Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656

Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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April 09 2012
First gig for 60-strong choir is about “making our world a better place to be”

 

“Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past, you must fight to keep them alive... ”

Walking into a back-street church foyer to the echoes of a hurried sound-check of ‘Eye of the tiger’, you could be forgiven for questioning quite what was in store for Choir with No Name [CWNN] Birmingham’s first gig. However, as the clock crept closer to 7.30pm, the space bustled with community spirit and enthusiasm, with around 200 people gathered to watch the 60-strong choir do their ‘thang’.

The concert, part of the BBC’s Music Nation countdown to London 2012, was centred around an Olympic theme, although every song choice struck a chord in a much more poignant manner considering the troubled backgrounds of the majority of its members. ‘We are the Champions’ faded through to ‘I’m Still Standing’ - perhaps particularly apt for the choir’s oldest member Ken, who had spent the day celebrating his 74th birthday!

Bill, clearly a well-loved member of the group, has been with the choir since day one. Once steadily employed with the NHS, a combination of redundancy and an overwhelming series of bereavements left him with no support, resulting in a breakdown and the start of life living on the streets. Bill likens his story to that of a fighter pilot who has lost their wings, and is forced to learn to fly all over again. “Without the support of organisations such as SIFA, Crisis and the CWNN, I simply wouldn’t have survived. But these on their own cannot do it all - hundreds of lost souls are slipping through the net.

“People don’t realise that anybody can find themselves homeless for all sorts of reasons: I was lost and didn’t know how to find any direction. Quite simply, CWNN has given me something to live for. I’d lost my courage and nerve, but now I’ve worked my socks off for two years achieving qualifications and have even recorded my own CD from my passion for drama and music”.

Pete Churchill, choir manager for Birmingham, filled us in on what brought him to the CWNN: “For most of my professional life, I’ve been running music making projects with vulnerable people, and that’s the kind of work I’m instinctively drawn to. I see the CWNN as the perfect way to combine two worlds - choral work, with those who åare in some senses ‘on the edge’. To be sure, mainstream choirs and choral societies can produce great quality music, but to be honest, I don’t think they’d suit me! It’s the people that make our choir interesting and fun to be a part of, and I’m so proud to be their conductor.”

The atmosphere of the night was undoubtedly infectious, with both choir and audience laughing, dancing and giving the vocal chords a sensational workout. This choir isn’t about beautifully tuned voices (that’s not to say they can’t belt out a fantastic tune) - it’s about building confidence, gaining a direction, finding a voice and restoring the belief that there is always a reason to keep going.

There is nothing better to highlight the achievement of this choir than the impact it has upon its members. Louise, the first member in Birmingham, took to the stage to explain to the captive audience that: “Since becoming involved with the choir I have felt so much more alive... this group isn’t just about singing, it’s about us coming together and making our world a better place to be.”

To everybody involved in the Choir with No Name" massive congratulations on your Birmingham debut from The Pavement - we can’t wait for the next one!

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