The singing group offers a warm and welcoming space for people who have experienced homelessness
A CHOIR for homeless people in Cardiff that members describe as “a family”, is holding its first Christmas concert next week.
The Choir with No Name Cardiff was launched three years ago and welcomes people from across the city with experience of homelessness.
The group, who sing everything from pop to rock, are now gearing up for their first ticketed Christmas gig at St John the Baptist City Church on Tuesday, December 10.
One choir member singing next week is Johnny Giles, a former journalism student and keen poet, who spent seven months in temporary accommodation.
He first heard about the choir from other people in his hostel. At the time, he felt too self-conscious to go along.
But after plucking up the courage to attend a rehearsal just over a year ago, the choir has become a cornerstone of his week.
He says: “I’ve had quite bad depression on and off for the past 10 years, but coming to this every Tuesday, it almost never fails to put a smile on my face, even if it’s for the only time all week.
“It’s a really, really positive thing. You meet people and you develop a bond with people. It feels like a family.”
The choir’s director, Iori, works hard to make sure the choir is as warm and welcoming as it can be – especially during the cold winter months.
“It’s all about providing a safe space for people, where they feel connected to people, where they feel valued,” he says.
But while the Christmas concert is giving the choir a goal to work towards, he is also aware that Christmas can be a particularly difficult time for people experiencing homelessness.
He explains how songs like I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas – which reminisces about snowy Christmasses – might evoke different emotions for people living on the streets.
“It’s bloody freezing outside, and if you’re on the streets, it’s not going to be very nice.”
The choir rehearses every week in Grangetown and are served a hot meal afterwards, cooked by a handful of volunteers who love the choir as much as its members.
“Tuesday can’t come quick enough for me,” says Gail Warburton, a volunteer who has been involved with the choir since the Cardiff branch was launched after the pandemic.
“They say strangers are friends you’ve never met. All these [people] were strangers, and now they are friends.
“People go away with a full tummy of food and they know that they’ve sang some really fun, funky songs.”
The Choir with No Name is one of six located across the UK. The Cardiff branch is run in partnership with The Wallich – a homelessness charity based in Wales.
For the Christmas concert the choir will be joined by an acoustic duo, and attendees can expect a mix of classic christmas carols, singalongs with a few funky tunes thrown in too.
All proceeds will go towards keeping the Choir with No Name Cardiff and its counterparts across the UK up and running.
By putting on gigs, Iori also hopes to encourage more people impacted by homelessness in Cardiff to come and give the choir a go.
“We are a choir with people who have experienced homelessness, or who feel marginalised. If that’s you, come along.”
- The Choir with No Name’s Christmas concert is on Tuesday, December 10, 7pm-9pm, at St John the Baptist City Parish Church. Tickets are £8 and can be bought here. They rehearse every week on Tuesdays at 6pm at St Paul’s Community Hall in Grangetown.
