A woman who said she spent a number of Christmas Days alone said a choir "changed her life".
Paula spoke to the ECHO about her experiences being homeless along with Anthony, who said: "Coming to choir was one day a week I knew no alcohol was involved - it showed me there was a way to enjoy my life without alcohol."
Anthony is sat in a back room on the first floor of The Quaker Meeting House in Liverpool City Centre. Wearing adidas tracksuit bottoms and a matching black top to combat the chilly Wednesday evening, he's flanked by Ema Quinn - the manager of the Liverpool branch of The Choir With No Name.
Outside the room you can hear a buzz of energy as the other members of the choir start to gather ahead of tonight's rehearsal. The chatter of voices and occasional chinks of tea spoons on mugs is punctuated by sharp, enthusiastic laughter as the members catch up on events from the past week.
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Everyone gathered for tonight's rehearsal is either homeless or have been at risk of homelessnes s at some point in their life. The choir has been meeting in Liverpool every Wednesday since 2014 to allow people who have often been marginalised or lonely to meet up, sing together, have a brew, and a hot meal.
The Choir With No Name was originally set up in London in 2008 by Marie Benton, who was then an employee at St Mungo's charity for the homeless. She set up the choir to offer opportunities to people who were marginalised by experiences of homelessness.
Marie found rehearsals offered people a distraction from difficult times while also building confidence, skills and long-lasting friendships. Since then the choir model has been rolled out in a number of other locations in the UK including Birmingham, Brighton, and here in Liverpool.
Anthony has been coming to rehearsals with the Liverpool choir since 2019, when he was in the first year of his part-time environmental management university course. He's sat back in his chair - and has short, dark hair and matching stubble covering his kind face.
Anthony said: "I was homeless and living in a hostel when I first found out about the choir. Finding out it was a choir for the homeless helped me get over the nerves of coming. I knew someone else in recovery at the same time who said it was a good thing to do.
"I was looking for something to do that didn't involve drink. The choir showed me there were ways to enjoy my life without alcohol. Coming was the best move I made. A day a week I knew no alcohol was involved and I could be happy and enjoy myself. When I was using drugs and alcohol that never felt like something that would be imaginable. It was a bit of light at the end of the tunnel for me."
Anthony, who speaks passionately about aspirations to work in renewable energy in the future, said the choir has been an integral part of his recovery because of the support network. While he gets to live out teenage dreams "of being a rock star" when performing with the choir, he said coming to a place where "no one is judging you" means you can "be yourself and open".
This is what choir manager Ema also reiterates when she sits down with the ECHO. Wearing a t-shirt with the choir's logo printed on the front and blue-rimmed glasses, she is warm and engaging. "We have people coming to the choir for a number of different reasons. It might be due to health, addiction, trauma or domestic abuse that has contributed to their homelessness.
"We don't ask for people to prove their experiences. We're trying to build an identity for them away from that. On the surface we want people to come here and just make friends. But away from that, there's a great deal of building a community and a network of support. Without the network of support around you, people can really struggle."
Ema, who has a background in mental health and addiction rehabilitation, became manager of the choir in Liverpool shortly after it was set up in 2014. Throughout the week she and the group of volunteers help choir members with anything from dealing with housing associations and hostels, doctors and food banks. She said: "A lot of what we do is about inspiring pride, hope and belief in the members. We try and give people the parts to build back their life."
Inside the main room the choir rehearsals have just begun. The members stand in several uniformed lines in front of a stage where choir leader Mersey Wylie stands. After their vocal warm-ups the members break into a rendition of 'Snow is falling' by Shakin Stevens.
The energy in the room is captivating as the members' voices boom out and they dance and sway along to the guitar riff. As Ema said, "every choir has their own identity - we're undoubtedly a very Scouse choir". At the front of the hall, just under the stage, is Paula. She introduces herself to the ECHO before agreeing to share her story.
Paula said: "I first came to the choir about a year before lockdown. I was at another place that helped with mental health where I did a couple of choir workshops. I was told about this choir and thought I would come down and try it. When I first came here I was so nervous, I couldn't say boo to anyone - now you can't shut me up.
"After the first session I felt amazing. People were so nice and welcoming. Even though I'm not the best singer it's more about having fun and being together. I used to find it hard to make friends but now I have loads. I've spent many a Christmas alone with nowhere to go, but that's all changed now. The choir has completely changed my life."
The choir is currently made up of around 40 members. There's an even mix of men and women - and ages range from early 20s right through to 80. The group regularly performs across Merseyside and the country, notching up between 12 and 18 gigs a year, with notable local performances seeing them take to the stages of the Everyman and the Philharmonic Hall.
Janette has volunteered with the choir since it started after seeing an advert for volunteers. She speaks with pride about how far the members have come, not just as a choir, but as people. Janette said: "The choir operation has got slicker since I first joined. It started out just people coming in the room and singing. Now we have a core group of people who come each week and they've learnt how to harmonise and follow rhythm.
"It was a great thing on day one but it's gone to be an even better thing in terms of showing what these people can do. Sometimes you think it's just coming along and having a sing. But then you step back and see how it makes a difference to the members' lives. I feel proud when people watch us perform - it must make the members feel amazing."
Steven also agrees to speak with the ECHO. He told how he first came into contact with the choir in November 2019. The dad said he was homeless and living on the streets for three years before moving into a hostel. He is now in supported accommodation.
He said: "I come because I love singing and having a laugh at everyone. I come every Wednesday and everyone is like my brothers and sisters. I've had overstress after overstress but when I'm here there's constant relief.
"But most of all I love the gigs. I love singing - and the gigs have helped build our confidence up after being on the streets. Doing the solos in front of people is the best."
The rehearsals are nearing an end and sounding fantastic. Ema tells the ECHO it's the last rehearsal before the members sing with a full band next week. Then after that, they're only a week away from the choir's Big Christmas Singalong showpiece event at Capstone Theatre. As the singing starts to wind down, the smell of homemade cooking intensifies from the kitchen. A number of tables have been set up with cutlery ahead of the weekly sit-down meal.
Sarah and Martin have been working in the kitchen for a couple of hours. On tonight's menu, it's sausages, roast potatoes and garlic greens, with a vegetarian option available as well. From speaking with both volunteers and the choir members, the meal is one of the highlights of the week.
Ema said: "For some of the members, this is the only hot meal they have - the only positive experience with food". Steven added: "We get to sit down together and eat a meal just like a family". Family is a word that is mentioned repeatedly throughout the night.
While frying up batches of sausages, volunteer Sarah mentions "family" more than anyone. She tells the ECHO she tries to come down every week since 2018 because the "atmosphere and experience is incredible".
She said: "I get as much out of coming here as I give back - I'll tell anyone that. Everyone cares so much about each other. We have our little jokes and know each other so well. We have our sad times as well and face a lot of challenges.
"But we're always there for each other. We always get through it as a family."
Tickets to see The Choir With No Name in action on December 9 can be found here.
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