Invitation to join Village Voices’ singing fun

THE local community choir, Village Voices, is now over four years old and is thriving. Based in Towersey, the choir’s members come from all round the surrounding area including Chinnor, Thame, Princes Risborough, Monks Risborough, Haddenham and further afield. Village Voices meets on Friday evenings in term-time at Towersey Memorial Hall between 7.30 and 9.30 p.m. The weekly cost is £5, or £1 for students, and it doesn’t matter if you can’t come every week.

Village Voices singing in Thame town centre at Christmas

Choir Organiser, Ruth Ruddock explained: “We sing all types of songs from all over the world – traditional, folk, pop, ballads, gospel, jazz, blues…you name it, we try it! We learn these songs by listening and copying, from simple rounds and chants to glorious harmony singing, songs from a wide range of musical traditions.

“You don’t have to audition for our choir and you don’t need to read music – you just need to like singing, or want to have a go at singing even if you haven’t done so for a long time. There have been many reports recently about how good singing is for you, both mentally and physically, but basically community choirs are all about having fun – no-one is excluded, no-one is asked to sing solo, no-one is made to feel bad if they can’t quite get that note; everyone is welcome.

“Very occasionally we perform in public, with the emphasis being on having fun rather than being perfect! Over the last few years we’ve sung at the Towersey Festival, Towersey Village Fete, Music in the Park in Thame, Chinnor Village Centre Christmas Fayre and, most recently, at the St. Andrew’s Chinnor Christmas Tree Festival and at Thame Market. Some of our members also joined the Oxford Community Choir in the Christmas Light Festival Day of Song, singing in the Clarendon Centre, the Jam Factory and onstage in St. Giles – all great fun.

In October 2012 we organised the first Chiltern Community Choir Festival at Mill Lane School in Chinnor, when over 150 singers from various community choirs in the area joined us for a day of workshops and joyous massed singing, directed by renowned community choir leaders. Given an enormously enthusiastic response, the second CCCF took place – again at Mill Lane School – in October 2013 and we are now planning the third for October 2014.

New members are always welcome, so please do have a look at our website www.villagevoicestowersey.com for further information, call Madeleine on 01844 352468 or Ruth on 01844 352894, or email villagevoices.towersey@gmail.com. We start up again in the New Year on Friday 10 January, and look forward to hearing from you.