From Mozart to the Beatles, the Crosby Capriol Singers have done it all.
The choir, based in Christ Church Hall in Waterloo, has has graced stages, delighted audiences, and most likely hit a few sharp notes since its creation in 1960.
The choir is about more than just belting out a few songs, it is a "community" that helps to "bring people together". However, it has reached a perilous point in its history and is at risk of collapsing.
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Chair of the choir, Geraldine O'Neill, has been a part of Crosby Capriol Singers for over 20 years and has been singing "nearly all her life". For her singing is "what makes her happy".
Speaking to the ECHO, she said: "The thing about singing is it is good for you. It makes you feel better, it is good for your brain, it is good for your health, and is just a pleasurable thing to do. This choir is more like a community and it is the music that has connected us.
"Since covid, we have lost some members and we are demographically an aging choir. We do have younger members but some of us have been here for a very long time and we want to keep people engaged with what we love to do."
The choir plays timeless classics from the great American songbook to Oklahoma. While Lizzo and Harry Styles might not be within its repertoire members' ages range from 30 to 80.
"That is the beauty of music says Liz Hall a member of the choir for over 30 years "it bridges the gap of the generational divide". She added: "This was the first choir I found when I moved here from Scotland I have stuck with it ever since.
"I felt welcome from the first moment and I did not know many people at the time. Then I heard the kind of music we would be doing and I just found the whole experience so exciting.
"It's the music that is important not your age and it's great to keep the musical heritage going. Everyone has their own parts and own groups and starts chatting away. We try our best not to talk while we are rehearsing mind you."
However, the choir has reached an impasse and has not been able to reach its pre-covid membership levels. When Geraldine first joined the Crosby Capriol Singers it had 55 members now they are "struggling to reach 20".
The choir also pays rent to use the Christ Church Hall and with subscription fees down, they can't afford to use the building or to put on concerts.
She said: "We can't keep going for much longer, a few months at the most, we have had to cancel the concert we were planning as we have not got enough of each voice part to fulfill the needs of a choral work.
"So we are just meeting together at the moment and singing for fun because that is the main motivator for people but it is nice to have a goal to prepare for a concert. We are treading water at the moment I think it is fair to say."
It would be a bitter blow for the Crosby Capriol Singers if 2023 was it be its final year. For the members, its unique repertoire is what makes the choir special. and they believe it still has something to offer.
Liz said: "It would be heartbreaking if it would stop, I'm not sure there are many choirs like ours around and it stopping would be such a shame."
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