Sing in the City choir release song to raise mental health funds

Musical Directors Kirsty Baird and Annette Hanley, have launched the charity song ‘Follow the Rainbows’.

Inspired by their choir members, the song tells the story of their choir family coming together, overcoming their fears and insecurities and replacing these feelings with strength and positivity.

Launching on Spotify, and available to download on iTunes this Friday, April 24, all of the donations received from the download of ‘Follow the Rainbows’ will be donated directly to the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH).

Sing in the City started choir which has grown over the last 10 years to be a home to a family of 18 choirs spanning Fife and the Lothians, with over 1000 members.

Kirsty Baird said: “It is well documented and has never been truer, that singing is a positive aid for good mental health which has been evident through how the choir members have adjusted and adapted during this difficult time.

“Even before the UK quarantine was put in place it was clear that the Sing in The City members were more afraid of the isolation than they were of the virus. “Choir means more than just singing to our members, it is interaction, friendship and laughter and as the quarantine began, normality was soon replaced with anxiety.

“Like all businesses and individuals, we have all adapted to the new norm. Sing in the City moved all rehearsals online and created daily sessions to try and keep our members (their friends and families), engaged, together and connected.”

The song was inspired following a zoom chat between Kirsty and choir members to discuss how everyone was feeling, the words and feelings shared by the members have been incorporated into the song lyrics.

Kirsty added: “Over the last four weeks we have seen our members shine, sharing their artwork and projects. Watched them develop, learn and help less technical people get online and take part in live rehearsals, sing-alongs and online chats. Everyone exercising patience and compassion. It has been beautiful to be part of and has certainly helped to keep my own personal anxieties at bay. We were always going to do something for our 10th anniversary but we could never have guessed it would have been writing and producing a song and a video in a lock down scenario.”

The mental health charity SAMH was selected as beneficiary as it is believed that mental health will be greatly affected in the months to follow as a result of the virus COVID19.

Follow the Rainbows will be released and ready to download on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music,

Deezer, Apple Music, Tik Tok on Friday, April 24.

Sing in the City are asking supporters to spread the word and join them this Friday 24 April at 7pm for the premier of the video and song on the Sing in the City Facebook page; www.facebook.com/singinthecity/