High Wycombe Tuneless Choir launches in January

If you're the first to get up for karaoke or often pretend you're Adele as you belt out tunes in the shower, the new High Wycombe Tuneless Choir wants you to join them - and no singer is too bad.

Tuneless choirs are becoming increasingly popular with those who enjoy singing but don't like the pressure of hitting the right notes in the right order, and there are already dozens of them across the country in places like Cambridge, Oxford, Maidenhead and Birmingham.

Rebecca Cobb, who grew up in High Wycombe, has taken it upon herself to launch a tuneless choir in the town and it will officially launch on Monday, January 4, at St James's Church Hall in Downley from 7.30pm - and don't worry, there are no auditions to psyche yourself up for.

After its launch, the choir will meet at the church hall on the first and third Tuesday of every month.

Tuneless choirs are a growing phenomenon in Britain because sessions are designed to be fun and to get all members singing loud and proud regardless of ability.

And if you're thinking this choir will be singing typical choral pieces, think again - because Rebecca says you can expect songs from throughout the decades, from crooners to Adele - with classics from the likes of Abba, The Beatles and Queen.

Rebecca, who has been singing and performing since she was a child, decided to launch a choir in High Wycombe after a visit to the Maidenhead Tuneless Choir left her feeling inspired.

She said: "I have always wanted to use my singing experience to benefit others and Tuneless is the perfect opportunity for me to do so. Following my visit to the Maidenhead Tuneless Choir, after a long day at work, I left feeling upbeat and decided I wanted to launch my own choir in my hometown.

"Tuneless is a great opportunity to meet new people and to absorb yourself in popular music at each session. I would like to create a friendly group in the local community where people can come to have fun and sing together without worrying about how they sound. The Tuneless Choir motto is ‘singing like no one is listening’. Participation is more important than performance.”

Tuneless choir founder Nadine Cooper says there are a string of benefits of group singing - physical, emotional and social.

She said: "It gets our endorphins flowing, which are known as the happy hormones. So, as well as reducing stress it can help with anxiety and depression. It’s even been shown to help boost the immune system.

"I find you don’t think about all that when you are singing, you just are in the moment, forgetting your day-to-day worries.

“I want to make sure that as many people as possible have a Tuneless Choir within reach, so I’m delighted that Rebecca is launching a choir for High Wycombe, the very first in Bucks. There are now 30 choirs nationwide, with several more on the cards.”

Anyone interested in joining the High Wycombe Tuneless Choir is asked to book their place at the launch at www.tunelesschoir.com/highwycombe or contact Rebecca on 07527 616857 or at highwycombe@tunelesschoir.com with any questions.

Tickets for the launch are £10 which includes registration and refreshments. Once someone has joined the choir it will be possible to sign up for a term in advance at the equivalent of £6 per session or attend on a pay as you go basis for £8.