Bolton Cancer Voices Launches Search for New Musical Director
As Bolton Cancer Voices approaches its 14th birthday, the choir is embarking on a significant recruitment drive to find a new musical director. This comes as current postholder Katie Geelan prepares to step down in June after nearly three years in the role.
A Transformative Leader Steps Down
Katie Geelan has been instrumental in revitalizing the choir following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Her drive, commitment, and vibrant personality have been crucial to the choir's continued success and popularity. As a well-respected musician and choral leader, she will be greatly missed by all members.
With the growing demands of her business, Katie has decided it is time to pass the baton to a new leader. The choir now seeks an exceptional individual who can embrace their unique ethos and make a positive impact on members' lives.
What the Role Requires
The position demands excellent musicianship, sound knowledge of vocal techniques, and established experience conducting amateur choirs. The ideal candidate should be familiar with working across diverse choral genres while possessing the patience and skill to bring out the best in singers of all levels.
Key requirements include:
- Balancing musical ambition with fostering a sense of fun and community spirit
- Ability to play piano (to cover in the absence of the choir's accompanist)
- Experience working with diverse musical styles and abilities
The choir has enjoyed the services of three exceptionally talented musical directors over the years and maintains high expectations for maintaining this standard.
A Unique Community Choir
Bolton Cancer Voices stands as one of the country's few dedicated choirs for people living with or beyond cancer. The 35-strong ensemble, which includes a third male members, welcomes anyone aged 18 and over who has received a cancer diagnosis at any point in their life.
Remarkably, the choir operates with no geographical restrictions, no fees, no auditions, and no requirement for previous singing experience or music reading ability. Like community choirs across the nation, members come together to share their love of singing, meet new people, develop skills, and spread joy through performances.
Rehearsals take place every Monday evening from 7:30pm to 9pm in central Bolton throughout the year.
Therapeutic Benefits and Community Support
The therapeutic benefits of choir singing are now widely recognized, and Bolton Cancer Voices has been at the forefront of harnessing this power effectively. Beyond potential health and wellbeing benefits, the choir provides an informal forum for members to connect with others who share similar life experiences.
This mutual support system helps members navigate the impact of a cancer diagnosis and the challenges that accompany the cancer journey. For many participants, the choir has become an essential part of their recovery and ongoing wellbeing.
As founder and chair Karen Elliott notes, "No one knows better than our members that receiving a cancer diagnosis can be life-changing, but being part of Bolton Cancer Voices can be life-affirming."
Looking to the Future
Karen Elliott expressed both gratitude for Katie's contributions and optimism for the choir's future: "We have been very fortunate to have had Katie as our musical director. It's been incredibly rewarding to watch the choir grow in strength, confidence, and technical ability over the years."
She continued, "This is a wonderful opportunity to be part of something very special! We know the right person for us is out there. We're tremendously proud of all we've achieved to date and look forward to scaling new heights under our next musical director."
Enquiries about the musical director vacancy or choir membership should be directed to Karen Elliott at 01204 595562 or 07773 164235, or via email at boltoncancervoices@yahoo.com. All communications should include a contact number.
