ALTHOUGH the Tuneless Choir movement has brought joy to thousands, it owes its existence to some unkind words spoken years ago.

“It started in January 2016,” said Lis Hazell.

“It was the idea of Nadine Cooper. She was told at the age of 11 by her music teacher, of all people, that she should stop singing because she was spoiling it.

“From that day on, even though it was something she loved to do, she didn’t sing.”

Lis is bewildered that anybody could be told such a thing.

“At weddings and funerals, what’s more disrespectful - not singing or singing with what you have been told is a terrible voice?”

Many years later, Nadine Cooper met a community choir director called Bernie Bracha.

“Bernie said: ‘Nadine, you must come along to one of our choirs,’ and she said, ‘I can’t because I would spoil it for everybody.’

“Between them they came up with an idea to have a session for people who believed they couldn’t sing.”

That first session, held in Nottingham, attracted 60 people. Word then got around and growth ever since has been remarkable. There are currently 26 Tuneless Choirs across the country, and by the end of March there will be 29.

The new Royal Wootton Bassett branch is the second Lis has set up; the first, in Chippenham, was established last year.

Originally from Bath, Lis moved to Wiltshire in 1995 to begin a teaching career. Her duties included leading choirs.

And Tuneless Choirs?

“It was not in the grand plan!

“In July of 2016 the school where I was teaching went into administration and I was made redundant. I made the decision to leave teaching and do something else.

“I worked in an office for a couple of years but it didn’t satisfy me - but the positive was that it released some time to start singing in choirs myself.”

Hearing about the Tuneless Choir concept, Lis was intrigued. She had been looking for a direction which would enable her to work with adults while experiencing some of the joy she had felt when working with children.

“It seemed perfect.

“I was a junior school choir leader for getting on for 25 years, and I’ve never heard a child say, ‘I can’t sing.’ They don’t have that conditioning. Yet I have adults say it all the time.”

A Tuneless Choir, Lis insists, gets rid of that conditioning: “It takes you back to a time when you could just sing with the voice you had got.”

Community singing itself is a positive thing, Lis believes.

“There is so much research into the physical, emotional and psychological benefits.

“What I think is sometimes not acknowledged is the social aspect, of widening your circle of friends and of lowering your stress levels.”

Lis also believes the Tuneless Choir ethos appeals to people who enjoy singing but are less fond of the conventional process of rehearsing until everybody is note perfect in every song.

A member of the Chippenham Tuneless Choir told her in an email: “The Tuneless Choir releases more endorphins than 80 percent dark chocolate.You are the Green & Blacks of the vocal community.”

Lis added: “He went on to say it was hard for him to pluck up the courage to come along, but he was so glad he did.

“We’re specifically for people who do not think of themselves as singers. If you’ve got a voice you can sing. I think it’s a lovely leveller in that everybody can come along to prove to themselves that they can sing.

“There’s a great sense of community.”

Another Chippenham member was so inspired inspired by her experiences that she went on to join a another choir while remaining a Tuneless Choir member.

“My love for Tuneless Choirs,” said Lis, “is the fact that we celebrate everybody not being very good at something.

“Our motto is that we sing like nobody is listening.”

Further information about Tuneless Choirs can be found online at tunelesschoir.com, and Royal Wootton Bassett’s choir rehearses at The Angel from7.30pm on Tuesdays.