An amateur choir which started as a Force wellbeing project has grown into ‘something special’ says a Federation member as she invited others to join the group.
‘The Sound of Sirens’ began as a 12-week initiative to boost wellbeing across Cambridgeshire Constabulary in 2022 and was an immediate hit with officers and staff, establishing a base of members who soon had ambitions to extend the project beyond its temporary phase.
One of these members was Alice Draper, who has overseen the publicity and promotion of the choir from these early days.
A further 12 weeks of Force funding was then secured before the choir became self-funded, where it has since expanded its membership to include workers of all emergency services, and then the NHS, the military and other public services across Cambridgeshire.
Alice revealed more behind the project’s success: “I think one of the biggest reasons we have come on so much in a relatively short amount of time is simply the positivity everyone gets from what we do – it has seemed to be infectious.
“There won’t be one of us who hasn’t had a tough day at the office, but then joined up with the choir in the evening and been able to leave everything else behind.
“We are a completely accessible group – we have no audition process and anyone and everyone is welcomed with open arms and supported all the way. The beauty of what we do is that we uplift each other and work towards one common goal, together.”
The three-part choir – made up of soprano, alto, and bass sections – covers a range of music from traditional Christian hymns such as ‘Carry the Light’ to more commercial songs like ‘City of Stars’ from the popular film La La Land.
From its inception, ‘The Sound of Sirens’ has been directed by award-winning professional conductor Joshua Daniel.
A subscription fee for members is set at £20 a month, which pays for Joshua’s services and the use of licensed music.
“Our Christmas selection is currently being worked on, for our carol concert in December,” added Alice, who sings soprano in the choir.
“This will be our own concert with no other choirs or acts performing alongside us, which has never happened before and is really exciting.
“We will also be appearing at the annual civic dinner for the Mayor of Huntingdon at the end of November, where former prime minister John Major will be in attendance, too.”
Previously, the choir has brought its repertoire to events such as the annual Safer Cambridgeshire Policing Awards – the 2022 version of which Alice regards as the group’s proudest moment to date, as it was the very first time they had performed in front of an audience after months of hard work and practice.
Rehearsals take place every Tuesday from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Newtown Centre on Nursery Road in Huntingdon.
Alice told Fed members what they can expect to find at these rehearsals as she encouraged others to get involved and lend their voices to the choir.
“We have songs, cakes, drinks, laughs, friendship, a strong sense of achievement and the pride that comes with being part of something bigger than the individual.
“There is a healthy challenge to it, too, because we always want to get better and improve. I had no background in choir singing before this and I know I have certainly developed my abilities, which is a great feeling.
“But above all, it’s about the people – through the choir, I have been brought back with a police colleague I worked with 17 years ago, and now we see each other regularly again.
“It is allowing people to make these strong connections with each other, and we are truly one community unit who always have each other’s backs,” she ended.
Federation members interested in joining the choir can get in touch via its Facebook page.