Here at Bolton FM we’ve been spending the past few months working with hundreds of local singers on a series of programmes which celebrate the power of the human voice.
In The Town That Sings we sample some of the amazing music being created across the borough by more than 20 amateur choirs, and discover some of the life-changing benefits of singing together.
Singers tell us of the friendship and camaraderie they’ve experienced. We’ll find out how joining a choir can improve physical and mental wellbeing. Some singers were drawn by particular styles like Baroque music or Barbershop, while others appreciated the opportunity to travel with their choirs and sing to audiences elsewhere in the UK and abroad.
John Ryan, station manger at Bolton FM said;
It seems that singing is one of Bolton’s secret passions. One of the great strengths of community radio is that listeners and our volunteer broadcasters have the time and space to share their passions. We’re confident this series will resonate and shed fresh light on an important aspect of local life.
The series is produced and presented by John Beesley, a retired broadcast journalist who moved to Bolton last year and now sings with The Cottontown Chorus. John said;
When I arrived here I was amazed by the sheer number and variety of singing groups. From community choirs to rock choirs, workplace choirs, church singers, a BSL signing choir, even a political choir, the enthusiasm seems boundless.
Bolton FM is delighted to have partnered with the perfect sponsor for the series. Booths Music has been inspiring music since 1832.
Although radio programmes based on individual choirs have long been made this is the first time microphones have zoomed in on the extensive and varied singing life of a whole urban area.
The Town That Sings begins on Bolton FM at 4pm on Saturday, May 16th.
