Singers gather for a monthly community sing organized by Grace Oedel of L’Chaim Collective at the Friends Meeting House in Burlington, Vermont on November 5, 2025. Photo by Leigh Madalinski

Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, in partnership with Vermont Public

🎧 This story was produced for the ear. We highly recommend listening to the audio.

There are a lot of informal community singing groups in Vermont.

Regular folks meet up in barns, meeting houses, community centers and pubs to sing — just for the pleasure of singing together.

The Champlain Valley Pub Singers meet in the Library Room at Rí Rá Irish Pub in Burlington on October 26, 2025. Photo by Leigh Madalinski

Leigh Madalinski brought an audio recorder to several of these community events, including the Community Sing First Birthday Party at the Friends Meeting House led by Grace Oedel of L’Chaim Collective, Flow Singing at the Heineberg Senior Center led by Patricia Norton, the Champlain Valley Pub  Singers at Rí Rá Irish Pub, and a Community Garden Sing at The Tillerman barn in Bristol led by Moira Smiley.