PROMISING singers are being encouraged to join a new scratch choir set up by the Trowbridge Song Project, with the first meeting taking place next week at Trowbridge Town Hall.

The Arts Council-funded project has been running for almost two years, working with lots of groups in the town to build bridges between the diverse communities through song and storytelling.

It gives wannabe singers an opportunity to come together to sing on a weekly basis, before performing in the project’s final concert at Wiltshire Music Centre in November.

This will be the third scratch choir organised by the Trowbridge Song Project, which also aims to celebrate Trowbridge’s diversity by learning traditional songs from across the globe.

“Singing is a great way to bring people together to socialise and be creative, plus it’s good for you, exercising a range of muscles and resulting in a great feel good factor,” said Trowbridge Song Project’s Artistic Director Candy Verney.

Following the one-off performance at the music centre, the project will culminate at the end of the year with an exhibition in the Atrium at County Hall in Bythesea Road.

Liz Lavender, who manages the project, said: “Being able to share and teach a song that is pertinent to your culture to others is a wonderful way to help cultural understanding and we’ve been taught some beautiful songs from across the globe by people who now call Trowbridge home.

“This includes songs from Tibet, Nicaragua, Argentina, Israel, Nigeria and Poland to name but a few, as well as traditional Wiltshire songs - which we are going to be singing en mass at the concert.

“What Gareth Malone does on the TV we will be doing here in Trowbridge, the naked voice is indeed a wonderful thing but we’ll be leaving out the competitiveness in favour of building inclusion and cohesion.”

The Scratch Choir will meet weekly starting on Wednesday (Oct 7) at 7.30pm at Trowbridge Town Hall, with the project’s final concert taking place at Wiltshire Music Centre on November 15.

Tickets for the five workshops are available from www.trowbridgesongproject.co.uk or Trowbridge Tourist Information Centre and cost £15 for adults, £10 for concessions and free for under 16s.