Dancing singers make an album

A Levin choir created out of line dancers for a funeral service two years ago has cut its first album.

The Summerset Singers crammed into the Kapiti Mediaworks studio this month to capture their harmonies in a recording session.

Summerset Levin resident Rayma Ambrose started the choir two years ago after fielding a request from a member of the line dancing classes she ran.

‘‘Her husband passed away . . . we were cleaning the hall up after line dancing, and she came over and she said: ‘Rayma, I want to ask you a favour’.’’

The woman asked if the line dancers could sing at her husband’s funeral, which left Ambrose explaining the group were ‘‘dancers, not singers’’.

‘‘But ‘no’, she said. So Joan and Judy, two girls were there helping me clean up the hall . . . I told them ‘get home sort some songs out, I’ll go home and get a muso man, I’ll make a batch of scones, see you back at my place later’.’’

Ambrose was able to track down her music man, Vaughan Nuku, who became the musical director.

The singers opened the funeral with a set of three songs that left such an impression they were told they should keep going, Ambrose said.

Since then the group has kept performing, ticking up more than 40 shows.

Summerset sales manager Robyn Minchin said she came up with the idea to record the retirement village choir as a way of celebrating their good work.