Calling all singing enthusiasts for Urban Sea Shanties!

Published on 14 April 2022

Have you always wanted to experience the thrill and connection of singing in a choir? If so, now is your chance!

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is offering the singing community, including all existing local choirs and other enthusiastic singers, the opportunity to join a temporary community choir ‘The Urban Sea Shanties’.

Under guidance from choral leader and Macedon Ranges local Andrew Price and renowned singer/songwriter and comedian Fred Smith, participants will learn a repertoire of songs over a four- month period culminating in a performance at Kyneton Town Hall in September.

The Urban Sea Shanties Community Choir is a project originally conceived and presented in the City of Kingston in 2019. Using the same artists and adopting a similar project footprint, Council will be drawing on the project’s successes, whilst modifying to suit our local environment.

Choral leader Andrew Price encourages anyone who gets joy from singing to sign up.

“The recent COVID Recovery project ‘Sing-Park-Sing’ is proof that community choirs are popular in our region. We have around seven known active community choirs already, so feel we have a significant audience to draw upon for this Urban Sea Shanties Community Choir project”, he said.

Macedon Ranges Shire Mayor, Cr Jennifer Anderson, further encourages locals to sign up.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for experienced and novice singers alike to work with Andrew Price and Fred Smith in this participatory project. We encourage all singers to join, whether you have experience singing in a community choir, school, church group, or simply singing within the privacy of your own four walls!”

“Everyone is welcome”, she added.

Participation in the Urban Sea Shanties Community Choir is free, and is open to people aged twelve years and over with vaccination requirements in place for those aged eighteen and over.

A free singing workshop and sign-up day will be held at Kyneton Town Hall on Saturday 14 May from 9.30am-12.30pm.

To get involved visit: mrsc.vic.gov.au/get-involved or call Andrea on 0429 605 619 to find out more.