Totnes Men’s Choir
Thursdays 7-9pm, Totnes Civic Hall, Starting April 9th 2026
In the heart of Totnes, a new space is opening for men to gather, sing, and connect through music. Welcome to Totnes Men’s Choir - a place to raise your voice, find your harmony, and be part of something meaningful.
Something is stirring. In the heart of Totnes, a new space is opening for men to gather, sing, and connect through the ancient and transformative power of music. Welcome to Totnes Men’s Choir – a place to raise your voice, find your harmony, and be part of a paradigm shift toward a more life-honoring world.
This choir is for men who want to sing – and who sense that singing together can be so much more than beautiful sound. It’s a space to explore repertoire that speaks to the world we want to create: one rooted in social justice, environmental care, gender equity, healthy masculinity, and peaceful co-existence. From classical sacred music to contemporary folk, pop, and protest songs, we’ll cross genres and generations, learning arrangements that inspire and challenge.
The Vision
We’re here to make music that matters. Our repertoire reflects a commitment to paradigm shift – moving from power-over to power-with, from extraction to regeneration, from isolation to connection. Songs like Mason Jennings’ United States Global Empire, Labi Siffre’s Something Inside So Strong, Xavier Rudd’s Spirit Bird, MaMuse’s We Shall Be Known will sit alongside the beautiful Icelandic hymnn Heyr Himna Smiður, Paul Mealor’s Ubi Caritas, Sam Smith’s Stay With Me, Bobby McFerrin’s Psalm 23, Together For Palestine’s Lullaby, Alexander Sheremetiev’s Nine Sili Nebesniye, and Briony Greenhill’s own “Silver and Gold” and Thank You For Your Heart. And there’s more to come – hopefully we’ll co-create new songs together, reimagining classics and writing our own material that reflects our shared values and vision.
What to Expect
∙ Weekly gatherings: vocal warm-ups, check-ins, circle singing, repertoire work and perhaps a little improvisation here and there….
∙ Supportive community: Pair check-ins each week foster kindness and mutual support
∙ Accessible learning: No music reading required – sheet music will be available when we’re using it, but you don’t need to read it
∙ Shared creativity: Opportunities to write songs together, to solo, to suggest repertoire….
This isn’t therapy, but it is healing. This isn’t just about singing – it’s about creating community, supporting men’s wellbeing, and using our voices to affirm a world we believe in.
Led by Briony Greenhill
Briony is a musician, music teacher, improviser, composer, and arranger with 15 years of experience. Her alumni students include Charlotte Church, Anna Ling, Charlotte Mabon, Bella Lilley and Emily Roblyn. After receiving Arts Council funding over the last two years to develop her arranging skills – sparked by her string arrangement for Die Every Day – Briony brings deep musical craft to this new venture. Her debut album Crossing the Ocean (2022) was acclaimed by The Guardian and Mojo, and she appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. She’s currently working on her next album, Symbiocene Mama, supported by PRS funding and a recent sucessful crowdfunding campaign. She leads the Vocal Improv Choir on Mondays in Totnes and Tuesdays in Buckfastleigh, and for several years has been facilitating vocal improvisation classes specifically for men, noticing how men thrive when they have a dedicated space to sing together. This is Briony’s first time leading a traditional repertoire-based choir, and she brings to it over a decade of experience as a vocal facilitator, a trauma-informed approach, and fresh energy for this new chapter. She’s married to men’s work leader and eco-therapist Oliver Bettany, founder of The Wellspring, which supports men’s mental health locally. Having witnessed the mental health journeys of beloved men in her life – including losing a close friend to suicide – Briony cares deeply about men’s wellbeing and the role of singing in supporting physical and mental health.
Who This Is For
Men from Totnes and the surrounding area who can sing in tune (in your comfort zone) and keep a beat (most of the time). Rusty voices are absolutely welcome – your voice will come back with weekly practice. You don’t need to read music, and you don’t need previous choir experience. What you do need is a desire to sing, a commitment to kindness and mutual support, and an openness to music that challenges and inspires. Singing is core to our humanity, yet the “male template” can sometimes discourage men from using their voices. We’re here to bust that wide open.
Join Us
If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to sing with other men, this is it. If you’ve been longing for music that reflects your values, this is it. If you’ve felt the pull to be part of something bigger – a cultural shift, a community, a chorus – this is your invitation. Starting Spring 2026, Thursdays, 7-9pm. Totnes Civic Hall. Let’s sing the world we want into being.
Dates and Fees
Term 1 9th April - 25th June. There’s no session on the 4th Thursday of each month this term due to other teaching commitments. So 9 sessions - £100 term - £15 drop in.
You can drop in throughout the whole first time, and for the first session or two of subsequent terms, to feel if this is for you.