Kentish Express Ashford & District
Choir strikes chord with the community
As part of our new My Club feature, we share details about an Ashford boroughbased team, club, charity or group, what they do, and how to join. This week we look at the Ashford Community Choir Love to Sing, introduced here by secretary Carol Clay.
Name: Ashford Community Choir Love to Sing. Number of members: We have approximately 70 members at present. Where and when do you meet? We rehearse weekly on Tuesday evenings during term time in the Drama Studio at the Norton Knatchbull School, in Hythe Road, Ashford, between 7pm– 8.30pm. Do you attend special yearly events? We perform different concerts throughout the year, raising money for various charities. When was the club first formed and why? The choir was formed in September 2008 as part of the Highworth Grammar School community outreach programme and was given a government grant to include the development of musical activities within the local community.
Our original musical director and founder was Tessa Fineman, who sadly had to retire last year because of ill health. What makes your club special? Our choir is special because it celebrates the idea of ‘community’ – there are no auditions, no need to read music or obligation to perform in concerts. The only requirement is to ‘Love to Sing’. Why should people want to get involved with your group? We welcome anyone who has always wanted to sing in a choir but perhaps felt intimidated by the more serious choral societies.
We sing a wide range of music, including music from the shows, folk songs and pop. Have there been any significant changes at the club in recent years? The most significant changes to our choir has been the change of musical director, who is now Karen Hill, and our new home at Norton Knatchbull School.
We are being made very welcome there and the choir is going from strength to strength. What plans does the club have for the future? To continue to increase our numbers and to carry on performing and, hopefully, giving our audiences as much pleasure listening to us as we have singing the songs.
Any interested members are welcome to attend a ‘taster session’.
Details can be found at www. ashfordcommunitychoir.com or by contacting Carol Clay on 01233 623732 or clay_oldcleeve@ ntlworld.com
Would you like to feature in My Club? If so, please write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford, TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk