Singing ability not necessary

Laharum’s Local Vocal singers might sound ‘a bit scratchy’ individually, but together they create a confidence-boosting chorus for anyone willing to give their voice a go.

Once every two months, 10 to 15 members from across the district gather for a blather, a cuppa, a nibble – and a bit of singing too.

Leader Merryn Eagle said the group welcomed any song and any person.

“Because if you are having a go and having a good time, that’s what matters,” she said.

“Music is a wonderful communicator. I have been overseas where I couldn’t speak the language and the people there couldn’t speak mine, but we could all sing together. It breaks down those barriers.

“People in the group will bring a

song along that they want to learn, and we all give it a go. It is very much about the enjoyment of it all. We’re not a formal group, there’s no pressure.”

Hidden beneath these fun and social gatherings is an unsung hero – the group’s ability to brighten spirits, particularly in times of community and personal turmoil.

Ms Eagle said a public session after the 2014 Grampians bushfires was a prime example of music’s healing power.

“A lot of people were hit quite hard after the fires in the Grampians,” she said

“They held Fire Recovery Community Sessions, and as part of that I led some singing, which included the song Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree.

“We sing in rounds, so people sing in three groups at different times and it almost sounds like a harmony.

“I received some really lovely emails following that. These were people who hadn’t been out of the house since the event and felt quite isolated, but singing had really helped them.”

Member Liz Hopkins said the group started about 12 years ago following the 2006 bushfires, when Australian singer Fay White held a singing workshop.

The group was eager to continue on a high note, and Ms Eagle, who had grown up in a musical family and sung her whole life, took lead of the choir. She said it was lovely to watch people gain confidence in their singing – a change accredited to the self-believing attitude promoted by the group.

“We sing a lot of rounds. They are a good way to get people who aren’t as confident to sing and enjoy it,” she said.

“It is actually amazing how well everyone’s voices can come together, and if someone is not as good as others, nobody cares, because when you’ve got a group of people singing, you don’t actually hear if you’re not in tune.

“We had one woman in the group who had a stroke and really struggled with speaking.

“But singing is actually associated with a different part of the brain, so she really loved coming along.

“And, if people are having a bad day, they leave feeling better.”

Local Vocal performs once a year at Laharum’s Biggest Morning Tea, helping to support Cancer Council Australia.

Ms Eagle said Local Vocal’s single yearly performance was because it was not a ‘performing group’, but one that aimed to create a warm and welcoming environment, with fun at the heart of it all.

“And singing ability? Definitely not necessary,” she said.