A community’s choirs will come together for a musical extravaganza to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing.
The Calne Spring Sing will see more than a dozen choirs performing at venues across the Wiltshire town, bringing people young and old together through music.
The songs for the day’s finale performance have been chosen to reflect the theme of mental health and wellbeing, and there will be an awareness stand in the town hall to give people information and signpost them to services.
Among the singers on the day will be BACP governor Una Cavanagh, who will be performing with the choir The Larks.
Una said: “This is a feel good occasion. It’s a big thing for the community and a lovely event for singers to take part in and for the public to join in with.
“I’m really pleased that this year’s focus is mental health. It’s a great way to raise awareness of mental health in a slightly different way. It’s a subject very close to my heart through my work as a counsellor and BACP board member.
“I can definitely vouch for the positive effects of singing for wellbeing. For me singing in this choir is a lovely bit of self-care. It helps me with that balance between work and life. It’s incredible to be around the supportive people within the choir doing something so positive.”
The choirs will perform from 10.30am until 3.30pm at venues including the town hall, library, heritage centre and two churches.
They will all come together for a ‘Big Sing’ at 4pm. The songs performed in the finale include Hey Jude, by The Beatles, Somewhere Only We Know by Keane, and Pharell Williams’ Happy.
Event organiser Erin Weaver said:
“For me, these songs really highlight some poignant segments of the chosen theme.
“The information point in the town hall might be slightly hard hitting for some, but will be informative and focus on that fact that mental health isn’t a myth.
"Even if people go away knowing about one sign to look out for, knowing one more condition, or just being slightly more open to the possibility that someone else is struggling, I’d say it’s done the event has done its job.”
Calne Spring Sing takes place on Saturday 27 April.
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