The Off-Key Choir in Southport on Merseyside brings together approximately 80 members every week under a simple foundational motto: just because you can’t sing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t, according to reporting from the BBC and AOL.
Origins and Growth of the Southport Community
The group was formed eight years ago when Diane Chapman placed an advertisement in a local paper seeking choir members with one specific condition. “If you can’t sing, come and join my choir,” the notice read, according to AOL. Diane Chapman, 60, recalled putting out only 15 chairs on the first night and wondering if anyone would show up, but 55 people arrived.
Today, Diane and her husband Byron Chapman run the weekly sessions at the West Lancashire Yacht Club for free, taking subscription fees only to cover hall hire and a tub of sweets, as reported by AOL. The group’s popularity has created a waiting list for new participants.
Personal Impact on Members
According to AOL, the choir functions simultaneously as a support group for its participants. Joy Garvin, 79, joined the sessions after losing her husband, noting that she attends in defiance of her sons who tell her she sounds like Hilda Ogden. Garvin formed a close group of friends within the choir who call themselves the “Choir Girls.”
Another member, 75-year-old Sheila Byne, previously made a 60-mile round trip using four trains and four buses to attend, and eventually bought a house in Southport because of her attachment to the group, AOL reported. Debbie Laker Rothwell also noted the support she received from the community during periods of poor health.
“Why should we be denied the endorphin rush that comes with singing together, just because we can’t?” Diane Chapman told AOL, adding that she cannot bake, dance, or sing herself, but participates anyway.
