- 12 Reasons To Join More Harmony In 2025!
-
Date Posted: Thu, 9 Jan 2025
12 Reasons to join more harmony in 2025!
Happy New Year! We hope you had a wonderful festive season, filled with fun, laughter and lots of tasty treats!
For many people, January is a time to reset. The start of a new year is the perfect time to think about what you'd like to achieve over the next twelve months and what you want to leave behind. With that in mind, we thought it would be the ideal time to bring you twelve reasons - one for each month of the year - why you should consider singing with us in 2025...
1. Challenge Yourself!This time of year is great for setting goals. It might be to lose weight, find the job of your dreams or give up a bad habit. Whatever you choose, the purpose is to provide yourself with a challenge. Well, that's where we come in!
Singing in harmony is an incredibly rewarding, joyous experience, but it doesn't happen by magic. Learning the words, practising between rehearsals and working up the nerve to perform in front of an audience are all personal challenges and we support one another to reach them. Whether you're a total novice or a singer who needs to get back into the swing of things, taking up a hobby like singing a cappella could be just the challenge you need to kick your 2025 into action!2. Get Healthy!
A lot of the goals people set at the start of a new year involve improving their overall health. Well, you may not realise it, but singing can do wonders for that!
From improving your posture to increasing your lung capacity, singing has a whole range of both physical and mental health benefits. The actual act of singing works out a variety of muscles and promotes better breathing, so if you're looking to get healthy in 2025, joining a choir might be the ideal first step!
3. Get Rid Of Your Post-Christmas Blues!
Singing has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and the actual act of belting out a song releases endorphins and gives you a big hit of dopamine - all of which basically means that singing makes you happy! Research has shown that people in choirs view singing as a wonderful way to take their minds off their troubles. So, if you're feeling a bit down now that the festivities are over, come and immerse yourself in the music and sing your blues away!
4. Give Your Memory A Boost!
One of the many benefits of singing is that it can improve your memory. When you sing, you engage several areas of the brain at once. The act of singing involves focusing on multiple things (posture, breathing, remembering the words etc) and so has been proven to improve mental alertness, memory and concentration. Of course, hearing songs can also trigger memories and remind you of happy times - what's not to love?!
5. Make New Friends!
Singing in a choir is a team sport! You'll get to know lots of like-minded people, all supporting one another to be the best they can be. The feeling of camaraderie that comes from performing together is second to none and friendships inevitably form, with regular social nights being held and members finding additional common interests. Plus, since we're a small, welcoming group, you won't ever have that "outsider" feeling - from the moment you walk through our doors, we'll make you feel like one of the gang!6. No Financial Risk!
Lots of choirs offer a free session to new singers, so they can "try before they buy," to see if singing is for them. Here at More Harmony, whilst we believe one session is all it takes for people to fall in love with a cappella, we offer three free sessions to newcomers, so they can really find their feet before they start paying to attend. From the fourth visit, a weekly sub of £6.50 is payable until a singer decides to become a full member. They then pay a one-off £20 joining fee and switch to a monthly Direct Debit payment of £25. We never want there to be a financial barrier to entry, so we try to keep our fees as low as we can. We're also not run for profit, so all of the money we receive from monthly subscriptions goes towards renting our rehearsal venue, paying for music & costume and providing educational opportunities and coaching for our members. Unlike some organisations, we also never chase members who leave, demanding that they pay to the end of a term, or worse, to the end of the year (trust us, we've read some horror stories!). Subs are paid on the 3rd of each month, so if someone chooses to move on from More Harmony, they simply cancel their Direct Debit and don't pay anymore.7. Develop Your Skills!
Joining a choir will obviously teach you how to sing correctly, with the right posture and breathing in place, ehancing your vocal skills in the process. But it doesn't stop there! You'll learn valuable life skills, such as teamwork, active listening and self-confidence. More Harmony are also member-led, with a committee of volunteers keeping everything ticking over. You'll have the opportunity to take on a role if you'd like to, which could lead to you organising fundraising events, writing press articles or even liaising with venues to arrange our performances - all of which looks great on a CV and will be a huge boost to your skill-set!
8. Give Something Back To Your Community!
As a not-for-profit organisation, More Harmony's primary focus is giving back to our members and beyond. Each year, we choose a charity to support and we raise money at a variety of events, from quizzes to concerts and everything in between! We also love being a part of our local community and show our support for various causes, whether by having a stall at a town fair or performing in care homes and hospices. If your goal for 2025 is to do a bit of good for your community, why not come along with us and have some fun at the same time?!
9. Unleash Your Inner Diva!
It might seem a little mad to have not mentioned this one yet, but we wanted to make it crystal clear how much you can get out of singing with us beyond performance opportunities! Of course, getting up in front of an audience and showing off what we can do is a big part of being a member of More Harmony. Over the years, we've sung at all kinds of events, both big and small. From brightening up an afternoon at the local care home, to competing at Wadebridge Festival of Speech & Music - and even travelling to Germany to sing in front of hundreds of people - our members have all kinds of opportunities to strut their stuff!10. Give Yourself Something Just For YOU!
Our choir is full of women with busy lives. Day jobs, children, grandchildren, other responsibilities... We've all got plenty on our plates! Thursday nights are a chance for us to let our hair down and do something just for ourselves. We have a laugh, work hard on polishing the songs we sing and feel like we've achieved something we can be really proud of. As one of our members once put it: "For a couple of hours a week, I'm not 'Mum' or 'Wife.' I'm a singer in an amazing group - and that feels so special!"
As a group of all ages and experiences, we try to ensure our repertoire has something for everyone. This year, we've got everything from 1950s rock and roll, to modern-day floor-fillers! To put that into context, our song list for 2025 features artists such as Buddy Holly, Billy Joel, Queen, ABBA, Whitney Houston and Jessie J, to name but a few! It's not unheard of for our members to fall in love with a song (or even an artist!) they'd never heard of before. It's equally common for us to bond over a new song that everyone knows - sung in a way that's totally fresh and exciting!
11. Broaden Your Musical Tastes!12. It's FUN!
We could go on all day about the many ways that singing is good for you, but if we had to boil it down to just ONE reason to join More Harmony, it would be this one! Yes, it can be tricky to to learn a brand new song and yes, getting up on stage in front of an audience can be rather nerve-wracking, but there is a reason that we all keep doing it and that's because it's positively joyous. The thrill we get when a song comes together, the laughter we share when we're doing funny warm-ups, the friendships we've made and the support we give to each other make rehearsals something we look forward to every week. In the seven years I've been at More Harmony, I've never attended a rehearsal that hasn't featured a lot of giggling and fun in amongst the singing!
We do it because we love it. Why not come along and see if you do, too?!
More Harmony rehearse on Thursday nights, 7:15-9:30pm at Wadebridge Ambulance Hall. There is no need to book in advance, just come along and give it a go! If you've got any questions you'd like to ask, please feel free to get in touch by emailing contact@moreharmony.co.uk and we'll be happy to help!
- All We Want For Christmas is YOU!
-
Date Posted: Wed, 11 Dec 2024
All we want for christmas is...
YOU!
Well, here we are at the end of another year - and what a year it's been!! We've had a change of Chairperson, a re-shuffle of the committee and a whole lot of new songs to have fun with. We've also won a trophy at Wadebridge Festival of Speech & Music and we've performed in places as varied as school halls, Christmas markets and care homes! We've welcomed some fantastic new singers to our ranks and we've shown our phenomenal team spirit, with members temporarily switching sections when needed, to ensure we always make the best sound possible. We are so proud of our singing family and we can't wait to see what 2025 brings! And that's where YOU come in...
Wadebridge is incredibly fortunate to have all kinds of wonderful music groups on offer. Whether you're looking to play an instrument or sing your heart out, there are a great many options to choose from. We're proud to belong to such a wide-ranging musical community and we do our bit to give back - whether that's through our annual fundraising activities, or by singing in local care homes and hospices. It's really important for us to be a part of our local music scene and to foster fantastic relationships with the groups around us. That's why we're incredibly excited to be sharing the stage with Wadebridge Town Band on Friday 13th at Wadebridge Town Hall (7:30pm) and why one of the absolute highlights of this year's music festival was gathering in the pub with other local choirs afterwards and swapping stories! All of these local music groups are joined by a common love, after all!
We also know that, with the wide range of musical options on offer, we have to be competitive. That's why we keep our membership prices lower than many national singing organisations and why we continue to offer as much as we can in return - for example, we try to provide as much of our performance uniform as possible, rather than making our members buy it themselves, and we offer coaching and educational opportunities to our singers, so they can learn how to get the most out of their voices! We are also entirely member-led. That means that, whilst we do belong to a parent organisation (the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers, or "LABBS"), we are not run by a parent company. Everything - from our music choices and costumes to our performance opportunities and how we perform the songs we sing - is chosen by our MD, committee and our wider membership. We relish the freedom that gives us. We are a team, proud to be doing things our way.
Another thing that marks us as different to some other choirs is our size. There aren't a huge number of us - but that doesn't mean we don't make a big sound! More Harmony are a close-knit group of women who pride ourselves on the warm, friendly atmosphere we foster at rehearsals. We have members who openly admit to being shy away from the stage, but who've found their musical home with us and have absolutely blossomed in confidence as a result! We don't see being a small singing group as a negative - far from it! We see it as a wonderful positive. Every single one of our members is valued, everyone feels like they're contributing towards the wonderful sound we produce and everyone knows one another and has a chance to make friends - you only have to look at how many social evenings we have during the year to see that we don't just love to sing together! We've long said that whilst we'd like to grow the chorus, we want to keep numbers below 30, so we never lose that sense of familiarity amongst everyone - and nobody ever has to do that scary thing of walking through our doors to be confronted by a vast sea of strangers. The welcome you get when you walk into Wadebridge Ambulance Hall has been described by our newest singers as "so incredibly warm" and "like walking into a room full of friends." That's something we're deeply proud of and we never want it to change. Again, we know there are bigger choirs around, where novice singers may well be happy to blend in until they feel a bit more confident. That's fine! However, rest assured that our small size never means you'll stick out like a sore thumb. We sing together.
Another thing we're proud of is the dedication of our members. In a small group, as we mentioned, every voice counts and all of our singers know how important they are to our overall sound. That makes our members feel valued, but it also offers them a challenge! Singing a cappella - without a backing track to hide behind - means that it's vital we've learned our words and we're singing all the right notes (in the right order!). We're firm believers that anyone can do what we do, but you have to throw yourself into it wholeheartedly. Many of our members had no real singing experience before joining us and have become the absolute superstars they are through practise, enthusiasm and the nurturing support of our music team. If you're up for the challenge, we've got the tools to take your singing to the next level!
So, with a new year just around the corner and with lots of goals being set and resolutions made, we're glad to be a part of a community with a whole range of musical options to suit wannabe singers. If you're looking to join a choir in 2025, whether it's just for fun or to really push yourself and find out just what you're capable of, you're not going to have to look too far find the perfect fit! We just hope that you might consider trying us on for size...
If what you're searching for is a warm, friendly group where your voice can make a big difference - and where you'll be able to challenge yourself to hit musical heights you never imaged - why not fill your 2025 with More Harmony?!
More Harmony return to rehearsals on Thursday January 2nd 2025 with a "soft reopening" and an evening of brushing up on the basics and finding where our voices fit best - ideal for new singers! From Thursday January 9th we'll start working on our brand new repertoire. To join us, simply turn up on the night, or email us for more info.
- How To Get The Most Out Of Our Upcoming Harmony Masterclass!
-
Date Posted: Mon, 26 Aug 2024
how to get the most out of our harmony masterclass!
If you're a woman aged 16+ and you love to sing, you might have already been tempted by our upcoming Harmony Masterclass course! If this is the first you're hearing about it, then grab a pencil and get ready to mark the date in your diary...
From Thursday 29th August, More Harmony will be holding a four-week course (held on consecutive Thursday nights, 7:15pm-9:30pm), teaching you all you need to know about singing in harmony! From posture to performance, we've got everything covered. You'll learn where your voice fits within our chorus - are you a bass, baritone, lead or tenor? - and we'll teach you to sing two songs with us, one up-tune and one ballad. It promises to be a a lot of fun and with all of the proven health and wellbeing benefits associated with singing, there are a hundred different reasons why you should definitely come along and join in!
Of course, whilst we can promise a warm welcome, a cuppa during the break and all of the learning materials you'll need, you might be wondering what you can do to ensure you get the absolute most out of the course. Well, we've got some handy tips...1. come prepared!
You might not realise it, but singing is something of a workout - albeit one that is very accessible to all of us, without having to be a gym bunny! You'll want to bring a bottle of water with you, as it can be thirsty work. Consider eating at least an hour beforehand, so there's not a heavy meal sitting in your stomach when you arrive - you don't want to feel uncomfortable! Speaking of which, wear something you feel happy to move in and which lets you breathe easily, plus a comfy pair of shoes.
More Harmony are a sociable bunch! We're often found getting together for meals out, drinks or additional practises in between rehearsals and we believe that our closeness is a big part of what makes our chorus special.
2. take time to get to know people if you can
So, if you're able to arrive closer to 7pm rather than the course start time of 7:15pm, why not spent a bit of that extra time getting to know your fellow singers? It'll help you feel at ease and you may well find yourself making some long-lasting friendships. We're a very small chorus, so you won't be intimidated by dozens of names to learn, or a huge array of new faces. We're small enough that every section knows one another, which we think is a very good thing. And of course, on that first night, you won't necessarily know in advance which section you'll end up in, so it never hurts to say hello to everyone - you never know whether the person you nattered about dog-walking with might end up being your section leader!
Don't worry if you're a little on the shy side - we have all kinds of fabulous women singing with us and one of us is bound to say hello if you don't feel able to take that first step.
3. never be afraid to ask for help!
When you enter a brand new environment, full of people you don't know, it's easy to get a bit overwhelmed. Particularly if you're trying to learn a new skill, too! Each and every one of us was once a "newbie" - whether we came to More Harmony with lots of singing experience, or had never sung a note before, we all had to start our musical journey somewhere. Make the most of the friendly, helpful people you have around you within the chorus and if something doesn't make sense, ask for clarification. If you have a question, never be afraid to ask - if the person next to you doesn't know the answer, we can assure you someone is bound to! Our chorus thrives on being a supportive, encouraging place, so never feel like you can't ask for extra help if you need it.
4. practise, practise, practise!
We know you're a busy woman - we all are! But the bottom line is, you'll get more out of singing with us, whether on a course or as a full member, if you put in the effort to practise between rehearsals. We'll give you all the support you need, plus any advice and guidance you might find useful, but the best way to ensure you can participate fully and really reap the benefits of singing is by taking the time to learn your part. Some of our members like to get together in sections to practise between rehearsals, others have teach tracks playing during their commute to and from work and some take 20 minutes or so before bed to really focus on listening to the notes and the lyrics. Whatever method suits you best, we guarantee you'll enjoy yourself all the more on Thursday nights if you've done your "homework!"5. don't forget to enjoy yourself!
We know that singing is quite a personal thing and that doing it in a room full of strangers can be nerve-wracking, at first (you'll never be asked to sing solo in front of everyone - don't worry!). Add performance skills and silly warm-up games into the mix and we can understand why some people might feel a little self-conscious when they first join in. However, we're proud of the inclusive, warm environment we've created at More Harmony and we always aim to make it a fun, safe space for all women to explore their voices and discover their inner divas! So, throw caution to the wind and let Thursday nights be your time to shine.
Don't stress if you're not note or word perfect right away - that's what practising at home is for! All we ask is that you bring your enthusiasm - the polish can be added as we go along and with a bit of teamwork, we'll have you sparkling by the end of the course!
Our Harmony Masterclass course begins on Thursday 29th August, 7:15pm at Wadebridge Ambulance Hall. Parking can be found in the library or Co-op car parks and the Ambulance Hall itself is situated at the end of Fairpark Road (down the side of The Regal Cinema). The cost of the course is £10 and we will supply all of your learning materials. You can simply turn up on the night, or if you'd like to book a place in advance, you can email us and we'll be happy to save you a space!
