🎵Finchley's Melody Makers

Rock Choir - the choir that rocks | Source Rock Choir

There’s something very powerful about raising your voice in song.

And the health benefits. Singing relieves stress, stimulates the immune response, increases pain threshold, may improve snoring and improves lung function.

There’s a great book from about reclaiming your voice and finding your singing tribe. I love Do Books from Do Lectures founder David Hieatt, of Hiut Demim fame.

If you’ve decided to sing more in ‘24, why not try out one of these 8 local choirs?

Rock Choir

Rock Choir is a national group of local, contemporary choirs. No auditions, no musical knowledge, just fun. Hampstead (actually Golders Green) is your local. Meets Wednesdays 1930 at Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Michael, NW11. Term starts in 4 days.

Finchley Chamber Choir

A friendly but hard-working locally based group of about 30 singers. Usually giving five concerts each season in Trinity Church, Nether Street N12. Occasional BBC broadcasts. Regular rehearsal night Tuesdays 1945 - 2200 in N12.

Memory Lane

Enjoy singing in a friendly and supportive environment. They entertain in the community, especially at residential homes, day care centres and charity events. Meets Friday 1130 - 1330 at St Mary at Finchley Church Hall N3.

North London Chorus

A friendly local choir singing a varied and exciting repertoire of sacred and secular music. They give concerts three times a year, mostly in St James’s Church in Muswell Hill. Rehearsals on Thursday evenings at Martin Primary School N2.

HB Choral Society

Henrietta Barnett Choral Society invites students, staff, parents, members and friends of all the institutions set up locally by Dame Henrietta Barnett to join together. Each year they perform a large-scale choral work, accompanied by the school orchestra. Mozart Requiem Concert 19 March 2024.

Alyth Choral Society

Performing Annelies, the story of Anne Frank told in music, on Sunday 5th May. Trial by Jury, Gilbert + Sullivan, Sunday 7th July. Rehearsals Tuesday evenings 2000 to 2200 at Alyth Synagogue NW11. Term starts on Tuesday 9th January

St Mary-at-Finchley Parish Church Choir

Paper-based singing 4-part harmony. Rehearsals Thursday evenings 2000 to 2130 and Sunday mornings 0915 singing the Eucharist service.

Finchley Children’s Music Group

FCMG is London’s is London’s Children’s choir. Choose from Beginner Choir, Intermediate Choir, Senior Choir or Chamber Choir. Rehearsals on Sunday afternoons during term time, at Brookland School in NW11.

So join in, sing up, and find your Finchley choral buddies. '24 is your year. 🎵

Events

Friday 5 January

The Improverts | Fri, Jan. 05 | 9:30 pm | The Hen & Chickens Theatre Bar, 109 Saint Paul's Road, N1 2NA | £8.50 | The Improverts are returning to our traditional London home, Hen & Chickens Theatre, for three fun, wacky shows. Celebrating their 34th year, The Improverts are an improvisational comedy troupe, put on yearly by the Edinburgh University Theatre Company.

Saturday 6 January

Sunday 7 January

Yoga on Hampstead Heath | Sun, Jan. 07 | 11:00 am to 12:15 pm | Hampstead Heath | £14 | An energising lunchtime yoga class on the beautiful Hampstead Heath. Meet at 11:00 outside the Freemasons Arms Pub on Downshire Hill. Bring a yoga mat or a towel to practice on, and a bottle of water.

Monday 8 January

Barnet Museum - History Society Lecture Programme | Mon, Jan. 08 | 3:00 pm to 3:45 pm | St John The Baptist's Church - 31 Wood Street, EN5 4BE | £2 or Free for Members | The Local History Society organises regular lectures on a variety of topics. This one is Jenny Remfry on 'Barnet Parish Church its History and Architecture'.

Monday 8 January to 27 January

Alan Turing - A Musical Biography | Mon, Jan. 08 | 7:30 pm | Riverside Studios, 101 Queen Caroline Street, W6 9BN | £21 | Musical, composed by Joel Goodman and Jan Osborne, with a script by Joan Greening, a journey through the extraordinary life of Alan Turing. Takes us through the loss of his closest friend, his romance with a fellow worker, when he realises how to beat the Germans and the growing awareness of his homosexuality. Worth leaving Finchley.

Local Lowdown

How to see the meteor shower — Get out of your pyjamas and head to Hampstead... | Image from PA

Beyond Earth

Stargazer alert. The Quadrantid meteor shower is set to dazzle North London, peaking with up to 110 meteors per hour on Jan 3-4. Head to spots like Hampstead Observatory for the best view. Lie back and let the cosmos do the talking.

Environment

Bin shuffle. Post-holiday bin collections are moving about, with collections from January 1-5 happening one day later. Blue and black bins will return to their regular dates from January 8. Remember, the garden waste's still on hiatus until later in January. And for the love of the planet, keep those sparkly, unrecyclable wrappers out of the recycling bin.

Healthcare

Strike saga, Junior doctors at the Royal Free London are striking again, starting at 7:00 am on January 3rd until January 9th. While they're making their voices heard, Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, and the Royal Free Hospital are focusing on emergency and acute services. Got something non-urgent? Try local GPs, walk-in centres, or pharmacies.

Community

Warmth in a Kit. Barnet Age UK donated £6,000 to bring cozy "survival kits" to pensioners at West Hendon. Distributed at the West Hendon food bank to help those struggling with the cost of living. Think hats, gloves, and hot tea in flasks – essentials for braving the chill.

Entertainment

Parade pandemonium. Over 8,000 performers, including Chesney Hawkes and Paddington Bear, dazzled 1000s in London's New Year's Day parade. From Green Park to Westminster, the streets were alive with the sounds and sights of global talents. We even had new supergroup Boyzlife perform (a Boyzone/Westlife mashup).

Get fit + do good - GoodGym Barnet

people running in groups and doing outside planting work — Why not get fit and do something for your community? Image from GoodGym

GoodGym Barnet has expanded its activities, thanks to a new task force including Claudia, Antonio, Moya, and Nikki. They've also got certified UK athletics run leaders.

They’ve been consistently helping local green spaces and charitable institutions that are the jewels of Barnet. Stephens House and Gardens, which relies on volunteers and the Phoenix Cinema, the oldest functioning purpose-built cinema in the UK.

Claudia has forged relationships with Food Bank Aid and has now created regular slots to help them with their vital work in distributing food.

Good Gym supports the people that do the hard work volunteering and working for these organisations while keep fit. And they’ve represented the Tiny Forest in Council Events, advocating for a sustainable, less car-dependent future.

Help make 2024 the year you make a difference in our community!

Meet others. Get fit. Do good. Next session Tuesday 9 January at the Phoenix.