In this edition of Summer Spotlight, we are going to ask the question
Why join the u3a Choir?
For your newsletter editor – this is more personal – I recently became a member!
My strongest musical memory is a May night in 1967, when my junior school took part in the opening week of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. It was my first experience of smog – and of a cathedral choir — a memory that has stayed with me and which influenced the direction of my working life. Yet it took fifty-nine years to finally join a choir.
A few months ago, as a newly minted u3a member, I did just that. If you’ve ever wondered whether the choir is for you, here’s a glimpse behind the scenes.
I spoke to Sue Wyatt – Group Leader, and Alan Casey, Bass, member for several years.
Why did you join the choir?
Sue: I have loved music and singing for as long as I can remember. I joined the choir at primary school and have sung in choirs ever since — at school and later while teaching. After retirement I joined three different choirs but the U3A appealed most because of the part singing. I love harmony singing.
Alan: Why did I join the choir? Well, I like music, I enjoy good company, and I thought it might be a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours on a Thursday afternoon. What I discovered was even better. Singing with others is not only uplifting, but also great fun. It is also one of the few activities where you can make a noise in public without people complaining.
What has surprised or impressed you most about the choir and its members?
Alan: You do not need to read music, pass an audition, or arrive sounding like a West-End musical star, although of course, we wouldn’t complain if you did. If you can sing enthusiastically, or even just hopefully, you will fit in very well.
Sue: We’re lucky enough to be led by a professional choir teacher – Treona Holden – who is an experienced professional accompanist, musical director and piano and singing teacher.
Can singing benefit people even if they don’t think they have a “good” voice?
Sue: I think so. It has proven mental and physical health and social benefits. It improves breathing and takes you away from your problems. You are mixing with other people, and the concentration helps with memory issues too.
Ed: Treona has the experience to bring out the best in all of us. If your voice is weaker at the beginning, you feel supported by the stronger voices around you.
I’ve just moved to the area and I don’t know anyone – what will it be like?
Ed: It was a bit scary at first. I walked into a room full of people chatting and catching up after Christmas — everyone seemed to know each other and I didn’t know a soul. Then Jacky spotted me hovering, came over and steered me in the right direction. I ended up next to Jean, who has made settling in far easier than I expected.
Our choir, like many others, has more women than men. Why do you think that is?
Sue: I think a lot of men think they can’t sing or perhaps are put off because they are outnumbered by the females. Yet many of them have lovely voices which need to be heard.
Alan: We would especially love to welcome more men. Tenors, basses, baritones, or gentlemen who are not entirely sure which drawer their voice belongs in — please come along. A few more male voices would add richness, balance and possibly a touch of gravitas, depending on how well we behave.
What do you think men miss out on if they never experience singing in a choir?
Sue: The rewarding experience, the escapism of singing. Hearing the parts meld together can be really moving and inspiring.
Ed: Much is said about the benefits of being in a choir – participation, routine, breathing, laughter and belonging – especially valuable in later years. This really stood out to me on concert days, when what really mattered was how you were part of a whole rather than an individual.
Finally, if a man reading this is wondering whether to give it a try — what’s your message to him?
Sue: Obviously, give it a go. You will not be pressurised to continue if it’s not for you. You might even enjoy it!
Alan: So, if you have ever sung in the shower, hummed in the car, or quietly wished you could be part of a choir, why not give it a try? You may discover, as I did, that choir is good for the voice, good for the mind, good for friendship — and, above all, good fun.
Ed. I’m inclined to agree. It only took me nearly sixty years to work that out for myself.
- When: Thursdays, 2.00pm to 4.00pm
- Where: Wesley Centre, Main Hall
- Cost: £2 per session, payable termly in advance
- Start Date: Thursday 10 September 2026
Click here for membership and joining details
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