Meet our new St George’s Staff Choir Leader, Georgia Duncan!

27 April 2022
Georgia Duncan

Following the success of our Staff Choir course in the Autumn, the Staff Choir initiative will return on the 28th April. Taking place on Thursday evenings, the Choir is fully funded by St George’s Hospital Charity and facilitated by our highly skilled Choir Leader, Georgia Duncan. We caught up with Georgia in advance of her first session!

Tell us a bit about yourself!

"Hello! I am a singer-songwriter, workshop facilitator and choir leader from South London. I run a Community Choir in Haggerston, music workshops for mothers and children in women’s refuges across London as well as writing and performing my own music."

What are you most looking forward to as the St George’s Staff Choir leader?

"I’m really looking forward to getting to know you all and creating a warm, freeing space to explore and connect with your voice as well as the people around you."

What can we expect from the choir sessions? What sort of songs will we be singing?

"An unusual aspect of the choirs I run is I like to start with some aromatherapy- a oil blend or spray, to help us breathe deeper, tune in to where we’re at physically with some simple stretches, then move into making sounds and singing songs and harmonies. I like to work mostly without music sheets but will have lyric sheets to help with the words.

I like to do a mix of short rounds we can learn quickly, as well as spending longer learning a whole song, moving between joyful, relaxing and sometimes more melancholic songs. A couple of songs I’m thinking about are ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ by Carol King and ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ (which someone suggested from last term I think!)."

What would you say to someone who’s thinking about joining the Choir?

"Making sounds and singing with others can be an immediate way to connect more with your body and mind, especially if you feel stressed. The moments when we feel we maybe don’t have the energy are actually the best moments to do it.

The Choir will aim to create a space which is open and non-judgemental. I know that singing can be quite a vulnerable thing, so if you are interested but have some doubts, I invite you to come along to try it out and see how it feels!"

The Staff Choir takes place weekly, on Thursday evenings from 5- 6pm in the Monckton Lecture Theatre. To sign up to the Choir please click here.

The St George’s Staff Choir is organised by Arts St George’s (part of St George’s Hospital Charity). To find out more about the arts programme, please click here.

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