The South Gloucestershire Good Afternoon Choir performing at Holy Trinity Church in Kingswood
Across the West of England there are 24 Good Afternoon Choirs which will all be returning to singing – and fundraising – after their summer break.
Each year each choir chooses a local good cause to benefit from its fundraising events and concerts. So far this year £14,415 has been raised across the region and choir founder Grenville Jones hopes to smash last year’s total which topped £22,000.
Locally the Keynsham Good Afternoon Choir is led by Grenville Jones and meets every Wednesday at Keynsham Methodist Church (Victoria Centre) from 2pm to 4pm. Following the summer break the choir starts back Singing in the Afternoon on 6th September.
The choir performed to a packed St John’s Church at Keynsham Music Festival with the Mencap’s Music Man Project, and this and other fundraising events have raised almost £600 for the Bath Mind charity as well as £200 for Mencap. More concerts are planned in the run-up to Christmas including an open Christmas celebration at Keynsham Methodist Church on Wednesday 13th December.
The South Gloucestershire Good Afternoon Community Choir, based in Kingswood, is led by Matt Finch and meets every Wednesday at Kingswood Community Church (Great Hall) from 2pm to 4pm. It too will be starting up again on 6th September.
Choir members held their first concert of the year with guests Oldland Brass at a packed Holy Trinity Church. This concert and other fundraising events have raised £802 for the Dementia UK charity so far this year. More concerts are planned in the run-up to Christmas.
There are also choirs in Bath, Bristol, Yate/Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury, Norton Radstock, as well as in Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Devon and Cornwall.
There are no auditions and everyone is welcome. For more details visit www.goodafternoonchoir.org or call 01761 472468.
