Member Spotlight: Abbie
It’s been a little while, but we’re back this weekend with another member interview! Today, we’re featuring one of our choir members - Abbie. Abbie is a key member of our Littleborough Choir, and regularly features as one of our amazing soloists.
Q. What part do you sing and which choir(s) do you perform with?
A. I sing the tenor in the Littleborough Bloom Community Choir.
Q. How long have you sang for?
A. I sang before I could walk or talk! For as long as I can remember, it’s been a part of who I am. It has been incorporated into every aspect of my life and has taken many different shapes over the years. It is the only thing that has remained a constant for me and something I have never settled on.
Q. What made you join the choir?
A. As someone who is the lead vocalist in a function band, I needed an opportunity to strip away that role and focus on what it means to truly sing as one by learning to harmonise. Joining the choir has allowed me to learn, listen and find harmony with other people in a way that deflects from my ability to be front and centre, and instead focuses on what it’s like to be one of many voices that then come together, resulting in perfect harmony.
Q. What's your favourite thing about singing as part of a choir?
A. That we are all in this together! We are all learning no matter the level of experience and nobody is there to judge you on that. The atmosphere in a choir can not be replicated on a daily basis; it is a feeling of trust, laughter, loyalty and a passion for music that is created with natures very own instrument of the soul.
Q. What's your favourite song (to sing or listen to) and why?
A. My personal favourite to sing is a song written by Whitney Houston called ‘I didn't know my own strength’. It’s a song that resonates with me on such a deep and personal level and every time I perform it, it gives me the same feeling no matter which part of the journey I am on.
Q. What do you do outside of choir?
A. I’m a Care Assistant/Activity & Wellbeing Lead in a dementia & residential home as well as the lead singer in a 5 piece pop-rock function band called ‘Too Hot To Riot!’.
Q. Any other hidden talents or hobbies?
A. Over the last 15 years, I have been a dancer and songwriter. I love anything craft related and almost all DIY projects, I will get stuck into and enjoy.
Q. What advice would you give to someone who's thinking of joining one of the choirs?
A. My advice would be to take a breath and silence the doubts in your mind about turning back. Trying something new can often be quite daunting and can lead to overthinking but just know that we have all been where you have stood. Being a part of a choir means not having to be alone in it all. All levels are welcome and encouraged as it gives you the freedom to learn, sing, make friends and potentially discover something about yourself that you might not have known was there before. Embrace the freedom that singing can bring, it will always be worth it, especially in Bloom Music Community. "The voice grows where courage sings".
Stay tuned for more member interviews coming soon!