Baby-friendly community choir launches with taster sessions

A new baby-friendly community choir is launching in Middleton this month with two taster sessions ahead of term starting in September.

Me & My Baby Musical Theatre Choir – which will be based at the Demesne Community Centre on Wednesday mornings – has been started by Laura Kelly, 37, a university lecturer with a background in performance, and her partner, Anthony Clegg, a performer of over 15 years.

Me & My Baby Musical Theatre Choir will focus on singing songs from the movies and musicals, led by choir director Anthony. No auditions or prior experience are required.

The taster sessions will run over two weeks on Wednesday 12 and 19 July from 10am - 11.15am.

Mum of one Laura took up singing at a local choir after a chronic hip condition forced her to retire from competitive ballroom and Latin dancing.

She said: “Due to a chronic medical condition and requiring hip surgery, I sadly had to retire from the dancing world which left a big hole in my life. I decided to join a local choir group, as I still wanted something with a performance element, but was less strenuous.

“I loved being part of the choir and it started to take over my life – in a good way.”

“Choir was a huge part of my life and it had helped me to deal with a lot of trauma relating to having to give up dance,” Laura continued.

 

 

“Singing as part of a group was an incredible help to my mental health, however I now had my little girl to care for, so although I was in a very fortunate position whereby my parents were around to help to care for my daughter, Aria, so that I could go to choir, it made me realise how difficult it must people when people do not have this luxury and have to give up doing things for themselves due to caring responsibilities.

“Pretty much every other adult choir is just that - for adults only. With no childcare, you can’t bring your children along to sessions, or rehearsals are held in the evening when you would be trying to settle little once for bed, so this rules parents out of a lot of opportunities.”

With this in mind, Laura and Anthony saw an opportunity to bring together parents, grandparents and “anyone with caring responsibilities.”

 

 

Children of preschool age and younger are welcome, and Laura will be available to facilitate play under parental supervision, should it be needed as the sessions are focused on a positive singing experience for adults.

Laura said: “Children of preschool age and younger (0-5) are welcome to join you, or even if you fancy joining a choir along with likeminded people, but your children are in childcare facilities, you are certainly more than welcome.

“We also strongly encourage baby wearing whilst singing as it has been proven to have multiple positive impacts for both adult and baby. We will be inviting the Manchester sling library to come down for one of our sessions to give more information on different ways you can wear baby slings etc.

“Sessions will be held weekly, following a termly pattern similar to schools. 

“Even if singing is something you have never done before, we would love for people to become part of our community, just to share and grow and provide that much needed community support.

“Singing has been proven to have multiple positive effects on mental health, and singing in a group of likeminded people will have huge benefits.”

She concluded: “We would love for people to become part of our community. We love the idea that we have developed this project as a family, whose life has developed through singing and choirs.”

The term will start officially on 20 September with sessions taking place on Wednesdays from 10am to 11.15am.

For more information, including how to book the taster sessions, please visit:

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/MeandMyBabyChoir

Alternatively please email meandmybabychoir@gmail.com.