A NEW all-female singing group has launched in Chard for women from the Blackdown Hills and the surrounding area.
After hosting a successful taster event in December that was attended by 30 women, Blackdown Acapella held its first rehearsal on Thursday, January 6, at the Guildhall (Fore Street, Chard).
Around 20 women signed up to join Blackdown Acapella ahead of its first session, and the chorus is on the lookout for more members.
The chorus is directed by award-winning a capella singer and director Kirstie Spencer, who has been involved in similar groups for over 15 years and achieved her Directors Certification Programme qualification in 2014.
She founded the group with Zelda Gray (team coordinator and assistant musical director), Michelle Knight (finance coordinator), Liz Hutchin (marketing and design), and Louise Buxton (chorus administration).
Blackdown Acapella was founded with the aim of becoming an award-winning group of singers who “will work hard, enjoy each other’s company, and have fun while performing at the highest level”.
The chorus's values include passion, team spirit, musical excellence, and respect.
Explaining why they chose to base the chorus in Chard, Zelda said: “There’s a lot of investment going into Chard, and the location of it means we can pull from Ilminster, Yeovil, Taunton, and lots of different places.”
After posting in the Chard Community Group on Facebook on Friday, January 14, around 15 more women contacted the chorus to express an interest in joining.
“We want people to be able to sing, but it doesn’t matter if you’ve never sung in a chorus or if you only sing in the shower,” said Zelda.
“We ask ladies to audition.
“If you can read music, lovely. If you can’t, lovely.
“We have ladies who have no experience and ladies who have sung in operatic choirs and choruses.”
Blackdown Acapella sings in a four-part harmony, and the chorus's first performance at its taster event was ‘Shallow’ from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s romantic drama A Star is Born.
Once the chorus has learnt its repertoire of songs, it will be available to book for events including weddings, birthday parties, or anniversaries.
Its eclectic repertoire will include ‘All About That Bass’ by Meghan Trainor, ‘One Day Like This’ by Elbow, ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen, ‘Mr Blue Sky’ by the Electric Light Orchestra, and ‘Rolling in the Deep’ by Adele.
Blackdown Acapella already has a few events planned for 2022, including one Christmas booking in December.
As members of Sweet Adelines, an international organisation that connects choruses and quartets from around the world, the group will also commit to attending events and putting on performances to benefit local people.
“We want to give to the community and support the community,” said Zelda.
If you are interested in joining Blackdown Acapella or learning more, contact Zelda (grayzelda@gmail.com) or visit the chorus’s website.
You can also find Blackdown Acapella on Facebook.
Read more: Chard's Christmas Charity Concert raises £350 for Winston's Wish
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