The fat lady sang.

So.  It's over.  The fat (I'm 11st & 5'2.5in, I'm allowed to call myself fat!) lady has sung and I've left choir. There were tears and cake and cuddles and then vodka and actually 'goodbye' was not as hard or as painful as I thought it would be.

I first heard Tottenham Community Choir at the Green Lanes Food Festival.  They sang 'I'll Be There', and I cried. Proper tears.  And every time we've sung it since I've cried.  I've also laughed a lot.  A lot.  In fact I've spent most of my time trying not to laugh.  The most memorable moment being when I took a deep breath in and instead of a clear pure note out came a proper LOUD burp.  That was it.  I had the giggles for the rest of the warm up.

I've only been singing with them for 6 months but it did feel like I had been singing with them for ever.  I loved singing with them.  I loved my section.  I loved my ladies on the front row (and several lovelies from other sections).  I liked belonging to something.  I liked having fun.  I liked doing something with other people. I liked being part of a choir.  As a section you move together, you fit in to the bigger picture.  Like a community.  You work hard.  Together.  You tweak what's not quite working.  The stronger voices lead and the other voices blend in until you can't hear the difference.  No one is left behind. 

The choir gave me an excuse to get out of the house once a week & talk to actual grownups.  It gave me friends. It gave me my voice back and for that I can't thank them enough.  So, here's to you Tottenham Community Choir, I think you're bloody brilliant and my Tuesday nights will be duller without you in them.
I hope sometimes you'll think about the gobby, giggly alto who sat on the front row, smile & have some fun because that's what I wanted to bring to choir & I hope I've left some behind.