New Swell Choirheads to the Surf Coast

IT’S time for the Surf Coast community to warm up their singing voices for the New Swell Choir, which has expanded to Torquay.

After three successful years in Point Lonsdale, choir organisers and musicians Tess Duddy and Ben Talbot-Dunn will introduce the community group into the region.

“We have a non-auditioned community choir for people of any level of experience,” Ms Duddy said.

“You don’t have to be able to read music, it’s all ages and we do arrangements of songs that are folk, or pop, or indie, a pretty broad selection of songs.”

With 90 people attending the choir in Point Lonsdale, the organisers are excited to see more people out singing as they expand the group.

Mr Talbot-Dunn, a guitarist and composer, does all the arrangements for the choir where they sing in harmony, without sheet music.

Ms Duddy said she hopes people feel a balance between something joyful and stepping out of their comfort zones.

“It’s a really supportive environment where you can come along and sing, even if you’ve never done it before or never sung a note before, it’s that safety in numbers,” she said. “It’s just enjoyable putting something together that didn’t exist before.”

This won’t be the first time the pair have done something on the Surf Coast, holding a Sip and Sing event in Torquay last year.

The event was similar to a pub choir night, with many who attended expressing interests in a choir starting in Torquay.

“When we did do the Sip and Sing event it was just so nice being somewhere new and having all these other friendly faces who were keen and enthusiastic,” Ms Duddy said.

“Torquay has got a nice energy for stuff happening and people being enthusiastic about group events that are community based.”

The New Swell Choir will meet each Tuesday night at the Torquay Improvement Association, beginning on February 4 at 7.45pm.

Bookings are essential and can be made by visiting trybooking.com/events/landing/1334072