Hitting the high notes for VSA

What’s the difference between singing ‘Happy Birthday’ in the Ledingham Chalmers’ training room, and performing a Sister Act medley in front of hundreds of people?

Ten weeks.

That was the time our choir - the appropriately-named Law Law Land - had to prepare for Sing, Sing, Sing 2017. This popular event has already raised around £28,000 for social care charity VSA's mental health services.

And what a result!

We came second overall in the competition held at Aberdeen’s Beach Ballroom, hosted by Fiona Kennedy and Laura Pike.

In a talented pack of 10 choirs, we were selected for the ‘People’s Choice Award’ by the 600-strong audience.

This is a fantastic achievement, especially when you consider that around three quarters of our choir had never taken part in anything like this.

And importantly, we’ve raised almost £2,000 for VSA so far.

Raise your voice

A little over two months ago, we were just a group of people singing round the piano in the training room.

Then, last weekend, in front of hundreds of people, we truly became a choir, and a terrific one at that.

Law Law Land was made up of 17 people from all areas of the business, including partners, solicitors, paralegals, secretaries, as well as reception and cash room staff. We even welcomed back two talented former employees who lent their voices for the occasion.

Each and every one of our singers was committed to the competition right from the start, and it involved a fair amount of preparation.

We rehearsed once a week for the first seven weeks or so, then twice a week after that, and even practised during the weekend of the competition.

But none of it was a chore - it was a great experience!

Spread the love around

VSA is such a worthwhile charity, and helps some of the most vulnerable people in our local community.

Ledingham Chalmers takes part in many charitable events; however, many of these are sport-based, so this was a chance to take part in something a little bit different.

And it wasn’t just singing that made the difference.

The money we’ve raised so far includes a £500 donation from the Ledingham Chalmers charitable trust, and more than £200 from a bake sale held at the end of last week.

And it’s been a great experience for so many of the choir.

The power of music is hugely uplifting. We all know how good we feel when we listen to or sing along to our favourite music: it’s a great stress reliever.

It’s also been really good to see the interaction across the departments, with people having the opportunity to work with others in the firm they don’t always get to spend a lot of time with otherwise. Everyone was there for each other from the word go.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, this has been a tremendous personal journey for many involved, and the group has provided a great sense of camaraderie.

Overall, it was a terrific event and one we are delighted to have been part of, and there’s a very real possibility the choir will become a permanent fixture.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to donate, please feel free to do so through our JustGiving page.