How the Notts Community Choir is connecting local people through music

Josh Elliott, the infectiously positive founder and director of The Notts Community Choir, couldn’t be more proud of how the project has developed. “My dad had been encouraging me to start a local choir,” he explains. “He has always been involved in gospel choirs and we’re a family of singers and musicians.”

Josh has deep music credentials. With twenty years of choir experience and ten years leading vocal groups, he’s performed with singers including Emeli Sandé and Dizzee Rascal.

“I knew if I started a choir, I’d have to be ‘all in’ – that was important to me. I didn’t want it to be cold. I wanted it to feel like a community. I wanted to know the members and feel it had a purpose, so I held back at first,” he adds.

At one time, the mention of a choir might have conjured thoughts of dusty churches, pianos, religious hymns, and that one very enthusiastic member wailing obliviously out of tune above everyone else (cue childish tittering from the congregation).

Times have changed. Choirs are cool. And singing is officially good for us.

Research proves singing positively impacts mental, social, and physical wellbeing. It’s said to lower cortisol, relieve stress, boost confidence, and have a mindful effect, helping us switch off. Local NHS Social Prescribing Link Workers (SPLWs) can even refer patients to choirs for community-based help, supporting their wellbeing.

I’ve sang on and off over the years. I once dreamed of pop stardom, singing out of my bedroom window in the hope a random record exec was passing through the streets of Beeston looking for a star. I sang at school, in bands and choirs; I did some gigging around London. But it turned out I wasn’t Nottingham’s answer to Mariah Carey – so the shower and car have been my main stages more recently.

After a tricky 2025, I was looking for ways to rediscover joy. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to find it in a corner of The Meadows every other Sunday night. But let me tell you – there’s a magical thing that happens there from 4-6pm and it comes from the collective diaphragm of The Notts Community Choir.

I chatted to Josh on the phone but I was still nervous before my first visit. He put me at ease though, helping me decide whether I was an alto or a soprano (I went for alto – RIP my inner-Mariah…). The members were chatty, and after a vocal warm up which, among other exercises, essentially saw us all blowing raspberries, quickly blasting away any nerves. 

Josh leads with technical direction – studying the singing, praising the perfect notes, and stepping in to smooth out the bumps – like a sculptor chipping out a full, whole sound from dozens of voices. 

It was December so festive songs were a-go. I was amazed how quickly I was harmonising The Twelve Days of Christmas – as we sang, I felt like I was coming back to myself somehow. 

I left feeling lighter. The singing had loosened something. I thought about how many tough times singing had got me through and wondered why it'd taken me so long to seek out a choir.

For Josh, he explained that it wasn’t until the pandemic had done its worst that he felt the pull to do something to bring people together again. 

“At the end of 2022 we went for it – posting flyers around The Meadows – and more than thirty turned up. It was amazing! I couldn’t believe how brave people were, how willing they were to try. I felt like it was needed.”

The choir learns styles from pop arrangements to gospel inspired melodies, and lots in-between. And they capture hearts wherever they go, leading to repeat bookings and growing members.

He announced a three-month trial that would culminate in a concert at the Queen’s Walk Community Centre. “We decided to work as hard as we could and see if it worked… And it did!” he says. “That concert was incredible. It made me emotional to see what can happen when people come together. Our choir felt like a genuine community.”

Josh went on to describe how the ‘Community Choir’ name originally developed. “It was an important ingredient to make it clear we were there for people, and that they come first.”

The Notts Community Choir hasn’t looked back, having performed at dozens of events with festivals and exciting collaborations planned for the rest of this year.

It might be easy to dismiss the idea of a choir bringing healing, but it’s clear that this group is a pocket of peace for its members.

Jenny, who’s been attending since the beginning, agrees, “It’s just fun and great company. It’s so worth coming out for, it lifts me up, and we all enjoy the songs and the banter.”

Her friend Shirley adds: “It’s the best way to start the week; it’s not all serious, we laugh a lot and Josh is fantastic.”

Many of the members join the choir after seeing them perform. Sam tells me her husband died recently, and she saw the choir at a memorial service. “I was so moved. It felt special and I decided I’d love to try it. The choir has been so welcoming and the singing brings something positive.” 

Personally, the choir has been a reminder for me to keep challenging myself when I feel stuck. And it’s brought connection to new people, yes, but also to the braver version of me, helping me recommit to my goals.

Big plans lay ahead for the choir too, with Josh developing a host of projects for 2026 and beyond.

“There’s so much division out there,” Josh says, “But choir unifies us. I see us as a bit of a call to action, to come together, to belong, and to be there for each other.”

“We commit time and effort. We put in hard work but we see it pay off. When members message me to share their struggles but tell me they’re looking forward to attending choir – well, that's the purpose and that’s why I keep showing up – that’s why we sing.”

The Nottingham Community Choir meets fortnightly on Sundays 4-6pm at Queens Walk Community Centre, NG2 2DF.

@nottscommunitychoir