Community singing group celebrates Christmas with a festive performance

Members of the Kelso and Coldstream Village Voices group during the performance.

Established in early September with support from Scottish Borders Council’s Local Area Co-ordination team, the idea for the group came from the Village Voices initiative that operates across north Northumberland.

They now meet weekly, with between 25 and 30 people attending on a regular basis.

The performance at Mayfield Garden Centre in Kelso was a chance for them to showcase not only their singing skills, but also the Village Voices ethos – which is based on the idea that singing for fun enhances mental well-being while coming together provides a connection to the community.

Linnea Tormajor and Adriana McCool from Village Voices said: “The inspiration for these groups came from wanting to share our love of singing, taking music to people who might not otherwise sing.

“Singing for fun is great for our mental health and gives such a feeling of well-being as we sing the songs we cherish and love the best. We sing a wide range of songs in a safe, non-judgemental environment – no experience is necessary and everyone is welcome.

“We love running these groups and get so much pleasure seeing people grow in confidence and telling us how singing lifts their spirits.”

The Coldstream group meets on Thursdays at the Community Centre from 11am to noon and the Kelso group meets each Wednesday at the Quaker Meeting Room from 11.30am to 12.30pm. The cost for each session is £4, with all music and lyrics provided.

For more information, call 01896 664155 or email [email protected]