Come when you can
Utterance is a casual, drop-in singing group. You don’t need to commit to coming every week. You can arrive late, or leave early. And there’s no pressure to perform (though we’ll try to arrange some gigs for anyone who fancies it).
Sing what you like
Verity will bring along a range of songs to get things started, from Bjork to Bulgarian folk tunes. And then she’ll go away and arrange anything that the group suggests – from sea shanties to classic soul – with a focus on rich and playful harmonies.
You don’t need any experience (although seasoned singers are very welcome). And you don’t need to read music, as Verity teaches everything by ear.
Pay what you decide
We don’t want money to be a barrier for anyone taking part, so the choir is run on a donate-what-you-can basis. Some people may only feel comfortable giving a couple of pounds, or nothing at all; others may be in a position to ‘pay it forward’ and contribute to Verity’s time arranging music for the choir.
Each week there will be a pot for cash, a card reader, and details for bank transfer - so you can chip in as you go, or pay for a whole term.
Verity Standen
Verity is a composer, director, performer and choir leader. Having created music projects around the UK and internationally, she has recently moved with her young family to a house in the woods just outside Frome.
Verity’s creative projects span a range of forms – concerts, theatre pieces, films, installations, community events – but they always start with the voice. And running choirs has always been an important part of what she does. There is nothing more joyful than gathering people together to sing.
Verity’s music is always a cappella (unaccompanied voices), with a particularly focus on playing with parts and exploring rich harmony - regardless of how much previous experience of harmony singing people have. She draws inspiration from Eastern European folk traditions, contemporary classical techniques, and pop anthems. You can listen to some of her original music on Verity’s website.
