'Very special' - Women of Wuppertal Choir promote international harmony with South Tyneside tour

A unique singing collaboration will be music to ears of those promoting harmony between nations when a highly acclaimed women’s choir from Germany visits South Tyneside.

The Women of Wuppertal (WoW) Choir is joining forces with South Shields-based women’s choirs the Harton Harmonisers and the Customs Voices for a series of major concerts.

Founded in 2016, WoW Choir is an intercultural group of 50 women from 20 countries who between them speak 30 mother languages and are united by a passion for singing.

Its tour is in part a celebration of the post-war twinning of South Tyneside and the German town of Wuppertal.

Each of the three groups will showcase their own singing styles, before combining to celebrate diversity and friendship through song as a means of promoting better understanding between countries.

The WoW Friendship Tour began on Monday and continues today (July 1), when it links up with the Harton Harmonisers for a concert at Ocean Road Community Centre, South Shields, at 7pm.

And at 6.30pm on Thursday, July 2, the WoW Choir will join the Customs Voices for a concert at St Michael’s Church in Westoe Road, South Shields.

Again, each group will perform separately, with the two choirs combining in a finale of song celebrating the power of singing as a force for good.

Although the concerts are sold out, the WoW Choir will again perform at 2pm on Saturday, July 4, at the bandstand in the South Marine Park, South Shields.

Wolfgang Mohrhenn and Tom Fennelly, long-time friends and supporters of twin town exchanges, have helped to organise the choir visit.

Wolfgang said: “This wonderful friendship choir with women from all over the world who for various reasons have all chosen Wuppertal to become their home town.

“This choir so perfectly embodies the ideas and ideals of town twinning in a very special and positive way.”

“75 years of friendship is something very special and cannot at all be taken for granted as the situation in Ukraine and elsewhere in the world teaches us.”

Tom added: “In 1951, after an initiative through a South Shields man called Oliver Nicholson, who was stationed in Germany, the first twin town exchanges were set up.

“Since then, there have been many visits each way with youth groups, sports clubs, schools, musicians, cyclists, artists and friendship associations establishing lifelong friendships, and at least one marriage.”

On Friday, July 3, the Mayor and Mayoress will also host a 75th Anniversary Civic Reception for the WoW Choir at South Shields Town Hall.

They will be joined by a group of 11 cyclists from Wuppertal, who are visiting as part of one of their regular twin town cycling exchanges to South Tyneside.

The choir also plans to visit Sunderland-based charity Friends Of the Drop In (FODI), which helps asylum-seekers and refugees to access local resources and opportunities.

They will also visit a local school to engage with pupils in musical fun and games.