COMMUNITY
said “The choir have been so welcoming and friendly and with some Shawbury members being linked to the Royal Navy, they are most definitely a tri-service choir!”
Joining the Military Wives Choir Foundation brings all the choirs together as one group and has allowed them to be meet and share with like-minded women who have so much in common. The final say goes to Michelle. She said, ‘A wonderful choir, a fantastic support network, brilliant opportunities and most importantly great friends’.
Kelly Yates reports from Northolt Our choir began when ‘From Vision 2 Voice’ approached the HIVE, the initial enquiry led to the first session which saw eight people turn up for a bit of a sing-song. Nervous and apprehensive but excited about taking part in something which had garnered much interest it gathered momentum quickly. Eight people turned into seventeen and then became thirty. With the guidance and direction of our musical director, we were soon practising songs for our first gig.
So what is the appeal of singing and performing together, when many of us would say we can’t sing, likening the sounds that come out of our mouths as akin
to cats drowning? For many, it is a social thing, as one member explains: “The choir to me is something I have of my own, not to do with my husband or the kids. It’s an outlet for me to get with the girls and meet new people”.
For others, it goes beyond a social gathering. There is obviously a common interest to bring us all together and for some the choir is something closer to home: “The choir is slowly becoming a second family I can turn to if I have any troubles. It’s something to look forward to when I’m having a bad week. No- one judges you for singing a bum note. We laugh about it and keep going.”
Nobody would ever argue that life connected to the military is easy, but when life throws you a curve ball on top, things can get really tough – especially when that curve ball coincides with a new posting. For one member, the choir has meant something else – rebuilding a sense of self and esteem. The non-judgmental atmosphere and easy- going nature of the group has been a source of therapy in recovering from a distressing period for another. She says: “I was so scared of coming to the choir and I still find it difficult being myself, but for those couple
of hours each week, I can forget the bad stuff and the ladies are so lovely, it makes it easier to do so”.’
The thrill and buzz of performing, not as a number of individuals, but as a group is second to none; the feedback from an appreciative audience and congratulating you on a job well done is something that is lacking in today’s world. It only takes a second but the words last a long time afterwards. You can’t help but feel good about yourself. You work hard to support your fellow choristers and want to do the best you can because you take pride in what you have all achieved.
The Military Wives Choirs are invaluable in the support they offer to women involved with the military and are Stronger Together.
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www.ujclub.co.uk 18/10/2012 16:22:41
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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