A community choir in Bangor is opening its doors to new members with an invite to all, regardless of ability, no audition or experience required, just turn up, sing and have fun.
Encôr choir, led by the choir director Kiefer Jones, was established in December 2020, with the aim of bringing people together to sing a repertoire of ‘feel-good’ songs.
In January 2022, Encôr received a grant from the Loneliness and Isolation Fund (Mantell Gwynedd / Gwynedd Council) to support their activity for 12 weeks.
The choir took part in a review of the social value of Encôr’s activity and the report published by Social Value Cymru clearly identified the benefits of being a member of the choir. It found that the choir successfully supported individuals during a difficult time, easing some of their worries and empowering them to make positive decisions.
Choristers identified three main benefits of being a member of Encôr:
- Feeling less isolated
- Better mental wellbeing
- Better physical health
The benefits of the weekly rehearsal are noted in the Social Value report as:
“You forget about everything for that hour”
“I personally couldn’t be without Encôr in my life”
“It’s been keeping me going through the pandemic”
“This is the most amazing choir everyone involved in the running , leading, organising are amazing. Everyone is welcomed and made to feel part of a huge family”
“I’ve made so many friends and hope to socialise outside of the choir too. It’s something fun to do in the middle of the week and I always look forward to it”
Encôr provides an opportunity for people to meet and connect in a welcoming environment. Rehearsals are easy going, fun and relaxed and teaching tracks are provided to help with learning new songs. Kiefer Jones explains the rehearsals and the repertoire:
“The style of the rehearsals needs to be relaxed and fun so that people don’t feel that the singing or music is a barrier to participating. Once people are relaxed together, the high expectations are removed and the content feels accessible they really start to shine.
“Repertoire preparation involves choosing the right song, something that will help bring the energy to rehearsals and be fun to learn. The harmony lines are carefully placed so that they are suitable for each voice and the melodies travel to the most natural places, again this makes the harmony singing more accessible.
“Encôr has become more than a choir, it is a family, we laugh, we socialise and we perform to raise money for local charities. Members travel from across Gwynedd, Anglesey and Conwy and having recently performed at the food festival in Caernarfon and the Tri-nations rugby tournament at Bethesda we’re now looking forward to performing at Bangor Cathedral and on Garth Pier. Do get in touch if you like to join us or hear us sing.”
The choir rehearse every Wednesday at Capel Berea Newydd in Bangor. The doors are open at 6.15pm when they meet for a panad (cup of tea or coffee) and a chat before rehearsing between 7-8pm. New members are welcome or join for a taster session: email: encor.wyn@gmail.com or for more information visit their Facebook page here: Encôr, Bangor | Facebook
