Fiona joined the choir after a friend convinced her to come along. She had tried singing in other choirs, but they asked for knowledge of sheet music, and she always felt out of her depth.
“I just wanted to sing! I was nervous when I joined, but I loved hearing the choir’s sound, and I didn’t feel any pressure to join or come back the next week – but I did.”
“When I sing in the choir I feel like no one can touch me like I’m invincible, it’s very empowering.”
Fiona is on medication with some serious side-effects, and the choir makes up an important part of her weekly routine.
“I can move other commitments around, but not choir – it helps me get out of bed sometimes.”
“When I sing in the choir, a kinder side of me emerges, and I like to listen to the other singers. It’s just like talking to a friend, singing makes me feel so much lighter, like I can unburden myself.
“Choir makes me feel good, no matter what kind of day I’ve had.”
One Life One Love One Family is Fiona’s favourite song because it was written as a group exercise by the choir, and composed by Dave, the choir leader.
The first time the choir sang the song was in a garden between lockdowns during the covid-19 pandemic.
“I love the solo at the beginning, and how the rest of the choir joins in and raises the raises up the soloist’s energy.”
“The words were so poignant because the song reflected our experiences during the pandemic, and some of the challenges we were all facing. I will never forget the feeling we had in that garden when we sang it together for the first time.”
“It’s a rare experience being part of something so human-orientated.”