years tours have been to Paris and Belgium, and have included performances at the prestigious Vienne jazz festival.