Custom Voices

Thursdays 7-9pm

Community Room, The Customs House

Mill Dam, South Shields NE33 1ES

Term starts from 28th April 2022 (in-person rehearsals)

Custom Voices are a community choir that are made up of ‘ordinary people’, who are committed to reaching into the community to embrace other ordinary people from various ages, cultures and abilities who just love to sing.
We hope that through singing we can promote physical health and spiritual wellbeing and an outlet for those who would not normally have the confidence to sing with others – just for the pleasure of singing.

We sing a range of repertoire, from local songs and shanties to pop classics from the 60s and 70s in three part harmony (taught by ear so no need to be able to read music) and perform in the community whenever we can

Term Dates:

April 28th May 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th (Half term 2nd June) June 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th July 7th

Fees:

Termly subs are paid directly to the choir. Please contact Sharon on mouthfulweb@me.com for more information

Our Origins

In March 2000, a unique North East charitable organisation 20,000 Voices, committed to getting people singing, ran a six week ‘Find Your Voice’ course which took place at the Customs House in South Shields.

Following the six week course, the demand for the choir to continue was so great that with the support of 20,000 Voices and Joe Peterson, the Customs House Director of Arts in the Community, a three year Single Regeneration grant was applied for which would enable 20,000 Voices to continue with its work. The Customs House Choir was formed.

Led by Sharon Durant the choir went from strength to strength, widening participation and opening its doors to the community by encouraging people who had never sung before to come along and try it for themselves.

As the initial funding came to an end the choir voted to become self-funding, so with the guidance of Joe Peterson and support from STRIDE, an organisation whose aims are to assist community and voluntary groups reach their potential and create a network to help influence the borough and shape the local economy, an application was made to the Community Foundation.

The Community Foundation aims were to create a culture of giving that helps to build stronger communities and offer a cost-effective way for donors to make a long term difference. The choir were successful with their application and received a grant from the ‘Community Chest’ that would enable them to become a self-funded organisation and to meet costs for their first year.

The choir re-named themselves Custom Voices, the Customs House community choir and while maintaining strong links to both the Customs House and 20,000 Voices, they have performed for a variety of charitable institutions and local events.