Amidst the hustle and stress of the Neurotic Naughties, many people have forgotten about singing and how good it makes you feel. With the onset of adulthood the sheer spontaneous joy of raising your voice in song is often squashed by inhibition and the fear of "making a fool of yourself" or maybe the memory of criticisms levelled at your singing abilities by insensitive teachers or family members in the past. When I was growing up every family gathering involved singing, just for the sheer fun of it and, sadly, that part of our heritage seems to have disappeared from many people’s lives.

My programme of games, songs and movement routines creates a relaxed, informal environment where people can explore their vocal abilities without the fear of judgement or criticism. Singing is everyone’s birthright and, in my opinion, should be encouraged at every opportunity! The sessions are structured in the following way:

• Gentle stretching and whole body movement whilst in a sitting or standing position
• Breathing and vocal exercises
• Call and response games to encourage development of the vocal range and lead gradually into singing
• Rhythmic counting and clapping games to target co-ordination
• Requests — participants choose from a list of familiar popular songs to sing together — song sheets are provided, in large print where required
• Groups can be split for the singing of rounds and easy harmonies or for simple song-writing exercises, the results of which can then be performed by the whole group.

The programme is conducted with everyone in a circle, so a space large enough to accommodate the group comfortably, is required (preferably with good acoustics) in a location where other people will not be disturbed by the singing.

To encourage gentle physical activity and interaction between group members through group singing, in a relaxed and informal setting, where laughter and having fun together is, incidentally, a therapeutic exercise.

A classically trained musician and singer/songwriter, I made my first stage appearance at the age of 12 and have been performing ever since. Many years on the folk music circuit and work with pop harmony bands, rock bands and as a studio and live session singer expanded my musical experience. After a minor indie chart success, I moved to the U.S.A. and left my mark on Nashville’s alternative music scene in the 1990s. I have always enjoyed singing with other people and my biggest thrill as a solo performer has been to get the audience joining in. Back in Cheltenham and becoming increasingly interested in the health benefits of group singing, I started the la la lunchtime popular chorus in March 2006 as a lunchtime de-stresser for office workers and this popular weekly session continues to go from strength, with new members joining just about every week. I am proud to be a member of the Natural Voice Practitioners’ Network, an organisation that believes singing is everyone's birthright, and, as such, am committed to teaching styles that are egalitarian in nature, regardless of musical experience and ability.

Tel: 01242 236121 Mob: 07949 899717