Festival of Hobbies - Singing (Featuring the SOSA-XA choir)
“I like to keep busy because it’s good for me to get out or get involved in something. It stops you from sitting around all day and overthinking”
Lets be honest: we’ve all fancied ourselves as a singer at some point. Even if it’s by yourself in the shower, stuck in traffic in the relative privacy of your car, or belting out a karaoke classic with the help of a little dutch courage - but what about singing with a group of 20 others, without backing music, instruments and in a completely different language? This is a weekly occurrence for The Sounds of Southern Africa (or SOSA-XA), an a capella choir who meet every Monday night at Sheffield’s Quaker Meeting House.
The SOSA-XA motto is “harmony without borders” and this is certainly something that is practiced by it’s twenty-something dedicated members. Making up the choir is a diverse group of Sheffielders from a variety of backgrounds, ages and abilities. Some have been with the choir for sixteen years - some had never sung a note in their lives before discovering SOSA, but we’re so captivated by the energy of a performance that they knew instantly they had to get involved. Classes are led by the extremely talented Tonderai Phiri, a man with captivating energy and a powerful voice who teaches with warmth and understanding. Learned by the choir’s English-speaking, Sheffield native students phonetically, the songs are traditional to Southern Africa, often socially-themed and reflective of the cultures and languages explored by SOSA-XA.
I was invited along to experience SOSA for myself by Ann Macaskill, who has been with the choir for four years and believes it’s one of the most rewarding things she has ever done.
I joined Ann outside the meeting house and we sat down for a chat before the choir practice started. As a retiree, Ann is a firm believer in the huge positive mental and physical benefits that hobbies can have. “I’ve got a lot of hobbies” Ann laughs, “I like to keep busy because it’s good for me to get out or get involved in something. It stops you from sitting around all day and overthinking”.
Ann is certainly a very busy woman. In between learning to speak Italian and singing in two choirs, she is also a keen seamstress, sewing outfits for local school plays and pantomimes.
“Singing with SOSA completely takes you out of yourself. It truly is a wonderful feeling”
As she’s certainly no stranger to getting stuck into a new hobby, I asked Ann what attracted her to SOSA-XA in the first place. “It happened by accident really, I wasn’t particularly looking for a new choir. I have a friend who’s been a member for years and they suggested I come and give it a go - he said it was like nothing I’d have ever seen before and he was right! Singing with SOSA completely takes you out of yourself. It truly is a wonderful feeling”.
Ann and the handful of other choir members I had met on the way in had all spoken of the brilliant sense of community that SOSA offers them, and this was immediately palpable. Upon introducing myself before the session started, I was met with a warm welcome and cheerful greetings from everyone. I took a seat and prepared to enjoy the experience.
Ann had explained that the choir was a capella, meaning that there was no music, just voices and movement - but what struck me as I watched was that no instruments were necessary. Choir leader Tonderai conducts with incredible command, communicating to each section of the choir wordlessly and effectively. There is an unspoken unity between the voices that exists purely in the powerful cohesion between sections. This sounded like a professional choir, despite many attendees admitting to have never sung outside of their own bathrooms before joining SOSA-XA.
The second thing that was apparent was that everyone was having great fun - there were smiles on faces and laughing and chatting in-between songs. This really was a community; an truly inclusive family, free of judgement and enjoying the shared experience of the joy of music, voice and movement.
“It’s a great equaliser. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the chief executive of a big company or have a paper round, everyone is treated the same here”
I asked Ann what separates SOSA-XA from other choirs. “It’s the language and the movement” she says. “You’ve got the added challenge of singing in a language that’s completely foreign to you, which is hard but rewarding. Also, movement is encouraged, which seems strange to our British sensibilities” Ann laughs. “In this culture, you feel embarrassed if you’re up and dancing, but in the culture the songs we learn are from, it would be embarrassing to be stood still!”.
“There is something that feels great about moving and singing with other people, especially if it’s people you get to know over a period of time. You learn to pick out their individual voices and there’s a really strong sense of unity” Ann explains. “Also, It’s a great equaliser. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the chief executive of a big company or have a paper round, everyone is treated the same here”.
SOSA is fast moving towards charity status, having been part of not for profit organisation SEMEA for almost eighteen years. SEMEA’s mission is to support building of infrastructure, and training in management for community focused performing artists based in Southern Africa. They also support Zimbabwean artists based in the UK, who work in an array of community and school projects. The SOSA-XA Choir has previously performed at a myriad of fund raising events and has proved a very valuable project in terms of supporting SEMEA and it’s goals. The charitable trust wants to organise many more events in the future that will help to promote an understanding of the culture of Southern Africa, and knowledge of its many creative industries.
If you want to get involved with SOSA, why not go along and give it a try? Always welcoming of new members, the choir meets every Monday evening during school term time between 7:30 and 9:15 PM at the Quaker Meeting House, 10 St James' St, Sheffield S1 2EW. Keep your eyes peeled for events and performances put on my the choir via their website here, or get in touch with them via email at info@sosa-xa.org.uk.