More Than Just A Choir

19/10/2026

Some sunny photos performing at Headstone Manor & Museum Village Show, August Bank Holiday 2026

12/10/2026

New choir starting in South Harrow

Love to sing? Pop along to our new community choir - starting 18th October at Grange Farm Community Centre

12/10/2026

Peter Williams reminiscence on More Than Just A Choir at Bentley Priory Museum for

Lissie Allsopp

A wonderful day of singing and listening to lectures at Bentley Priory. So important that a campaign was successfully fought a quarter of a century ago when this former RAF base and 1940s Fighter Command Headquarters, was being turned into a luxury housing estate by developers, to save at least part of the magnificent stately home as a Battle of Britain Museum. As a child with a friend I used to get into the RAF base though a gap in the fence, so much for their security!, and explore the grounds where there were still Nissan huts with aircraft recognition charts on the walls like a time capsule from 1940. Sadly, none of these buildings were saved as developers wanted to maximize the area of green belt for their estate by redeveloping as much as they could of the existing building "footprint.'' Apart from the pleasure of singing with a large choir, there was a magnificent turnout, to an appreciative audience in this beautiful setting, some of us listened to moving talks given between and after our singing sessions, focusing on the mental health aspects of wartime RAF service. One was on the self-styled, "Guinea Pigs" - the RAF fighter command service men who'd been hideously burned and were undergoing reconstructive plastic surgery, but also their psychological needs were addressed by a progressive surgeon, New Zealander, Archibald McIndoe, in his pioneering hospital at East Grinstead. The townsfolk were educated in advance on how to respond to the severely disfigured men in their midst and help them reintegrate back into society. East Grinstead became known as the "town that did not stare." There are regular talks and guided tours at Bentley Priory, and with their fine cafe, it's well worth spending an afternoon there. Thank you to David and all those who made this World Mental Health Day event happen.

11/10/2026

Everything at Once by Lenka for World Mental Health Day at Bentley Priory Museum sung by More Than Just A Choir. Rethink Mental Illness

A wonderful, eventful, illuminating, educational, enjoyable day

04/10/2026

(picture by Natalie Tobert)

Hello, Hello 👋🏻

I am going to Dorchester in Dorset this evening. I will be staying overnight to make a presentation tomorrow morning, to the Dorchester U3A, along with with Naquita from Rethink Mental Illness

The presentation will be about the joys of singing together, More Than Just A Choir Rethink Mental Illness and Sustaining Harmony.

Love and Hope
David

16/09/2026

More Than Just A Choir now has it's own dedicated page on rethink.org 😃

https://www.rethink.org/help-in-your-area/support-groups/more-than-just-a-choir/

National mental health charity: information, services & a strong voice for everyone affected by mental illness - challenging attitudes and changing lives.

03/09/2026

Wonderfully performed session at Pinner Synagogue this morning with More Than Just A Choir Twenty strong choir turnout! Enthusiastic audience. Good acoustics, and smoked salmon rolls to finish! 😀

31/08/2026

Behind the scenes with More Than Just A Choir at Headstone Manor & Museum Village Show 2026

17/08/2026

25/07/2026

Look what Rethink Mental Illness sent us (x 30) at More Than Just A Choir to combat the summer heat during our rehearsals Victoria Hall, Harrow