MenSing is our men’s singing group. They meet once a month for half-day rehearsals to learn and sing folk songs and enjoy socialising with other like-minded men.
The choir sing in harmony taking low, middle and high parts. You don’t need to have sung before to join the choir or be able to read music. We’ll help you find out where your voice is comfortable and you always choose which part to sing. You aren’t assigned a role so may take different parts in different songs, depending on what the song sounds like and what you would like to do.
Our MenSing choir came into being during 2015/16, singing at the Baring Gould Folk Weekend and Wren Music seasonal concerts. By 2019 the choir was getting established, taking bookings and finding their feet.  They supported folk star Martin Scragg in a concert with well-honed choruses and also performing a set from their own repertoire. They visited Beer Caves and ‘rocked the echo’ with some fabulous harmonies. They dropped into Okehampton Men’s Shed and Exeter Cathedral too. The choir also provided the musical soundtrack to videos on the history of the fishing industry of Beer.
They now have a busy programme with appearances at Exeter Respect Festival, Bath Folksingers Choir during Bath Festival, Okey Music Day in Okehampton, Sidmouth and Dartmoor Folk Festivals, Castle Drogo and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum Exeter as well as busking and ‘flash mob’ style performances.
They have worked with local folksinger Jim Causley, London-based Chilean singer Mauricio Venegas-Astorga, Bristol choir leader Matt Norman and Scottish Bothy Ballad singer Scott Gardiner. All these have had an influence on style and repertoire. They met for their first ever residential weekend in January 2024 and this got the year off to a flying start.
We encourage members to take part in public performances but this is not an obligation when you join the group.
The music is mainly A Capella voices, but accordion and guitar feature in some accompaniments. The repertoire is based around the folk music of Devon, the South West and some other cultures where we have close singing friends. We also write our own songs in folk song style and own freshly penned song about the lives of the Beer Quarry workers has been well received.
We are always keen to hear from anyone wanting to join and welcome new people. Please contact us if you are interested. The choir is open to adults of all ages who identify as male.
Location: Wren Music, Ebenezer Hall, North Street, Okehampton, EX20 1AR
Time: Second Saturday of the month, 10.00am-1.00pm. See the current term dates.
Music Leader: Paul Wilson