Choir

The Nyodema Singers

A choir for the community,  bringing local people, of different ages, backgrounds, race and beliefs, together.

The choir is open to all, experienced singers and novices alike (and no auditions). Since our formation in January 2010 our repertoire includes gospel and songs  from Africa, Spain, England, Finland as well as some Native American chants.

Members have the opportunity to perform at various events throughout the year. In 2011 performances included a concert for Amnesty International as part of Chichester Festivities and the Rox Festival, as well as Nyodema’s annual festival.

Rehearsals: Every Thursday evening  at Recital Hall, The Regis School of Music, Sudley Road in Bognor Regis, West Sussex PO21 1ER from 7.30 to 9.00pm. Please note that we do take a break for a few weeks in the Summer and a couple of weeks at Christmas and Easter.

Cost: £2.50 per evening (plus an annual subscription of £5 – please feel free to try out the choir first for a week or two).

Our choral director, Geraldine Allchurch, is the former director of music at Bourne Community College,  has been involved in organising and performing music with various local groups in the West Sussex area for many years. Gel enjoys a variety of music including gospel music with its aural tradition and has directed gospel choirs in the past.

Gel runs the choir together with Nyodema’s chairman, Kathryn Burrington. They have both taken part in various workshops with British Gospel Arts and the London Community Gospel Choir in order to add to their knowledge and skills and to ensure that our Nyodema choir proves to be a stimulating and high quality experience for us all!

Choir members will have the opportunity to take part in an annual workshop/performance weekend in Italy with the London Community Gospel Choir, as well as occasional one day workshops here in Bognor Regis.

Funds raised in excess of the choirs running costs will be donated to Nyodema’s health and education projects in The Gambia.

Nyodema/British Gospel Arts workshop with Daniel Thomas, May 2009

British Gospel Arts

As well as raising money for Nyodema’s projects in The Gambia, British Gospel Arts have organised a number of workshops with Nyodema, here in Bognor Regis.

Founded by our good friend, Andrea Encinas, British Gospel Arts is the education branch of the London Community Gospel Choir.

Andrea has also visited The Gambia with Nyodema to see for herself the work we are doing there and to run some workshops for community groups and schools. Read all about the fantastic time we had by clicking here.