Heather's singing while she works thanks to Gareth Malone (From Northwich Guardian)
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Heather's singing while she works thanks to Gareth Malone
11:00am Wednesday 3rd October 2012 in News
By Gina Bebbington
Heather Boyd is set to star on The Choir: Sing While You Work
AN AIRPORT worker is making the most of an unknown talent for singing after being discovered by the nation’s favourite choir master.
Kingsmead woman Heather Boyd will feature on Gareth Malone’s new BBC2 series The Choir: Sing While You Work, which airs tomorrow, Thursday, at 9pm.
Gareth’s aim in the new series is to encourage staff in some of the UK’s busiest workplaces to sing while they work and 61-year-old Heather was chosen as a soprano in the Manchester Airport choir.
“It’s been a fantastic experience,” she said.
“I’ve never sung before.
“I didn’t go into it because I thought I could sing, I went because I thought if I didn’t I would watch it on TV and think ‘why didn’t I try?’ “If you don’t try you don’t know.”
Heather, who has worked in customer services at the airport for more than 30 years, had to conquer her fears for the series and found the audition process an unexpected baptism of fire.
“We’re all the same aren’t we? Frightened of doing something in case we show ourselves up,” she said.
“A friend and I both went along to the audition and we were very scared.
“Someone in reception said to us ‘don’t worry, you won’t have to sing on your own’, then we got inside and they said ‘yes you do’.“It was nerve-racking beyond nerve-racking.
“There were about 20 of us, a camera crew, director, producer and Gareth Malone and he started on the front row then the other end of the back row.
“We were the last two and we were both shaking like leaves.”
Heather, who also works at Northwich Vets, in Manchester Road, said she was gobsmacked when she discovered she had made it into the choir and praised Gareth’s work.
“He’s quite tough,” she said.
“He’s a task master because he’s training both people that have sung and people that have never sung.
“But he’s really lovely and knows how to get the best out of people. ”
Heather, who lives in Kingsmead with her husband Mike and their three dogs, has already sung at a number of events as part of the choir.
“When you get older you don’t think there’s anything else you can do – this has been fantastic.” she said.
