CHOIR members are seeking your votes to enable them to buy sound equipment to improve the experience for singers and audience alike.

Holmes Chapel Chorus is hoping to win £1,000 from the Aviva Community Fund to pay for a portable PA system.

The group is one of more than 900 seeking a £1,000 grant from Aviva, with the top 400, based on votes from the public, due to receive the funding.

Holmes Chapel Chorus musical director Julie Barker was delighted with the 1,165 votes the group has attracted, but urged people to continue to vote for its Sound Support project until the November 20 deadline.

“Many thanks to everyone who has voted for us and our bid for £1,000 funding,” she said.

“We are delighted to have broken the 1,000-vote mark, but please keep voting for us, as the more votes we get the more our chance of success.”

Holmes Chapel Chorus was launched more than 30 years ago, and about 40 members meet every week to rehearse music for two main concerts in the summer and at Christmas.

Julie added: “Our rehearsals revolve around our main concerts, but our repertoire enables us to support other events in the locality, which in turn sees us performing in a variety of locations, from school halls and churches to stately homes and open-air events.

“These concerts usually allow us to make donations to local charities as well as supporting our purchase of new music.

“Performance in these locations can be an acoustic challenge, and we often have to borrow sound equipment from friends and/or choir members to try to improve the experience.

“However, this equipment is not always available or fully up to our requirements. The choir is going from strength to strength, and is getting well recognised in the local area, with requests to sing at various community functions.

“To enhance our performance we need the extra resources a portable PA would bring.

“With support from Aviva we would be able to purchase an all-in-one portable PA system, which would enhance our performance for the benefit of the choir and the audiences at any venue.”

To vote for the group visit avivacommunityfund.co.uk/voting/campaign/getinvolved