Meet the Liverpool choir giving homeless people joy through singing

When you’re living on the streets, or under threat of losing your home, fun can be in short supply.

But the Liverpool Choir With No Name helps to give people who are impacted by homelessness joy in their lives again through singing together.

The choir, which meets once a week for rehearsals in the city centre, is celebrating its 10^th birthday this year.

And it’s building up to what is one of the major highlights of its gig calendar – the annual Big Christmas Singalong, happening on Monday December 9.

CWNN Liverpool choir manager Ema Quinn says having the opportunity to sing live is one of the most important aspects of the choir.

“We perform between 10 and 18 gigs a year, a lot more than most choirs tend to do, because it gives our members something to look forward to and work towards. It gives people that structure and motivation.

“The pride of singing on a stage and having an audience cheer for you can have quite a profound effect on people.”

Choir With No Name is a nationwide organisation which was formed in 2008. The Liverpool choir was set up in 2014 and, says Ema, it’s gone on to grow over the past decade.

“In the early days we had 17 members turn up, now we have over 100 people who come at some point throughout the year,” she adds.

“Wednesday is our weekly rehearsal and on any week we can usually have 40-50 people and often more.

“The choir is all about having a safe place to sing, have a laugh, meet people and to just leave all the troubles at the door for a couple of hours a week.

“The minute you’re having a hard time in life, the first thing that goes are safe places to have fun and feel joy. Everywhere you go to get help you have to explain what you need and prove why you’re in need, and that becomes the narrative of who you are.

“With the choir, people go from talking about what their issues and difficulties are to talking about where we gigged last week and who’s doing the solo.

“It gives people different opportunities and what happens is they regain pride and hope and that’s what it’s all about.”

Although singing is the number one reason to meet, Choir With No Name also supports people and refers them to services to get help, and at each rehearsal everyone gets a meal so they all eat together as a group.

“People find positive friendships with other people who are going through similar experiences which is really important,” says Ema.

Anyone can join the choir whether they’re at risk of being homeless, so maybe struggling with mental health, addiction recovery, or really tough times, currently homeless or have previously been homeless.

“Some of our members have been with us for 10 years and we’ve gone through life, births, marriages, friendships and death with them. We’’re that friend that stands next to them through it all.

“We’ve lost people because there’s a low life expectancy for someone who is homeless, but we’ve also seen people get back on their feet and go on to have families and jobs.

“Those who stay, whether it’s weekly or just as a part of the extended family, then give that peer support to the person who comes through the door terrified on their first week with us.”

The Big Christmas Singalong, says Ema, is an incredible experience for those taking part and the audience.

“They should make one of those Hallmark Christmas movies about our Christmas gig because you just leave with the biggest heart in the world, it’s amazing.”