Try a Choir Week Celebrates The Force of Togetherness
Image: Supplied/TJ Garvie Photography
Community choirs across Australia unite for ‘Try a Choir Week’ from August 18 to 21, where people from across the nation are able to sing together in a community where there are no limits.
The nationwide event run by With Once Voice opens doors to 21 choirs in every state for a free experience in a community run setting.
On a mission to terminate loneliness through inclusion and joy, Creativity Australia’s partnership alongside With One Voice offers people the chance to meet new people, try something new, and find that sense of community where we all belong.
National Community Music Coordinator Sally Rehfisch says, “Since 2008 we’ve been running community choirs across Australia, bringing people together and building supportive communities through the power of music. We want to get Australia singing together, and experiencing the joy that we feel at choir every week.”
Creativity Australia’s With One Voice program unites hundreds of people aged 9 to 90, and operates across Victoria, NSW, ACT, SA, Tasmania and Queensland.
The purpose of the program is to help connect individuals within small or large communities, and to address the best parts within ourselves that often get sheltered by discomfort.
“In a time when almost one in three Australians feel lonely, opportunities to connect with each other are more important than ever,” says Rehfisch.
Choir represents a “snapshot of humanity”
The inclusive choirs require no experience and no auditions, building support through belonging, and love for music and song.
A survey conducted by With Once Voice in 2024 reported that 88 per cent of participants in the choir week improved a sense of community, and 68 per cent felt less lonely or isolated.
The unique event markets social connection, and provides an opportunity for people of all capabilities and all backgrounds to join together and share a space where everybody’s voice and identity is valued.
“We give this kind of snapshot of humanity,” says With One Voice conductor Kym. “We don’t try to iron it out into everyone sounding the same way or looking the same or acting the same. We try to celebrate their individual characters, but every person’s voice is part of the overall fabric. That’s what makes it work so well, but it’s also so beautiful to me.”
Find and connect with your local community choir here.
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