WISE Employment Tasmania sponsors Hobart’s new Choir of High Hopes

On Tuesday 8 April, the Choir of High Hopes Hobart was officially launched in Tasmania and performed at the Theatre Royal in Hobart to a massive crowd of over 700 people.

WISE Tasmania was one of the sponsors of the event, where the Choir of High Hopes Launceston also performed.

The Choir of High Hopes Hobart started in October 2007. Hobart music teacher Jenny Chapman got the idea to start a choir for people doing it tough after seeing the ABC TV program about the Choir of Hard Knocks.

"I'd always been passionate about choirs, and I'd always thought if there was a way of marrying choir with helping people I would be in there doing that," says Jenny.

Jenny put a call out and started the choir with a weekly rehearsal of just four members. The choir has now grown to over 45 members.

“Some of the members have got mental disabilities, some of them have got physical disabilities, some have had drug addictions or a history of prison, or homelessness, or unemployment, and sometimes all of those," says Jenny.

WISE Tasmania’s Regional Manager, Colleen Hooper attended the event on behalf of WISE and was really impressed by the choir.

“It was a sell out crowd and one that seemed to appreciate what the Choir was all about,” she said. “I was really glad that WISE could be a part of this fantastic initiative”.

Congratulations to Jenny Chapman and the Choir of High Hopes!