Centenary choir competition:  'Singing for Joy'

WI Members singing at Denman Workshop

The WI has a proud history of communal singing and is celebrating this heritage with a choir competition, Singing for Joy, at the heart of its centenary celebrations in 2015.

The competition aims to attract singers of all abilities and activities will take place over the next three years.

Jonathan Willcocks - director of Music 

Jonathan Willcocks, Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Music, has been recruited as Director of Music and he has composed a specially commissioned piece for performance by the national finalists.

Timetable for the competition:

Spring 2012 – Six information and singing workshops were held nationally, to attract 'Choir Champions'

September 2013 – 3 1-day workshops will be held to provide the opportunity to sing with Jonathan Willcocks. The workshop at Denman on Saturday 28 has now SOLD OUT. There are still places for the Harby (Notts) workshop on 24 September and a second workshop has been arranged at Denman on 27 September

March 2014 - Each federation may submit up to 3 choirs or singing groups to compete in six regional heats

October and November 2014 – Regional finals to provide six national finalists who will be given the commissioned piece to form part of their final repertoire

March 2015 – Final in Birmingham Town Hall to crown 'WI Choir of the Century'

Plans include performing at the NFWI Centenary AGM and singing the iconic 'Jerusalem' on the actual centenary day, 16 September 2015.

We would like to feature your choir and share your stories with fellow WI members. Have you participated in a previous WI choir competition and would like to reminisce about your experience? Are you new to singing or have you recently set up a choir?

If you would like to be featured on the website, for more details about the competition, or to book a place at a workshop, contact Claire Melvin at c.melvin@nfwi.org.uk or visit the 'Singing for Joy' pages on the WI Moodle.

Details of the entry criteria for the competition can be found here