A Crantock woman’s grief after losing her best friend has inspired her to launch a new community choir and release a Christmas song for charity.
Elle Spurrell has started The North Coast Choir with her husband Luke after recently losing her best friend, Jody, to cancer at the age of 42.
Elle had wanted to set up a choir for years but had constantly put it off but navigating through her own grief, she felt that this was the right time to put her experience to good use.
Her new found gratitude for life fuelled her desire to set up the choir and help people to feel good.
Elle and Luke’s vision for the choir is to provide something for the local community and to give people the opportunity to meet others and let their hair down.
The couple were completely blown away by how many people joined their first taster session, and numbers continue to rise.
Elle decided to record Talking About Love This Christmas for cancer and bereavement charities Penhaligon’s Friends and Cornwall Hospice Care in Jody’s memory.
The choir set their initial limit at £500 and achieved this is the first couple of days. They now hope to stretch up to £5,000 or beyond to help to give the charities a much-needed boost.
Elle said: “Singing can be a wonderful distraction and the gift of singing can help lighten the darkest depths of sorrow.
“Towards the latter stages of Jody’s life, the cancer had spread and robbed her of a voice, it was painful for her to communicate. This just felt incredibly cruel, Jody loved to sing.
“Singing is good for the soul and everyone who attends their sessions leave with a smile on their face.
“The choir welcomes adults from all ages.
“We want the choir to be fun and accessible for everyone, you don’t have to be an amazing singer.”
The Christmas song, Talking About Love This Christmas, was written by Elle and Luke at the beginning of November.
Elle recalls: “The lyrics were buzzing around my head and were keeping me awake.
“I knew I had to do something with them and then came up with the idea of writing and recording the charity song.
“Luke is fantastic at putting music to anything and it was great to be able to get the choir involved.
“Their voices on the track really helps to lift the song and makes it more powerful.
“Writing has helped me to cope with Jody’s battle with cancer, and since losing her, it’s been my main outlet of coping with grief.
“It has been daunting to put a song out there that is so personal, but I’m sure the lyrics of the song will resonate with many people who have lost a loved one, and I hope it can offer some form of comfort.
“I am so lucky to still be here and I desperately wish Jody was too.”
The North Coast Choir hope to spread some Christmas cheer with a performance at The Cornishman in Crantock on Friday, December 15.
They also hope to get Talking About Love This Christmas played on the radio, in shops, restaurants, pubs, schools and to keep people talking about it.
The choir looks forward to welcoming people to its new choir sessions at Crantock Village Hall, which start on January 8 between 7.30pm and 8.30pm.
To listen to Talking About Love This Christmas visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkbsIlRARnI
To make a donation visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/NorthCoastChoir?utm_term=BzQgr4kVn