Members of Hull’s NHS Choir were part of the 300-strong choir that performed on Sunday evening
Singing for the King during the Coronation concert on Sunday was “phenomenal”, Hull NHS Choir has said.
Members of the choir, which was formed in 2014, were chosen to be part of the 300-strong Coronation Choir mentored by Gareth Malone.
They performed Brighter Days by Emeli Sande and appeared with Take That.
The 25 members of Hull NHS Choir who took to the stage in Windsor all work for the NHS in Hull and East Yorkshire.
“It was just phenomenal,” said Lucy Vere, from Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
“When in your lifetime do you get the chance to play in front of 20,000 people but also the King and the royal family?”
Despite the impressive line-up of well-known names she said the choir had been “treated brilliantly” and she got to meet Katy Perry.
“She came by and she was just really lovely, she said, ‘yay – NHS’, and as she went by she grabbed my hand.”
Lucy Vere (left), Bonnie Gray (centre) and Stuart Cutts (right) said it had been an amazing experience
The choir had been mentored by Gareth Malone, Motsi Mabuse, Amanda Holden and Rose Ayling-Ellis, but they only rehearsed together for the first time a few days before the Coronation weekend.
Bonnie Gray said nothing could prepare them for the moment they went on stage.
“That feeling of walking out and seeing the sea of people with their phones lit up and their torches,” she explained.
“Seeing the royal box lit up and being directly in front of us, it was just amazing.”
Fellow choir member Stuart Cutts said it had been an “awe-inspiring” experience.
“The camaraderie between all the choirs from all areas of the country, the collaboration between us all and general euphoric spirit was just amazing.”
Image source, HULL NHS CHOIR
The choir joined a host of celebrities for the concert including Callum Scott
In addition to performing Brighter Days, the choir also joined Take That for the evening’s final performance, which pleased Ms Gray.
“We were told the day before that the NHS choir would actually be standing directly behind them,” she said.
“It was incredibly cool for me, my 11-year-old self was just squealing inside and as they came off the stage we had to part to make a path for them, and we high-fived them all.”
Ms Vere and Ms Gray established the choir in 2014 as a “health and wellbeing” experiment.
“We know how hard our staff work, and wanted to give them something that might help,” Ms Gray said.
“Singing relieves stress, as well as improving your lung function and even your mental health.”
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