In May 2020 I was asked to work with a group of young students from the Cootheringa Society and form a singing group called “Choirability”. This was part of a program for Cootheringa’s young adults and the choir ran successfully for two years.

I was particularly impressed with the level of positivity and confidence that came from these sessions and thought it would be good if the opportunity to sing without judgement in a fun environment could be available to anyone.

And so, Sip and Sing was born.

In March 2023, we began - with the generous support of the Heritage Exchange Hotel - to meet once a week in the Heritage’s Rum Garden, using folders that had 20 songs printed in them. Over the course of the year we built up a small following of dedicated “shower singers” and always managed to have a laugh.

In 2024, we moved to the West End Hotel, where they had a large outdoor area and a screen that we could project lyrics onto. We also invested in karaoke software that gave us access to over 50,000 songs.

We also introduced “themes” where each session we would sing five songs in a row based on a particular theme along with our regular tunes.

We have also introduced a “lucky dip” system, whereby all of the tunes for the night, apart from the theme, are picked at random from a bucket. The songs are all suggested by the group before we start.

Sip&Sing has grown to become a fun and happy community where people of all ages can sing their hearts out without feeling self conscious.

We now meet on the first and third Wednesday each month between March and November. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and as well as having lots of fun, we cater for all ages and sing songs from most genres. The cost is only $10, and children under 18 are free.

To join Sip&Sing’s Instagram group, click the link below:

To join Sip&Sing’s Facebook group, click the link below: