Thriving community choir at Cawston Church

Cawston Community Choir is going from strength to strength and is ready to welcome new members as it seeks to grow.

The choir is based in the village’s medieval church, and started in response to restrictions put in place during the coronavirus pandemic, but it has continued to thrive, and enthralled Lady Dannatt who visited the choir in May.
 
Andrew Whitehead is the vicar at St Agnes, a building that once welcomed Stephen Fry in its church choir, and is a member of the choir himself. He explained that when the Covid restrictions allowed, the church set up to put on a Christmas choir to remind people of the good times. “At that first meeting we had 30 to 40 people come to the church in their hats and scarves. And they kept coming, saying it would be good if we carried on.  It’s been wonderful to get this far” he said.
 
Led by music director Anne Berry-Smith, right, the choir meets every Tuesday evening of term-time at Cawston Parish Church. They are accompanied by pianist David Shippey. 
 
Nobody, irrespective of age or ability, will be turned away, and choir’s diverse mix of people currently includes primary school children, retirees and a Ukrainian refugee. The group also currently funds Mrs Berry-Smith to run two choirs at the village’s primary school. 
 
Last month, Cawston Community Choir was visited by Norfolk's Lord Lieutenant, Lady Dannatt. She was treated to a front row seat at a buzzing Tuesday night rehearsal, and found the experience “utterly joyful” and was “completely blown away”.
 
The choir has been taking part in the Cawston Music Festival which has events running until the end of June. Read more about the festival here.
 
Rev Whitehead is keen to raise aspirations and raise the profile of music in the community. “One of the things we always knew is that singing is good for you in physical terms, mental well-being and forging links in the community. Before our members joined, many of them did not know each other – now we have something really special here.”
 
Visit cawstonchoir.org.uk for more information about the choir.
 
This story is based on an article in the Eastern Daily Press.
 
The photos are courtesy of Jason Mawe Photography

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