The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Enjoying the benefits of singing
Many people thoroughly enjoy being in a choir. The health benefits of singing are well documented. The social benefits are similar to those achieved by volunteering. Imagine having both!
Volunteering with Rotary and becoming a member of the Rotary Voices choir can be transformational. You feel right at home around people with similar interests, build new friendships and boost your sense of belonging. You get a chance to sing different kinds of music and be around others who share your interest in music.
Working towards a common goal of raising money to help other people is a lovely thing to be part of. Making other peoples’ lives better can be truly inspirational.
Rotary Voices is a strong four-part choir made up of enthusiastic Rotarians and friends, rehearsing weekly in Brampton.
The choir is led by Chris Shannon, a keen singer and active member of Huntingdon Cromwell Rotary club. In addition to entertaining the local community their performances have raised in excess of £12,000 for local charities – an amazing achievement.
As well as these concerts, the choir has entertained many different groups of people including the blind veterans, people affected by dementia and those living with aphasia. They have sung at fetes and in schools. A fun ‘sing out’ for the last two years has been to surprise Christmas shoppers at Cambridge Waitrose by popping up to sing carols in the aisles.
Their most recent concert, Voices for Spring, was performed to a packed audience in the St Thomas a Becket Church in Ramsey; part of the golden celebrations of Ramsey Rotary club, formed 50 years ago. The choir was supported by a number of performers including Ouse Valley Chorus.
King’s School student Aarathy Thusyanthan, just 16 years old, competently played several complex pieces on the piano. Following a European tour with the University of Chichester chamber choir, operatic soprano Emily Darlow (once a finalist in the Rotary Young Musician competition) sang for us. Teachers Jackie and Adam Southwell played duets featuring cello, piano and flute.
This concert raised over £1,400 to further the total achieved by the choir. Half of the money will support local projects supported by Ramsey Rotary and half will help finance ongoing work making the church more accessible.