Feral Voices Community Choir

Singing to ground you, lift you, inspire and connect you. Feral Voices Choir is a nature-based community choir rooted in connection, harmony, and joy. We are deliberately and explicitly inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community, and always working towards nurturing a welcoming, supportive space for all. We don’t use gendered language for voice parts, and strive to make every session accessible, respectful, and affirming. We sing simple, heartfelt songs in 3 or 4-part harmony and rounds, inspired by the natural world. Some songs can be learned in a single session, while others grow with us over a few weeks. All songs are taught a cappella—no sheet music needed—though we occasionally provide word sheets for lyric-rich songs. We gather every Wednesday evening in a stunning 200-year-old Tythe Barn in Long Crendon, Oxfordshire. Recently renovated, the barn offers incredible acoustics and a magical atmosphere to sing in. We are a friendly and warm community, open to all abilities—no auditions or experience necessary. There’s always plenty of tea, biscuits, and cake, and a genuine sense of connection. We offer tiered pricing to suit all incomes, with both block bookings and drop-in options available. While we encourage regular attendance to build harmony together, it's not essential—come as often as you like. And finally, our choir mascots: Mango and Amaya, our resident dogs. Mango is our serene 13-year-old who loves to nap and listen, while Amaya, our joyful one-year-old pup, adores a good fuss. They’re gentle, calm, and always ready to greet you at the door. We love our choir dogs! Why: For over 5 years, I have been training and working as an outdoor educator, facilitating groups in nature connection and children at Forest School. Learning primitive skills and understanding how to be in balance with our natural surroundings sparks something in me. Singing has always been at the core of this work for me, our voices being our most ancient instrument we still carry with us. I am deeply inspired by the natural world to sing and serenade my respect and gratitude in return for it's incredible gifts. I invite you to share and experience the joy in putting our voices together to connect to each other and the earth. I believe singing bonds us together and unites communities. When we bring our voices into harmony with each other, we support one another by listening and holding each other in full acceptance and open hearts. You do not have to be a "good" singer to join this group. You do not have to believe you can sing. You simply need the desire to share in and enjoy this experience. The space I would like to create is a supportive community space and is not about performance. Your voice is a gift, please come and share it with us! About me: Singing has always been part of my life. I have been told that I never stopped singing as a child. I learned to play the piano and guitar into my teens as a way to accompany my singing. I have been in various bands including a folk and blues band, a backing singer in The Hoolie band, a disco/Ceilidh fusion band, and in a cappella group with other choir leaders that formed during lockdown in the woods! The latter has inspired in me a passion for collaborative singing, and this has directed me towards leading groups as a singing leader. I first started leading singing groups as part of an outdoor leadership programme CALL OF THE WILD with WILDWISE in 2017. I was profoundly moved by the connection it created between us and also the thrill of directing the singing and teaching the harmonies. In that moment, I got the bug, and from then on I have taken every opportunity to lead groups singing, teaching, holding, and bringing each persons voices out. Since then, I have lead workshops at Medicine festival, in camps, retreats, and forest schools. I am a member of the Natural Voice Network and have trained with Guillermo Rozenther in circle singing and vocal improvisation.

This is just the beginning! We are still in our first year of existence. We first started in Feb 2023, in a beautiful outdoor setting is in a small woodland in Brill around a cosy fire. Although I loved singing in the woods, I decided in October, that over the winter months, we should find an indoor space to seek refuge from the wind and rain. This is when I found the Tythe Barn at Lopemede Farm in Long Crendon. This feels like a really exciting move as the acoustics are unbelievable! Please come and try us out. Pricing: This is my passion project, and I want this to be accessible to everyone, so I have a range of pricing, please pay as much as you can afford, and bear in mind I am trying to make a living! If you can only afford the lower price bracket, that is absolutely fine. Please get in touch if you have any financial barriers to coming. If you can afford to pay a little more, you can be a patron, thank you so much! Please book a space either way so I have an idea of numbers attending.