Checklists · Updated 8 September 2026

Rehearsal weekend checklist: from the house to the rehearsal plan

A rehearsal weekend stands or falls with the house. This checklist leads in eight steps from choosing the date to the review, with deadlines and experience values for choirs, orchestras and wind bands. All figures are experience values from practice and vary by region and house.

1. 6 to 12 months ahead

   1. Secure date and house

   Agree the date with the ensemble, three preferred dates, then request houses. Good houses are booked six to twelve months ahead at weekends, especially January to April. Request with group size, room wishes, rehearsal space needs (hall, side rooms, piano) and catering.

2. When choosing

   2. Check the rehearsal room, not the description

   Rule of thumb two to three square metres per person, ceiling height, no carpet under a low ceiling. Ask for photos and measurements. Side rooms: two to four for sectionals. Piano or grand piano in the hall and the date of the last tuning.

3. On confirmation

   3. Quote, deposit, cancellation

   Price per person with full board and two nights as a rule of thumb in the low to mid hundreds of euros, plus room hire depending on the house. Record deposit, cancellation deadlines and the deadline for final numbers in writing.

4. 3 months ahead

   4. Fix numbers and rooms

   Binding registration in the ensemble with deposit, room allocation, dietary needs and intolerances, draft the musical schedule. Youth ensembles: supervision, parent information, grant applications to municipality or music council.

5. 1 month ahead

   5. Rehearsal plan and equipment

   Rehearsal plan with breaks, sectionals and a social evening, clarify scores and voice coaches, confirm equipment (PA, stands, risers), organise car sharing or coach. Travel no more than one to two hours, otherwise the ratio of travel time to rehearsal time tips.

6. 1 week ahead

   6. Final coordination with the house

   Arrival time, key, meal times, quiet hours, use of rooms in the evening, contact person with phone number. Confirm final room list and dietary needs.

7. On site

   7. Arrive and allocate

   Move into rooms, set up the rehearsal room (chairs, stands, check the piano), post the schedule, go through house rules with the house. Do not make the first rehearsal too long; the group is arriving from everyday life.

8. After the weekend

   8. Review and come back

   Get short feedback from the ensemble, rate the house for yourselves (room, food, quiet, price), request the date for next year straight away. Regulars get the good weekends.