Rushmoor ‘Odd Fellows’ Male Voice Choir are funding a 5-lesson course that offers men the chance to try out singing in a group without commitment or cost.
The Odd Fellows are a group of men who love to sing, to raise money for local charities and have fun doing it. They describe themselves as a “fellowship” and members gain as much from the social contact as the health benefits that come from singing regularly. The group are keen to extend these benefits to a much wider set of men in the North Hampshire/Surrey area, so have addressed the issue of men who might enjoy it but are nervous about taking that first step of joining a choir by creating these ‘taster’ lessons.
The Odd Fellows Musical Director, Stephen Petch, is a professional singing coach and has created 5 workshops to run weekly on Wednesdays from 21st September in Farnborough at the North Camp Methodist Church. They are aimed at any men who would like to have a go for the first time at group singing or haven’t sung for a long time or are simply nervous about trying. There is no audition or requirement to read music, and no-one will be expected to ‘expose themselves’ by singing solo. The pieces of music that Petch plans to use include popular numbers, stage show hits and even a Christmas song.
In launching the initiative, the Odds Chairman, Peter Viveash, said “Loads of men out there enjoy singing in the shower, in the car or at the football so why shouldn’t they have a go at singing with a group of other like-minded men?” He added “We have tried to help overcome their understandable nervousness about joining a group by creating this programme of informal, non-threatening workshops that will let everyone have a go without any pressure.”
Anyone who is interested in joining the workshops are welcome to turn up at North Camp Methodist Church at 8pm on Wednesday 21st September or email start-to-sing@rushmoormvc.com for further information.
