OUR JOURNEY
In 2013, Abi’s husband, Ross Power, officially came on board as Musical Director. Ross, an accomplished composer and musician (www.rosspowermusic.com), was the perfect fit for the choir and together they are now dedicated in their mission for the joy it brings anyone embarking on their vocal journey.
The couple had two very successful branches, in Greenwich and Hither Green, and after deciding on a move to the beautiful coastal town of Whitstable with their young family, opened another two choirs in the North Kent town. Once more these proved to be hugely popular and, with more interest bubbling throughout Kent, they continued to grow locations further west into Medway and Tunbridge Wells and into Central London.
In addition to writing new arrangements and adding to the Choir’s repertoire, Abi and Ross are always thinking about how they can improve their members’ experiences. They have created The Community Singer, an online resource that supports amateur singers at the start of the journey plus recruiting leading industry professionals to take singing workshops as part of the Finding Your Voice workshop programme. They even conduct a livestream weekly rehearsal for members who are unable to attend in person!
Early Beginnings
UK Soul Choirs use their performance opportunities to collect money for charities. Over the years, they are proud to say that they have collected tens of thousands for both local and national organisations such as Parkinsons UK, Tommy’s, UK Food Banks, Mind, Disasters Emergency Committee for Ukraine and The British Heart Foundation to name but a few.
Abi and Ross are strong believers in sharing their passion and talent to do good. This goes hand-in-hand with their proven belief that the shared experience of singing with a group promotes positive mental wellness. Even throughout the extensive lockdown period, Soul Choirs adapted, pivoting to run rehearsals online ahead of most other similar organisations, beaming themselves on an interactive live stream to all their members! This culminated in a fantastic, virtual performance involving 160 members and raising over a whopping £11,000 for the charity, Mind!
Over the years, Soul Choirs has been fortunate to have performed alongside Soul Legends such as Mica Paris, Alison Limerick, Heather Small, Lamar and Jocelyn Brown. They’ve sung at Blackheath Festival, Dreamland, Camp Bestival, Greenwich and Docklands Festival, The Southbank Centre, KOKO and the Camden Electric Ballroom. They’ve been featured on LBC, Radio 3, Good Morning Britain and they were onscreen as the community choir of choice for the M&S Christmas advert 2022!