Location
Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
Community choirs, blokesinging, performance groups and singing workshops
Chris Samuel runs two mixed voice community choirs, jointly known as The Wiltshire Wailers as well as a men’s performance group – The Magnificent AKs.
The community choirs are never auditioned, we never use musical scores and there are no solos. This means the choirs are accessible to as many people as possible and our main focus is on singing for the sheer enjoyment of it – the sound of voices raised together in harmony is its own reward. We do however perform locally, usually 2 or 3 times a year or for special occasions.
The Magnificent AKs are a little different. Although we still don’t have formal auditions, we’re a performance orientated group with over a dozen gigs a year. That means we spend more time on polishing songs and learn fewer new songs but we get our kicks from being in front of audiences, from village halls to big stages, festivals, festive occasions and everything in between.
Chris is also a performer with Aussie festival favourites The Spooky Men’s Chorale as well as their UK fun-sized version – A Fistful of Spookies.
The Magnificent AKs are the singing blokes of Ashton Keynes and have been performing together since 2008. We like to celebrate the inner life of the ordinary bloke and consequently have songs about sheds, toolkits, beards and male health as well as local folk songs about our forefathers.
We meet in a pub, like a beer and most definitely do not take ourselves too seriously – although many people seem to like what we do. We aim to perform a dozen or so times a year in venues from village halls to nightclubs, music festivals, carnivals and festive celebrations.
Rehearsals are sporadic, based on upcoming performances - often Wednesdays or Sundays
The Wiltshire Wailers are Bradford on Avon’s largest, most fun community choir. We sing songs from all traditions and styles mostly just for the joy of singing. Community is a big part of the group and we have a lot of laughs while we’re learning our varied repertoire. We perform only occasionally for special anniversaries or for local events.
Tuesday evenings in term-time from 7.30-9.30pm
Corsham’s largest and most fun Community Choir has been singing together for 15 years. We sing songs from all traditions and from all around the world mostly simply for the joy of singing and perform occasionally at local events. The emphasis is very much on enjoyment and community.
Monday evenings in term time from 7.30-9.30pm
