My son Matthew is a 31-year-old man of few words; most of which are difficult to understand unless you know him well.
He is naturally kind, sensitive, shy and inclined to be passive.
Matt has Down’s syndrome, and until a year ago he was never one to put himself forward. He didn’t make informed choices and would distance himself from others. He didn’t like going to school or clubs or being away from us. He was happy in his safe little world with family and friends that he knew.
I think this was because he didn’t understand what was going on most of the time and didn’t know what was expected of him.
But that changed when the Soundabout choir came into our lives.
We are both enthusiastic members, but this choir is like no other. It is designed so that everyone can participate, from those with learning disabilities to mothers like me, it allows us to sing and celebrate music together.
At the first ever rehearsal he felt completely relaxed and accepted, and he was able to sing with his friends and his family.
One of my most treasured memories is Matt singing at the Christmas concert last year. He was starring in Little Drummer Boy and all his practice paid off! His parrup-a-pum-pumming earned him great acclaim from the audience.
To see Matt so happy and confident and to hear him singing so rhythmically and tunefully in front of all those people, confirmed to me that he has abilities as well as disabilities.
The praise and acknowledgement boosted his confidence to no end. To see all of us working together and enjoying each other’s company, whatever our ability or disability, and to see the joyful reaction from the audience made this such a life-affirming evening. If I’m feeling down, I think about it.
Like many children, with or without Down’s syndrome, Matt responded to music from an early age. He loves Morris dancing, and he dances for three sides, Kirtlington Morris, Sunrising Morris and Armaleggan Morris.
About six years ago, Matt’s dad and brother joined a community choir. As they were going to their weekly rehearsals, Matt would say, ‘Matt coming?’ But he wasn’t able to join other community choirs, even though he wanted to.
His voice is not conventional and he would sing too loudly. He would not understand or be able to pronounce the words to the songs and the rehearsals would bore him.
Soundabout gives people with varying degrees of learning difficulties access to music, something we longed for. The teachers are innovative and creative, demonstrating new ways to access all sorts of music-making to all sorts of children.
They introduced me to equipment and resources I’d not seen before. One was the resonance board, which the children, who were all sensory impaired and non-verbal, would lie on. The sounds would resonate through the board and the child would experience them through their whole body. This also encouraged intentional movement and vocalisations. The children loved these sessions and so did the staff.
We collaborate with other choirs, such as The Jericho Singers and the King Singers. We rehearse and put on concerts together.
Before lockdown, we met once a month. It’s a flexible membership, so we have more than 100 people signed up but around 40 or 50 choir members at any rehearsal.
Our performances are very lively and energetic affairs. We sing an eclectic range of songs – from Three Little Birds by Bob Marley, which Matt leads the choir on, to Reach by S Club 7 and Amazing Grace.
Nowadays, we meet twice a month via zoom – which has been so pleasurable for all of us. The rehearsals will stay this way until we can meet safely.
In our choir, we’re all equals. Everyone is given a turn; everyone’s voice is heard. The group leaders – Sophia, Steph and Emma – are expert at identifying and developing each member’s style of expression, strengths and talents.
They create an environment where the more reticent singers are able to have their turn in the limelight, while the more confident members are able to develop their turn-taking skills and are appreciating and encouraging to other performers.
I think that, especially for people with Down’s syndrome, they love to see and hear other people who look like themselves achieve something special. Matt finds words difficult, so he is the rhythm man and Sophia is great at finding songs that give him an opportunity to demonstrate that skill.
Being a part of the choir has left Matt so fulfilled and happy – very different from the child who would run away from everyone.
Our voices may not conform to the perceived aesthetic norms, but we work brilliantly as a team and our voices soar and blend together.
I like to think we each add our own unique flavour and create a delicious dish. You may think mingling our voices with those of the King’s Singers – a famous a capella group – is like putting ketchup on a Michelin star meal, but you would be wrong. We complement each other.
The choir has changed our lives. We have been to places we would never have been to, such as the Royal Albert Hall; we have appeared on national television. We have met people we would not have come into contact with and made firm friends.
We will never stop singing with Soundabout. Our voices will always be heard.
Find out more about Soundabout’s Inclusive Choir.
My Life Through A Lens
My Life Through a Lens is an exciting series on Metro.co.uk that looks at one incredible photo, and shares the story that lies behind it. If you have an experience you would like to share, please email kathryn.snowdon@metro.co.uk with MLTAL as the subject.
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