This community choir – no musical training required – brings all kinds of people together
Performing throughout the village halls and abbey walls of Gloucestershire, a local choir run by Beverley Whitaker binds people together in friendship and song
No musical experience is needed to join Cheltenham Community Choir, of which I am the musical director. Anyone can apply, and there are no auditions. Of our 80 members, who range in age from 18 to 80, many cannot read music, nor would claim to be born singers and, for some, this might be the first time they’ve sung in public. Yet somehow, when you bring people together, and rehearse thoroughly, a kind of musical magic happens. Singing has always been a big part of my life. My mum recalls how, as a toddler, I would embarrass her by bursting into song at the top of my voice! Later I studied music at university and became a music teacher in schools. Now I work for a management consultancy.
To get my singing ‘fix’ some years ago, I started directing musicals with the Cheltenham Operatic and Dramatic Society. It’s the oldest ‘am dram’ group in the country and quickly became an important part of my life. When
I met my husband, Grant, he had
to move here – there was no way I was leaving my newfound musical tribe! We now live in the village of Southam, with our adopted son, Aiden, 11. The choir began in February 2014 and I have been the director on a voluntary basis since it started. We perform to raise money for charity, and to cover our costs. Being part of a choir is a very special bond. Lots of members tell me it has kept them going during difficult times, even describing it as a lifeline. One elderly participant who has dementia says it gives him something to look forward to and helps him to stay positive.
Sadly, many of our singers have had cancer or other serious illnesses, but say the choir brings them joy. When you sing, you have to listen to others around you. Your focus is all on the music and the conductor, and this stimulates a kind of mindfulness. This is a community choir, and that’s the way we want it. We don’t go in for formality and avoid the competition circuit. We just want to create good music – usually songs from musicals and there’s always a Disney number!
Once, we sang at Tewkesbury Abbey, as part of a broadcast by BBC Radio Gloucestershire. The Abbey choir, in traditional frocks, were wonderful but looked so serious. Then there was me in my flouncy dress and heels! Singing with opera star Russell Watson at Cheltenham Town Hall in 2015 was a highlight, too. For me it’s all about seeing the choir come to life on stage and watching the joy on their faces – it makes me glow with pride. Sometimes, after a tiring day at work, I wonder if I can summon the energy for rehearsals – two hours every week, with additional threehour sessions as needed. But I do, and it’s wonderful. The endorphins kick in and the time flies by. On the nights I’m not in choir, the singing doesn’t stop. Grown up as he is, Aiden isn’t too old for a lullaby and I sing him to sleep every night.
To find out more, visit facebook. com/cheltcommchoir