Glee Club at The Butterfly Club

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The Butterfly Club, that delightful cabaret and show venue in a city laneway, hosts a weekly event that's really quite unique. Certainly this author, in all her city living, has never before had the opportunity to attend a singalong club in a fabulous venue; namely to sing her lungs out without having to audition for a choir.

Glee Club is exactly that. An invitation, on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:30, to gather around a piano (well, sit in a room with a piano) as people did to socialise in the 'olden days', and just happily sing familiar tunes. There are no solos, no auditions, no obligation to come every week. Simply, when you feel like a good sing, the Butterfly Glee Club is there. No ability is required either (though most participants, I've noted, can hold a note pretty well).

Class starts at 6:30, and it pays to arrive at the Butterfly Club a little earlier so you can buy your ticket at the Box Office on the first floor, proceed to the bar and avail yourself of a beverage (all the better to whet the vocals) before their iconic hand bell is rung, signalling your entrance to the hidden performance space.

Songstress and mistress of the piano is Vicky Jacobs, who leads the class with a load of fun, personality and encouragement. Sheet music is handed out for lyrics, and it doesn't matter if you can't sight-read the notes, though exposure to the music and frequent explanations do help some basic education in this area.

Vicky first takes the class through warm-up exercises, then within the hour we usually learn three songs, including any harmonies in the arrangement. Songs range from popular numbers old and new, classics to current, show tunes to Top 40. You might be singing anything from Elton John to Sia, Simon & Garfunkel to Rodgers & Hammerstein, Sinatra to Bowie to Pharrell Williams. One class, for example, had us singing Carol King's 'Beautiful', Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day,' and show-tune (also covered by Bjork) 'It's Oh So Quiet'.

So what's the point? The joy is all in the doing. Singing is good for the soul and the body; clearing anxiety and stress after a hard work day by recalibrating your breathing. You can't help but come out feeling better after immersing yourself in music. And on a deeper level, there is something quite special about coming together with 'a room full of strangers' and hitting notes in perfect harmony. It can be very moving.

Glee Club also participates in public performances from time to time - this is where the class will put in a bit of practise on chosen songs. In recent years, performances have included Trivia Night at the Melba Spiegeltent, the Comedy Festival, singing around outdoor pianos and weekend markets, and a memorable singalong outside the State Library with cast members of Les Miserables. Christmas is a regular highlight with Glee Club's carol singers appearing around the city.


So why not take your solo shower singing up a notch, and give it a go. Like this writer, you may find the absolute pinnacle of joy in throwing your head back and letting rip with 'And noowwww who's gonna dance with meeee…. please staaayyy….' ('Careless Whispers', George Michael)


#cbd
#music
#musicals
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