STARTING TOMORROW from 1.00pm on YouTube and every Wednesday (from June 3) the new GoodAfternoonChoir/online tunes up with weekly one hour internet choir rehearsals taken alternatively by the choir founder, Bath’s Mr Music, Grenville Jones, Bristol based Ben England and Matt Finch who lives in Bath.
Grenville, Ben and Matt lead many of the weekly choirs across the region that had to stop in March due to the Coronavirus.
Prior to lockdown there were Good Afternoon Choirs on Mondays in Bristol and Frome. Tuesdays in Wells, Wednesdays in Yate/Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire, Keynsham and North Somerset. Thursdays in Bath and Thornbury and Fridays in Devizes and Yeovil.
The members come from all walks of life, many with little or no previous singing experience. However, as Grenville points out, there are no auditions to be a Good Afternoon member as the accent is on fun and making new friends.
The choirs have a strong fundraising ethos and last year alone they raised over £22,000 which was divided between local charities, with recipients chosen by each individual group.
The new GoodAfternoonChoir/online will sing the songs that choir members know from their weekly repertoire as well as new pieces specially arranged for them to sing from their sofas!
Others who access the internet can also join with the distinct possibility of creating the largest choir in the World!
Rehearsals will be posted on YouTube each week and singers will be able to interact with the choir, choosing pieces they would like to sing and passing messages to the members of their individual choirs that they are missing.
Says Grenville;
“Since we had to stop rehearsals we have had so many emails from members, many who live alone to tell us how much they miss their singing friends. Our new choir is for them.“
Learn more on www.goodafternoonchoir.org
Grenville is also the conductor of the celebrated Bath Male Choir, the mixed-voice Bath Chorus and the popular Bath Welcome Community Choir.
He is also founder of the award-winning Golden-Oldies Charity.
