Sep 10, 2021The science behind singing- why are choirs so popular?Two million people sing in choirs across the UK, according to a 2017 survey by Voice Now, that’s more than those playing amateur football weekly, and in recent years there has been a rise in academic papers trying to understand just why this is the case. One of these academics…Choir5 min readChoir5 min read
Sep 10, 2021All together now- how choirs consolidate group identity“Rainbow means everyone is welcome!”, Peter Sebastian tells me, his hands waving in the air in a welcoming gesture. Peter, who identifies as a cis-gay man, is explaining the name behind Liverpool Rainbow Chorus, a choir which boasts around 30 members, predominantly from the LGBT+ community. He continues: “It’s an…Choir6 min readChoir6 min read
Sep 9, 2021A melodic remedy- how choirs help people through difficult times“None of us had ever lived through a pandemic before, it was a scary experience and a tragic experience, people lost friends and relatives, so it was something else to concentrate on.” Judith Crosier, a 57-year-old teacher from Bedfordshire, credits Gareth Malone’s Great British Home Chorus for helping her through…Choir6 min readChoir6 min read
Sep 8, 2021Choirs and religion- does it always have to be about God?A choir by definition is “the organized body of singers in…church service” according to the Oxford English Dictionary, and indeed, the UK choral tradition has its roots in the Christian churches of 14th century Western Europe, but are choirs and religion still so linked today? Self-proclaimed “musical priest”, Father Lee…Choir6 min readChoir6 min read
Sep 8, 2021“A lot of it rattled our cages”- coronavirus and choirs, a yearly reviewOn March 23 2020, choirs across the UK put down their sheet music in the face of the country’s first national lockdown, little knowing that they would face over a year of uncertainty and silent rehearsal rooms. Although the standstill of the initial lockdown was shared by most sectors, many…Choir6 min readChoir6 min read
Apr 20, 2021New homeworking statistics highlight significant social disparitiesStatistics released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), reveal how social factors, such as gender, ethnicity and geography, affected the degree and conditions of homeworking in 2020. Most strikingly, although levels of homeworking amongst men and women were similar, working from home increased the gender pay gap. In…Home Working3 min readHome Working3 min read
Dec 18, 2020Investment in sustainable travel continues with a new footway/cycleway in EasthamA new joint Footway and Cycleway is to be built along the east side of the A41 in Eastham, improving safety provisions for cyclists and pedestrians. A £386,531 contract was awarded to Cambrianway Ltd on 11 November, with construction starting in January. The 2km off-road path, linking the existing shared…Cycling2 min readCycling2 min read
