Welcome to Opus 18 – a mixed, adult community choir. We welcome singers of all abilities with no auditions and there is no requirement to read music. We sing a wide range of song styles including classic pop, folk songs, world music light classics and musicals from stage and screen. We enjoy singing both secular and sacred songs, old and new from many cultures and in different languages, both accompanied and a capella.

The choir is directed by Evelyn Sutherland, experienced choir leader and animateur. She is also a Vocal Health First-Aider, engaging a range of vocal techniques to enable singers to sing safely and maintain good vocal health. Evelyn’s ethos is that music is for all, regardless of musical ability or experience. She is passionate about bringing people together in song for enjoyment, and for physical and mental well-being. Everyone has a voice; everyone is valued; everyone is welcome.

The emphasis is to come and sing together for an uplifting evening of fun and song with a real community feel. The social, physical and emotional benefits of singing in a group are tremendous and we encourage you to come along and have a good sing, even if you think you can’t! We like to laugh, so please bring your sense of humour!

At Opus 18 we love to give something back to the community and we have raised nearly £37,000 at our summer and Christmas charity concerts for the following charities:

The Bedford Daycare Hospice, The East Anglian Air Ambulance, Bedford Food Bank, Alzheimers Society Bedford, Cystic Fibrosis, Keech Hospice Care, BBC Children in Need, The Pink Lotus Women’s Cancer Support Group, Tibbs Dementia Foundation, Swaziland Schools Projects, The MS Therapy Centre, Bedford, The Prebend Day Centre, Sue Ruder St John’s Hospice, Bedford’s Primrose Unit Challenge Cancer Appeal, Bedford Support Group for Families with an Eating Disorder, Bedford Open Door, Motor Neurone Disease, The John Bunyan Museum, Stroke Association Bedford, Kings Arms Project for the Homeless, Parkinsons UK, NSPCC, Meadowbank Neonatal Unit, Canine Partners Bedford, Bedfordshire Prostate Cancer Support Group, Bedford and District Cerebral Palsy Society, Bedford Disabled Horse Riding Association, Families First Bedfordshire’s Horizon Project, Free Cakes for Kids, Bedford Hospital’s new Paediatric A & Dept, Bedford Women’s Centre,The Elisabeth Curtis Centre Riding for the Disabled, FACES Bedford, Kings Arms Project Winter Night Shelter, Bedford Hospital's Blossom Project, The Samaritans and CHUMS.

During lockdown we got to grips with technology and continued our weekly rehearsals online via zoom. We enjoyed themed nights, taking us to the theatre, cinema, the sea, VE Day, the last night of the proms and countries around the world, to name just a few of our themes, singing for fun as well as working on our vocal technique and harmonies. Most of all we had fun keeping tremendous fun keeping our community together! Our fundraising continued with gusto too and our A to Z Marathon Sing, Sea Shanty Night and Evening of Summer Song and Fun raised well over £4000 for our 10^th anniversary charity, Tibbs Dementia Foundation.

In March 2023 Opus 18 were thrilled to be placed first in the Community Choir Class of the Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and drama.

We hope you would like to join us – new members are always very welcome  – come and check us out! You are welcome to turn up to a rehearsal or concert or to make enquiries to Evelyn Sutherland on: evsutherlandmusic@hotmail.co.uk