Attracting an audience Options

[mwl1]

Try to get the soloist to stand near the collection plate and chat to people as they leave. No-one likes to be seen as stingy by people they admire. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

A fine idea! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Ayshah]

Lots of very good points and suggestions given.

I would definitly go with the Retireing Collection or Free for under 16s.

Regards the Programme, my jazz playing daughter recently played in a very large church, where the main content was a vocal recital for two of her soprano friends. I was unsure how this jazz bit slotted in the middle of several arias would work, but it was very successful. The Church was absolutely packed as all the funds were going to a kids Charity. They had advertised everywhere, incuding spending hours handing out flyers just outside the major recital venues, like south bank and wigmore hall. They figured this would be their audience. Fridays and sats are far too competitive so why not during the week or a coffee morning on Sat with squash and cup cakes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[bassoonista]

Now I know where the church is, I'm not surprised you have a problem attracting an audience. You have the location, and how the locals's view it's reputation, plus the free concerts at the town hall, and the college of music to contend with. I don't know what the solution could be, and it's a shame.

[angelgirls29]

Slightly off topic but still relevant.

I ice skate.
I'm a member of a national website where events are advertised (like this one). I'm also a member of a Facebook group for adults who skate at our rink (in your case a church/music group?).
We all post about things we've heard about (one is a member of the skating club, two of us are on the national website etc) and then offer each other lifts and organise 'trips' (like we all met up at the cinema to watch a skating-related film). There are some things on there that no-one has heard about until that post but then we all know.
At the rink skating gala, about half of us turned up to watch (it was a Friday afternoon) but without the group mentioning it and knowing other people were going, I wouldn't have gone. We then talked about it (making ourselves more of a community).
If I hear about something, I phone my mother in law to ask whether she wants to go so that's another person going.

So maybe you could set up a general Facebook group, post events you're going to and see if anyone wants a lift as well as the things you're organising. Let people upload their own pictures etc.
That way, people can get to know each other before they meet and no-one's going 'alone' and then they can chat when they get there and agree to meet up at the next one......... This will also get the non-Facebook people talking to the Facebook people and you'll have a website to direct people to. (I often see a poster, take a photo on my phone and look the website up later)
Also, we have all ages on our group - some people compete in the Young Adult catergory and others in the 47+ catagory.