The recently launched New Room Community Choir is holding its first concert Wednesday 21 March in John Wesley’s Chapel on Bristol’s Broadmead, with a rousing selection of songs largely selected by the choir members themselves.

A new initiative on the part of the community team at the New Room, the choir has been rehearsing every Wednesday lunchtime since the beginning of January, and was created for the enjoyment of city centre workers and regular visitors to Bristol’s central shopping quarter.

The concert programme will include a range of pop and gospel songs, some of which are familiar choir favourites. A voluntary retiring collection will be made in support of choir funds.

Admittance to the concert is free – as is membership of the choir. The project forms part of a wider range of community activities organised and hosted by the New Room, many with the focus on wellbeing.

The choir leaders are Rose Kroner and Judit Almendros, two professional musicians and experienced singers who have previously worked together with the UWE Bristol ReVoice Choir, a musical therapy choir.

Membership is free of charge and no auditions are required. There is no need to book in advance either: people are welcome just to turn up, experience the special ‘feel good’ factor of singing with a choir, and enjoy the famously good acoustics in John Wesley’s Chapel.

Choir meetings take place every Wednesday in term time. Further details are available from Louise Wratten on 0117 9264740, email community@newroombristol.org.uk or see www.newroombristol.org.uk

Other free activities being run soon at the New Room include child-friendly workshops on both Wednesdays during the school Easter holiday (28 March and 4 April) from 10.30-1.00 where children and parents or carers will be able to work on a variety of creative projects.

The New Room recently benefitted from a multi-million pound Heritage Lottery-funded redevelopment and is enjoying a boost in visitor numbers as a result, partly due to the new state-of-the-art museum, located over the historic chapel, which is attracting not just local but international interest.