Our Choir
Decibellas Choir, Cheshire
Founded in January 2010 by a group of women who love to sing, Decibellas has grown into an award-winning choir of 75 voices. We rehearse every Thursday in term time at The Chapel, High Street, Tarporley and the choir attracts members of varying ages and experience, from the surrounding area.
In June 2021, we took the decision to seek charitable status for the choir, formalising our commitment to supporting other charities and providing a public benefit to our members and the wider community. Our charity application was accepted in January 2022.
There are no auditions to join Decibellas - we are a choir open to all upper-voice singers, but we do have a waiting list! Our repertoire covers a wide range of uplifting music, including gospel, spiritual, choral and songs from musicals. You'll find a collection of our performances on the website, so why not have a listen!
We're always delighted to perform so if you have an event in mind, then drop us a line, either through our contact button or via our Facebook page. We'd love to hear from you!
Our Musical Director
Marcus Williams, Musical Director - Decibellas Women's Choir, Cheshire
Marcus Williams is an energetic and enthusiastic vocal coach and brass tutor. He first started learning to play the euphonium at the age of 8, passed his Grade 8 with distinction and became a member of the Cheshire Youth Brass Band. He started singing at the age of 14, and studied singing under Dr Shirley Court. In Summer 2014 he passed the ALCM Diploma from the London College of Music in Classical Singing. Whilst in his final year at university, he sang for the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus.
Marcus was trained to conduct through Sing for Pleasure, an organisation specialising in quality choral conducting training. Whilst on the advanced course at the Sing for Pleasure summer school, Marcus conducted part of the premier performance of Oliver Tarney’s Magnificat. He has conducted many different groups from small vocal ensembles to orchestras with full chorus including the Macclesfield Male Voice Choir, whom he conducted at a “Voices of the Commonwealth” concert at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
He was appointed Musical Director of Decibellas in September 2016 and has continued to take the choir from strength to strength.
Our accompanist
David Bird, Accompanist - Decibellas Women's Choir, Cheshire
Since taking (very!) early retirement from the financial sector, David Bird has pursued a full-time career in music. He has a thriving private teaching practice and is in demand as an accompanist for both singers and instrumentalists, having performed extensively throughout England and Wales.
David is a freelance organist and performs regularly with a Baroque ensemble, and also has a great deal of fun playing with friends in a small jazz ensemble.
David joined Decibellas at the end of 2010 and whilst not being at all overwhelmed by the presence of seventy women, he is, nonetheless, delighted to be relieved of his position of sole DeciFELLA with the appointment of Marcus as Musical Director. Over the years David has found that a good sense of humour and "unshockability" are essential. The wearing of Venetian face masks, Brazilian headgear and feather boas has not been uncommon and has been completely voluntary!
Our Assistant Musical Director
Liv Westhead, Assistant Musical Director - Decibellas Women's Choir, Cheshire
Liv Westhead is Decibellas’ first ever Assistant Musical Director and joined us in September 2023.
Liv has sung in choirs since she was a child and embraces all styles and genres. As a teenager she was in Cheshire Youth Choir and is now a singer with The Chanterelles and is part of Cheshire covers duo, The Microtones. Following a degree in Popular Music and Recording, Liv passed the ALCM Diploma in Classical Singing in 2021 from the London College of Music under the guidance of Dr Shirley Court. In 2023 Liv became the conductor of her first choir, Vale Royal Junior Choir for children between 7 and 14 years of age and then joined Decibellas as AMD to add to her conducting experience.
OUR MISSION
The charitable objects of the choir are:
• To advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art and science of music in all its aspects by any means the trustees see fit, including through the presentation of public concerts and recitals;
• To provide facilities which promote the practice or enjoyment of the art of music for recreation or other leisure time occupation and to make them available in the interests of social welfare to individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disablement, financial hardship or social and economic circumstances or for the public at large with the object of improving conditions of life;
• To support other charitable organisations through the provision of grant funding in order to support the furtherance of their charitable purposes as the trustees deem fit from time to time.
Take a look at our events page for more details, or why not book us for your event?
Appearances include; the International Eisteddfod Llangollen, the BBC Music Nation Event, the Olympic torch party in Chester, the "Big Sing", the Tarporley Christmas light switch on, the Lord Mayor's Charity Christmas Concert, the Chester Christmas lights, the Chester Festival of Performing Arts, the Chester Voluntary Arts Awards and the Manchester Amateur Choral Competition.
OTHER Charities WE HAVE SUPPORTED
