Birthday gives city group plenty of reasons to sing

IT'S birthday time for Exeter's community singing-for-fun group, Forever Young, which is still quite young at two years old.

Just 17 people went to the first session in January, 2007, and now around 40 people regularly raise the roof at St Sidwell's School on Mondays from 7pm until 9pm.

The group, named after the Bob Dylan song, Forever Young, was started by Dave McGeorge, from Stoke Hill, Exeter.

He said: " There are many different types of singing groups in the Exeter area and we have found that some people join two or three different groups.

"Others just like the informal atmosphere and the fact that there are no rehearsals and no need to read music as the words are projected on the wall."

The group attracts people from Exeter, Sidmouth, Exmouth, Teignmouth and North and East Devon. Most evenings around 30 songs are sung.

Some people go just once a month, others are weekly regulars.

Dave said: "There is a wide range of music from the 1940s to the present day including Nat King Cole, The Beatles, Abba and Take That."

New singers are welcome. For details go along on a Monday or email for.everyoung@hotmail.co.uk.