Gospel choir raises the roof on the Southbank’s Queen Elizabeth Hall!A 500-strong massed choir performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on March 29 as part of this year’s Sounds of Us London event.  SOUL (Sounds of Us:London) is a partnership led by Wandsworth Council’s Lifelong Learning team and iGospel, with funding from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills’ Learning for Pleasure project. iGospel UK is a company which works with local communities to make gospel-style music accessible to all.

SOUL gave hundreds of adults and young people from Wandsworth and partner boroughs the opportunity to join a network of 12 SOUL choirs across London. They took part in a programme of vocal, composition and performance training culminating in the Sounds of Us concert.

Choir members ranged in age from teenagers to members of the Hestia Age Activity Centre on Garratt Lane in Tooting. They performed a mix of traditional songs as well as original material and solo pieces.  One of the songs, Make a Change, was written by South Thames College music technology student Ashley Williams. The song is part of the college’s three year campaign against gun and knife crime.

To find out more, and to see a short clip of the event, go to the Sounds of Us London (SOUL) Facebook page. You can link to this from the council’s Facebook site at www.facebook.com/wandsworth.council

By Wendy Phillips

Rising Stars Volunteer Programme (R.S.V.P)

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