A POWERFUL choir are singing a strong message on Portland this week to combat the 'debilitating' feeling of shame.

Debuting at this year’s B-Side Festival is Shame Chorus, an uplifting musical performance devised in collaboration with international artist Jordan McKenzie, The London Gay Men’s Chorus, The Freud Museum and psychotherapist Susie Orbach.

The festival takes place at venues across Portland from September 10 to 18.

Shame Chorus will be performing outside at West Weares (at the end of Chesil Beach near Quiddles Cafe) on September 10 at 6pm and on September 11 at 11am at St George's Church on Portland.

Organisers said shame is a debilitating and disabling emotion that leads to depression and isolation and is borne in silence.

Shame Chorus seeks to break this silence and isolation, using original testimonies from members of the chorus, Jordan McKenzie commissioned Dorset based Billy Bragg alongside other musical writers including Shane Cullinan, and Jack White to make twelve original compositions exploring shame that will be sung by the choir.

Taking Sigmund Freud’s ‘talking cure’ as its starting point, Shame Chorus brings together composers and musicians from a range of genres who have created new songs inspired by a series of interviews conducted by Susie Orbach.

The resulting compositions will be sung by the London Gay Men’s Chorus in in a live concert and collective act of 'catharsis, community and liberation'.

John Cooper Clark, Tom Marsman, Matthew Robins and Sadie Hennessey are just some of the other artists featuring at this year’s festival.

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