Grassroots Singers with style at Castlecliff seaside

Grassroots choir members Graeme C Foster, Ruth Tidemann, Sue Thorby and Marion Rainforth will welcome new singers to join them next week. Photo/Bevan Conley.

Open to anyone, whatever their persuasion. Anyone who loves to sing or suspects they might.

That is the invitation extended by choir leader Sue Thorby to anyone who would like to join the Grassroots Singers at Duncan Pavilion on Wednesday nights.

The proposal for a grassroots community choir came from a CES Whanganui course Thorby ran last year and some students wanted to continue meeting regularly.

"We are looking for all kinds of singers - all genders, all kinds of voices and experience," she says.

People who have never sung with a group are welcome and choir member Marion Rainforth said she fitted that category when she joined the CES class.

"I'm a confident singer now and I recommend it for anyone who wants to sing but is not sure if they can."

The group sing a cappella most of the time although Thorby sometimes plays guitar and there will be percussive accompaniment for some songs.

Thorby returned to her hometown Whanganui last year after leaving to attend music school in the late 1990s.

In the time she was away, she worked as a solo performer on cruise ships, as a singer and guitarist with pop rock band Queerfish and was band leader of winning Nelson Arts Festival percussion band The Lost Circus Pets.

She was also principal music tutor for Nelson Arts Council performing arts programme and vocal and performance tutor at Nelson School of Music.

Thorby says her teaching style focuses on developing confidence and having fun.

"That is achieved through a mixture of technique, harmony, singing our hearts out, and including a variety of indigenous, gospel, world and contemporary music.

"People need to bring a water bottle because it can be thirsty work."

The first Grassroots Singers session for 2018 will be at 7pm until 8.30pm, Duncan Pavilion, Castlecliff on Wednesday February 7. Cost is $60 per 8 week term (discounted to $55 for upfront payment). All welcome. Phone Rhona 022 3695617 or email rhonavickoce@gmail.com with any questions.