“AS I entered the music room of Hallam Primary School, I felt nervous, my heart was racing and my throat was dry… what was I doing here?
I had only sung in front of the mirror or around the house, I had sung the National Anthem during school assembly in an ensemble at best… then I saw one of the kindest smiles I would ever see in my life.
As she spoke to me in a calming, friendly tone I immediately felt at ease and knew that everything was going to be just fine.
I was at my very first audition, what was to be the first of hundreds of auditions for me.
When I finished singing, the kind lady spoke to me again, this time with words that would set my life upon the most amazing path. ‘You have a beautiful voice, a gift from God’, she said.
A few weeks later I was entering another music room, this time at Berwick High School.
There were children of all ages and ethnicity all coming together for one main reason ‘to make beautiful music’.
Mrs Heriot and Angela Jones spoke to the sea of children’s faces and we all felt so inspired and excited to be the first members of the Berwick Children’s Choir.
The journey was just beginning.
As I look back over the past 20 years, I can’t help but smile at the realisation that the Berwick Children’s Choir became my family.
We have laughed together, cried together, travelled together, mourned together and celebrated together.
We have sung some of the most stunning music in the world and I will never forget the countries we have seen and the amazing people we have had the pleasure of meeting.
Singing in Florence was one of the many highlights of being a member of Berwick Youth Choir as hundreds of children’s voices filled the rafters of Il Duomo with music by the likes of Mozart and Faure.
Music is the universal language of mankind and I feel so truly blessed to have been a member of the Berwick Children’s Choir and touched the hearts of so many.
We have performed from mayoral dinners, council events, carol services, Government House engagements, prestigious events at Como House and a myriad of other beautiful venues all the way to St Peter’s in Rome.
The friendships of my three best friends were established at the Berwick rehearsals.
These girls have been with me through all my ups and downs and our journey together has been priceless.
So many of the old choristers have remained in my life in one way or another and I still meet up with three on a regular basis in the UK, would you believe?
Jessica Pigg sends her love and hugs to everyone, especially Jean.
Where am I now? I live in London, England, with my gorgeous threeyearold daughter Isabella and my loving and supportive husband, Duncan.
I had been offered one of 12 places from around the world to attend the National Opera Studio.
In the two years that we have been here, I have sung in Tel Aviv for the International Vocal Arts Institute and was one of 40 chosen to work with Placido Domingo at Operalia in Madrid, performed with Scottish Opera, Welsh National Opera and the Royal Opera Covent Garden.
As I walked on to the stage of the Royal Opera House I was breathless as I stared into the auditorium a sea of maroon velvet and gold in one of the most stunning opera houses in the world.
I was auditioning for the Young Artist Program as one of the final 11.
I was here because one woman gave me the courage to follow my dreams.
Jean, distinguished guests, fellow choristers, ladies and gentlemen.
It is with great regret that I cannot be present tonight to help celebrate 20 years of music making but I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the memories.
I wish you all every success and encourage you to follow yours dreams, whatever they may be.
To all the current members of Berwick Youth Choir, I urge you to cherish every moment and every note that you sing for no other choir in the world will ever sing this awesome music the way that you do.
Continue to sing with your hearts and you will always produce a glorious sound.
To all our loving parents, wonderful staff and especially all the conductors of yesterday, today and tomorrow I thank you for the opportunity to grow and development in a safe and nurturing environment where children of today become responsible, upstanding adults of tomorrow and a generation to be proud of.
To every single chorister that has been on this special journey I thank you for the fun times, for the laughter during rehearsals, for supporting my family and singing at my father’s funeral, my wedding, my mother’s funeral and my farewell concert.
We are one big family and we have shared so much of our lives.
I have adoptive parents, sisters and brothers through my lifetime of experiences with you all and want you to know that you are always in my heart even though there are oceans between us.
Last of all, but first in our book.
Mrs Jean Heriot. I love you so much and can only imagine how proud you must be tonight.
Your dream became a reality and flourished to an enormous scale and we had the most magical of experiences just because you believed in us.
I am living my dream because of you.
You are always with me in thought and prayers and I thank God that he placed us in your life.
Who would have known that I would be attending the Royal Opera House for coaching 20 years on from my audition day?
We love you and you have touched our lives in the most beautiful way.
I know that tonight will be yet another addition to the Berwick Youth Choir family memories album filled with happy memories and laughter.
I would like to leave you with a quote by Arthur O Shaughnessy: “We are the music makers, we are the dreamers of dreams.”
Never let them go.
Good night and enjoy.”