Local choir raises £40,000 through the joy of singing
A community choir are celebrating raising over forty thousand pounds for local charities since they formed in January 2021. Local Vocals, with twelve choirs across Lancashire and Greater Manchester, was founded by LIPA graduate Laura Bennett-Gornall and has over 600 members who meet weekly and perform locally to support their aim of doing good for others through the joy of singing. Charities supported include St Catherine’s Hospice, Northwest Air Ambulance, Wigan & Leigh Hospice, Northwest Blood Bikes, Derian House, Wigan Stars, Willowbrook Hospice and Lancashire Mind, to name but a few.
The choir have had a busy summer, with a plethora of well-received performances across the region.You may have caught them flashmobbing twice in Lytham or perhaps seen them perform at Chorfest recently, where even the mayoral party joined in. They’ve performed as far north as Morecambe, where they were the largest choir to sing in the Winter Gardens since 1903 and as far south as Wigan where they entertained crowds at The Edge’s community fun day. With other gigs in Burnley, Clitheroe, Fleetwood and Preston, they really have been spreading the joy.
At weekly rehearsals, participants learn uplifting songs in four-part harmony, meet other choir members, and discover the choir's upcoming performance opportunities and charitable goals. By joining, members can not only have fun singing but also contribute to important causes in the community. Local Vocals’ team of talented choir leaders make every session fun and accessible to everyone. One member said, “I never thought I’d join a choir - thought it was just for people with perfect voices but Local Vocals changed that! It’s a warm, fun community where everyone’s welcome and you don’t need a great voice to enjoy yourself. I’m so glad I gave it a go!”
The choir is open to anyone over 16, with no auditions, previous singing experience or ability to read music required. If you love music and singing, that’s all you need.
The choir performs a diverse range of songs by artists such as Oasis, Adele, Take That, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and many more, with unique arrangements and exciting performance opportunities at festivals, stadiums, in cathedrals and at community events.
The new term starts in September, so if it’s time for you to find your voice and experience the joy of singing together, book your free trial session at www.localvocalschoir.com. They’d love to see you there.
To book the choir for your upcoming event, email [email protected]. Local Vocals also offer workplace singing workshops for businesses that are prioritising staff wellbeing and would be grateful for sponsorship from any local companies that might be able to work with them to increase their fundraising capacity. Please email [email protected] for more information.