A people’s choir in Huddersfield has helped two of Huddersfield’s best known charities in the run-up to Christmas … and several more during the year.
Huddersfield Rock Choir rehearses at Huddersfield Mission on Lord Street which is next door to The Welcome Centre and has donated toiletries and clothes to the Mission and food to The Welcome Centre food bank.
The Mission helps people struggling with multiple and complex needs such as homelessness, mental health or addiction.
Huddersfield Rock Choir is one of hundreds nationwide which gives anyone who wants to sing the chance to join a choir without having to go through an audition and people don’t need to be able to read music.
The choir makes a donation to Huddersfield Mission and The Welcome Centre at the end of every term and also helped the Mission with a fundraising concert last year.
The 110-strong choir has also supported lots of charities with fundraising concerts and performances throughout 2023 including The Kirkwood, Samaritans, Queensbury Support Centre and Food Bank in Calderdale, The Jo Cox Foundation, NHS Hospitals Charity, Jacqui’s Million (for Leeds Cancer Care), Halifax Young Singers, Huddersfield Ukrainian Club Community Youth Project, Sue Ryder palliative and bereavement support and the St Paul De Vincent charity which tackles poverty.
Huddersfield Rock Choir has this year also sung at Halifax Piece Hall, Honley Show, Mirfield Show, the Concert on the Hill and has done some big performances in the past such as Edinburgh Fringe, Victoria Theatre in Halifax, Blackpool Tower ballroom, York Barbican, BBC Proms In The Park and Birmingham NEC.
The Huddersfield group does a mix of local community events with larger events when it meets up with other Rock Choirs in the region and nationally.
Singers are designated different vocal ranges such as soprano, alto and bass which means the choirs produce some great harmonies and the Huddersfield repertoire includes popular songs such as For Once In My Life, Like A Prayer, Footloose, Sweet Child O’ Mine, Loco in Acapulco, I Wanna Dance With Somebody and I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day.
Huddersfield Rock Choir leader Narelle Hill, a jazz trained pianist, contemporary vocalist and songwriter, said: “We welcome anyone and there are no auditions and no musical knowledge is needed as it’s all about singing, fun, community, friendship and life changing experiences. There are many emotional and physical benefits to singing in a choir.”
People wanting to join can find their nearest Rock Choir and book a free taster session at www.rockchoir.com
The Huddersfield group has a local page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rockchoirbradforddewsburyhalifaxhuddersfield/
Huddersfield Rock Choir meets every Wednesday evening at Huddersfield Mission.
People wanting to request Huddersfield Rock Choir at their event can email Narelle directly on narelle@rockchoir.com
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.
