Pub choir to raise the roof

A SELLOUT crowd of 1300 eager punters will cram into Hobart City Hall tonight when Pub Choir comes to town as part of Festival of Voices.

But there’s much more to the popular touring event than drinking and singing, says director Astrid Jorgensen.

Jorgensen, a former high school music teacher, said it felt good to join in with singing and “anonymity is a great singing coach”.

“It feels really good, and there’s heaps of research about how good singing is for your health and for your wellbeing, and it’s amplified when done with other people,” she said.

Jorgensen will split the crowd into three sections and teach them Dido’s Thank You in three-part harmony over 90-minutes.

At the end, a performance of the song will be recorded and immortalised on video.

“The community aspect of it is the strongest bit of feedback I get. It’s a super nice community feel.

“Maybe if you go to the grand final of the football and sing one song together it’s sort of similar, but group singing is like a lost art, so that’s what people really look forward to.”

Jorgensen said one of her favourite parts of the event was hearing all the men sing together.

“I split the room into different parts and all the men sing the same thing and it’s so rare,” she said.

“I can’t think of any other time that I’ve heard men singing boisterously en masse like this in front of women.

“It feels like a really liberating thing and I think it’s a surprise for a lot of men who come along.”

Visit festivalofvoices.com