A sense of intimacy and shared experience was established from the outset, well before any soulful singing was accomplished.

Various warm-up stretches and vocal exercises were followed by forming a circle and massaging the shoulders of the person in front of you while the person behind obliged by massaging yours.

It was a group of around 25 singers, most of whom were regulars from Soulful Singing’s weekly sessions held at Brighton Dome, but with a few new faces who had attended this Brighton Fringe workshop.

Mahasukha led the group with his djembe drumming and soulful voice as he enabled everyone to form their parts and put together the harmonies which were divided into soprano, alto, tenor and bass sections.

The sacred African sounds and simple lyrics were repeated many times making them easier to follow for a beginner, such as, “Sing from your heart, let your soul be free,” which began to sound quite magical with the tribal drumming and soft harmonies working together.

Barefoot and smiling, Mahasukha had a relaxed, joyful persona which put the group at ease and made you naturally overcome any self-consciousness as the mantras seemed to draw everyone together with their meditative quality and devotional aspect.

It seemed anyone could improve their vocals and enjoy a part in this choir with a difference.