AN EVESHAM choir for women is offering the chance to get into the spirit of Christmas by joining them for a seasonal sing.
Vale Connection, which celebrates its 30th anniversary year in November, is inviting women to come and perform in a concert at the Evesham Christmas Tree Festival at 6.30pm on Saturday, December 7 at All Saints Church.
Five rehearsals leading up to the performance start on November 7 and will be held on Thursdays from 8pm to 8.45pm at St Mary’s and St Egwin’s Catholic Church Hall in High Street.
Taking part is free and no prior experience of singing with a choir is necessary.
The performance, which will raise funds for Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven, promises to be a seasonal musical extravaganza featuring the choir, Avonbank Brass Band, a Makaton signing choir and more.
The choir recently appointed a new musical director, Wendy Nieper who has an extensive musical background and will be leading the ‘Come and Sing’ project.
A regular classical soloist who has appeared with over 30 leading orchestras around the world, she is also an acclaimed jazz singer having sung with many of the country’s leading jazz musicians including Digby Fairweather.
Vale Connection’s new musical director Wendy Nieper. s
The vocal coach who currently lectures at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, told the Standard: “I believe that singing is a truly marvellous way to improve health. It is known to relieve stress, tension, anxiety, improve self-esteem, social inclusion – the list is endless. It also gets us in the Christmas spirit and good fun in the process.
“I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world singing and my memories of performing carols are some of the best I remember. It’s wonderful to now be able to pass on my knowledge to the group.”
Vale Connection started life as a ladies barbershop chorus singing a capella but have since broadened their repertoire whilst still keeping in touch with their barbershop roots.
In the past the have had more than 20 singers but currently down to 11 singers, having lost some members over the Covid pandemic period.
Chair of Vale Connection Sara Ashton, added: “We are excited to be celebrating our 30th birthday in 2024. The chorus has certainly weathered some extremely challenging times but we are emerging resplendent with a new musical director and a renewed sense of purpose.
“We are a super friendly group of ladies and we have become good friends over the years whilst welcoming newcomers. Most importantly we enjoy singing together in sweet harmony and we would love to recruit some new members to increase our numbers again.”
The group has another three concerts already lined up for Christmas. For more information about Come and Sing, contact Sara at [email protected] or just turn up.
