Every Tuesday evening, a powerful sound can be heard echoing from the Rosebery Park Baptist Church.
For the members of the Bournemouth Male Voice Choir however, the sense of community matters just as much as the music.
They describe themselves as “a diverse group of men, all ages, all abilities trying very hard to do our best to promote choral singing. [Who] take what we do seriously but never, ever take ourselves too seriously.”
Their rehearsals are a mix of genuine practice and laughter, creating an easy atmosphere for newcomers to fit in.
The group has become a place where men from all walks of life can come together to sing, talk, and support one another.
For some, joining the choir wasn’t an obvious decision.
John Kingston, one of the choir’s second tenors said: “of course, most of us have never sung in a choir before in that sort of environment in a very long time, if at all.
“So to suddenly find lots of blokes singing together around you makes it a team gig, and I think that is the thing I would stress.”
The choir serves as an outlet for men’s mental health, a space where blokes can drop their guard.
Adrian Harding, a first tenor, stresses this: “to be together is so important.”
“Men, if they are going to work, will often be in teams, but to have men who come together, who share experiences, and in their downtimes, to share things that are going on in our lives, I think it is very important.”
According to data from Mental Health UK, approximately 12.5% of men have a common mental health disorder, yet less than 40% of men say they have spoken to anyone about their mental health.
With the leading cause of death amongst men under 50 being suicide, clubs like these play an important role in giving men a platform to express themselves.
The group are working towards a charity concert in February.
The performance will raise funds for prostate cancer charities and Bournemouth Hospital, causes that hold personal significance to many of their members.
Iford Golf Club reopening today after closure due to flooding