ONE of Bath’s best-known community choirs will return on Thursday, January 8, as the Good Afternoon Choir resumes its regular sessions under new leadership based in Radstock.

The choir has been singing together since March 2009 and will now be led by John Sandford, a choral music director with more than 30 years’ experience working with both children’s and adult choirs.

Good Afternoon Choirs are run from offices in Westfield, Radstock, and have raised many thousands of pounds for charities over the years.

At a recent carol celebration, the Bath choir performed alongside children from Combe Down Primary School, with the mayor of Bath, Cllr Prof Bharat Pankhania, attending as a special guest.

John is a choral music director with more than 30 years' experience running children's and adult choirs. He looks forward to welcoming back all the members of Bath Good Afternoon Choir, plus potential new members.

"We run community choirs from our offices in Westfield, Radstock with over 1,300 members joining together every week across the West of England and Wales. I'm delighted that John will be taking over Bath Good Afternoon Choir and if you are reading this and love to sing then why not come along to meet John and 'discover' the fun of Singing in the Afternoon.”

Across the UK, hundreds of older people are joining choirs that sing in the afternoon. It was back in 2009 when respected Bath choir leader Grenville Jones first launched his Good Afternoon Choir. Now 17 years on there are more than 30 Good Afternoon Choirs across the West of England, South Wales and London with more than 1,500 enthusiastic singers.

Mr Jones added: “We meet at Widcombe Baptist Church on Thursday afternoons from 2pm to 4pm. See you there!"

Further details can be found at www.goodafternoonchoir.org