A SOUTHAMPTON community choir is set to rock to the Caveman Chorus.

Neighbourhood choirs have been springing up across the country, inspired by Gareth Malone’s TV reality show The Choir.

But encouraging men to join the chorus line has hit a decidedly flat note.

The national chant from choir leaders is – where are all the men?

Now the Living Lordswood Community Choir has come up with an idea which they hope will strike a chord with the blokes.

Daily Echo:

They are introducing a Caveman Chorus into the line-up, and taster sessions have already started at the Lordswood Community Centre in Sandpiper Road.

Rehearsals started with a pizza and a beer to lubricate the vocal chords and wash away any masculine inhibitions about singing in public.

The choir’s conductor Ian Williamson, 36, from Lordswood, said that the Living Lordswood Caveman Chorus got off to a great start with a dozen guys from the estate coming to the inaugural rehearsal.

He said there was a great sense of camaraderie and the men were in great voice. Ian was appropriately dressed as one of the Flintstones and even resorted to using an inflatable club as a baton.

He said: “We got off to a very exciting start and it was a barrel of laughs.”

The Caveman Chorus repertoire included King of the Road, 500 miles and Freedom is Coming – a song with the haunting melodies and rhythms of South Africa. Ian added: “It’s really important to give guys music in a key that they can cope with.”

The Caveman Chorus will be getting together for another musical male bonding session on Wednesday, April 29, at 7.30pm, before the main Living Lordswood Community Choir begins to rehearse for its summertime Sing for Joy concert.

Choir organiser Peter Short said: “The guys sounded great on their own so it should be really exciting to hear the whole choir come together in a couple of weeks when the altos and sopranos join in.

“On the evidence of the Caveman Chorus the men are going to give the girls a real run for their money this term.”

The main choir begins on May 6 at 7.30pm at Lordswood Community Centre.