Location
Bristol
Bristol
I run three fun, enriching, friendly and welcoming community choirs in Bristol. Come and try us out!
Rosie Sleightholme is a community choir leader based in South Bristol, UK. A member of the Natural Voice Network, she is passionate about bringing people together through song and absolutely loves the magic that is created through singing in harmony. She welcomes every voice to her groups and teaches by ear, so there is no need to read music.
Brought up in a musical family, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Rosie has always sung in choirs (first experiencing a cappella singing as a member of jazz choir The Oxford Gargoyles) and for nearly 20 years has performed her own songs at gigs and festivals all over the UK and further afield (“Utterly wonderful stuff”, BBC Radio). Whilst living in mid-Wales Rosie joined her friend’s Natural Voice choir and was blown away by this new way of learning by ear. She decided that she wanted to run a choir like this one day.
Rosie came to choir leading when she was pregnant – setting up Womb Sisters pregnancy choir, then Folks & Bairns Parent and Baby Choir, and then Rising Sun Singers community choir, all in South Bristol.
In 2022 Rosie was appointed as new leader for longstanding Bristol choir People of Note, taking over from Nickomo and Rasullah.
Her choirs have featured in Classic FM and on BBC TV and radio. Rosie teaches a range of four part harmony songs from all over the world, keeping a varied repertoire to keep things interesting for choir members, and for her! She loves to write songs for choirs to sing.
Rosie has done leadership training with Susie Ro Prater, Vocal Process training with Jeremy Fisher and Gillyanne Kayes, and was trained in breathing and vocal support by Ingrid Rugheimer of the British Voice Association.
Folks & Bairns is a parent and baby choir based at St Michael & All Angels church, Windmill Hill, South Bristol. The choir enables grown-ups to sing together in a relaxed and baby-friendly environment. It is run by Natural Voice Leader, musician and singer Rosie Sleightholme. Every voice is welcomed, no singing experience is necessary and all songs are taught by ear.
AUTUMN/WINTER TERM DATES:
What people have said about us:
Mondays, 11.30am - 12.30pm
People of Note is one of Bristol’s longest standing community choirs. Now run by Rosie Sleightholme (who was appointed in 2022) the choir was set up in 2000 by Nickomo Clarke and Nick Petts, and run by Nickomo and Rasullah from 2009-2020.
The choir is building up membership after a few years of not running, and currently stands at a nice number of 60 members, with full SATB sections.
New members are welcome to come for a free taster at any point in the term – email to book. We’d love to welcome you to the choir!
Rosie is a Natural Voice choir leader who is passionate about bringing people together to sing. Every voice is welcome in People of Note. There are no auditions and all songs are taught by ear. We sing songs from all over the world, with some which are slightly more challenging, and others that are simple and easy to pick up. The main aim is for us all to have fun! Have a listen to us singing one of Rosie’s simple, meditative songs here.
To find out more about the choir, take a look at our website.
AUTUMN/WINTER TERM DATES:
Accolades:
“Rosie is very talented, great fun and very enthusiastic which makes for a very enjoyed experience. I get some of those lovely moments when the hairs on the back of my neck stand up because of the beautiful sounds. The whole group have been very welcoming and it’s great to have some very friendly blokes in the bass section too. This is a very inclusive choir that has an extremely friendly and talented leader who provides excellent guidance and encouragement for when we learn new songs from a wide range of interesting sources” Nigel
“Rosie, you are a brilliant and gifted leader as well as songwriter. You really sing and teach from the heart, there is passion and joy in your work, and you spread it like a lighthouse! I often feel buzzing after a great choir session and it is so wonderful to sing in a big group. I have made quite a few friends through choir over the years and PON feels more and more like one big family. Wonderful!” Christine
“Joining the choir was the best thing I have done for myself in many years. I look forward to attending the choir sessions every week very much. Rosie is very welcoming and friendly. Her passion for what she does is infectious! The happiness within me when I sing with a group of people who find joy in singing too often overwhelms me (positively). A little break within our session allows me to chat with the members of the choir – also a very nice part of each session. I joined with my sister and we were welcomed warmly by many members of the choir.” Magda
“I don’t just like the choir, I love it! It’s a community choir where everyone looks out for each other. Rosie is a great leader, learning songs with her is fun. She is full of energy and enthusiasm and after every session I feel on top of the world.” Ange
“I like this choir for its mixture of sometimes working towards concert performances and sometimes singing for the joy of singing. I really enjoy the quick win warm up songs, things that are able to pick up quickly and when sung together in harmony provide instant reward of sounding great. This builds the amazing energy this choir has deep within its soul. Rosie is a wonderful leader, she is very enthusiastic and fun and keeps a good energy within the group throughout the session. Fun and spiritual – in a good way!” Natalie
Tuesdays, 7.30 - 9.30pm
The Rising Sun Singers is a daytime community choir based at St Michael & All Angels church in Windmill Hill, South Bristol. It is run by Natural Voice Leader Rosie Sleightholme. Rosie teaches by ear and no choir experience is necessary. The choir sings songs of different styles and traditions from all over the world and welcomes new members to come for a taster any time during the term.
AUTUMN/WINTER TERM DATES:
New members welcome at any point during the term
“I like everything about the Rising Sun Singers Choir. Choir members are all friendly and Rosie is also friendly and fun. She’s very supportive, positive, inclusive and teaches us a variety of really great songs. She is well connected with other choir leaders and shares lots of information about workshops and events with the choir. This has enabled me to broaden my singing experience. Singing in this choir never fails to lift my spirits!” Cheryl
“It’s perfect for me. I like being confident enough to not worry if I get the notes wrong. I like the mix of challenging and fun songs/sounds Rosie presents each week.” Anne
“It is joyous. All voices are welcome and, although we are small in number, we are learning to develop a nice sound. Some songs are more challenging than others and that adds a sense of achievement, but mostly it is relaxing and fun. Rosie is an excellent teacher, no matter what your singing experience and ability. Her energy and encouragement rubs off on us all and we all look forward to meeting up each week for an hour of sheer enjoyment through singing together.” Choir Member
“I’m so happy I joined this lovely community choir. Rosie is a wonderful choir leader and she comes up with a diverse selection of songs that have the most beautiful harmonies. Such a friendly, inclusive bunch of people too.” S Swindells
“I can’t get enough of Rosie’s choir and I highly recommend Rising Sun Singers for experienced singers or novices alike – such an uplifting, supportive natural singing group.” R Andrews
Mondays, 2-3pm
