The "Sing to Change Lives" Concert is hosted by the Farmers' Choir Northern Ireland, in conjunction with Just Sing Ladies of Portadown and The 85ers sea shanty group from RNLI Portishead, near Bristol. The concert is being held in the splendid surroundings of the Great Hall at Stormont, thanks to Mr John Stewart MLA & Robin Swann MP (former MLA). Raising funds for two charities: Farmers' Choir Northern Ireland & RNLI.

In May 2023 a number choirs were brought together, to form the Coronation Choir, who  sang for the newly crowned King Charles III at Windsor Castle. One year on from the Coronation Concert, 3 of those choirs who attended are coming together for a reunion concert in the Great Hall at Stormont. This unique & one-off, charity concert will feature performances from each of the three choirs.

The Choirs:

The Farmers' Choir Northern Ireland  was established to address rural isolation and offer a way for people to meet and socialise together. The social outlets connected with the rural landscape have reduced dramatically over the years. Through singing, the choir aims to get back to the values of togetherness and friendship which are vital in all our lives. The choir provides an opportunity for rural dwellers in Northern Ireland to sing together and enhance the cultural life of the local community. The choir sings a variety of music under the leadership of Barkley Thompson.

Just Sing is a ladies choir working within the community of Portadown. The choir was established just at the end of the Covid Pandemic.
The choir’s aim is simply to encourage women, from all walks of life, to come together with one common goal-to sing and have fun together!
The choir sings a wide variety of music, from the classics of Rutter to the toe tapping tunes of the West End - we try and include something for everyone!

The 85ers are a sea shanty group made up of 6 active sea going lifeboat crew from RNLI Portishead, in North Somerset, near Bristol. Fully acapella, we sing a wide range of shanties. Formed in lockdown 2021, we have since enjoyed singing at shanty festivals around Bristol, Somerset, Cornwall and Wales. Singing at Windsor Castle at the Coronation Concert alongside the Farmers' Choir Northern Ireland and Just Sing has been a highlight of our performances to date. We are very excited to be singing together with these two great choirs again, for the audience at Stormont, bringing our version of sea shanties to our first ever concert in Northern Ireland.

The Charities:

We have chosen the two charities, close to the hearts of our singers. There will be singers performing at the concert who represent both of our chosen charities:

Farmers' Choir Northern Ireland aim to enhance the mental, social and economic health of the local community, and the reduce isolation of members of the local community. They provide an opportunity for rural dwellers in Northern Ireland to participate in singing as part of a mixed ability group while developing and improving their vocal and performance skills; To enhance the cultural life of the local community; To tackle isolation and loneliness in the rural community.

RNLI - With your support, we save lives at sea. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the RNLI is ready to save lives. Powered by courage, determination and the support of generous people like you. Our volunteer lifeboat crews provide a 24-hour rescue service in the UK and Ireland and our seasonal lifeguards patrol busy beaches. RNLI crews and lifeguards have saved over 144,000 lives since 1824. Being active lifeboat crew at RNLI Portishead The 85ers, know first hand how fundraising events like this concert can help provide us with the kit and training that allows us save lives at sea.

All Tickets £20.00 + £1 booking fee and 3 % transaction fee.

Doors Open at 6.00pm with a welcome speech by Robin Swann at 6.45pm.

Performances will run from 7.00pm to 9.00pm approx.

N.B. There will be no refreshments available to purchase at Stormont on the evening.

Due to the location of the concert being in a parliament building, we will require & request a list of names of those attending the concert a week before the concert. In addition, if you require disabled or accessible carparking closer to the building than the Visitor's Car Park (approx. 200m walk) we will require the vehicle registration that you will be using on the night.

We look forward to performing for you!