Bradford 2025: 'Singing with Bantam of the Opera choir has changed our lives'

It’s been quite the year for the choir, which was set up by BBC Radio Leeds as part of the Bradford 2025 City of Culture celebrations, offering the opportunity for Bradford City football fans to go from singing on the terraces at Valley Parade to performing together as a 50-strong chorus.

They have sung to thousands of fellow Bantams on the pitch as part of a poignant memorial in a match that saw their team secure promotion, as well as breaking world records and meeting the King - and the group will soon be taking to the stage for their next big gig, honouring stars lost this year at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.

Memories and friendships to last a lifetime, many of its members agree. And for some of those taking part, it’s been truly transformational.

“It’s been wonderful,” gushes Eileen, who has worked at Bradford City since 1987, these days volunteering on match days to support the media in the press room. BBC journalists encouraged her to apply for a spot amongst the singers - and then her daughter signed her up.

“I said to her, I’m not going unless you are, so she joined too,” Eileen smiles. “When I got to 90, I thought this is it - what is there now really to look forward to? I had lost such a lot of friends last year and I’d got a bit down. This has just lifted me. Everybody is so friendly and welcoming. There’s such a lovely atmosphere. It’s as though I’ve known these people for years.”

Eileen speaks fondly of gaining a new lease of life, with experiences she could never have imagined, certainly as a nonagenarian.

She now feels in good company too, after what had been a difficult 12 months. Fellow choir members even organised an afternoon tea celebration for her 91st birthday earlier this year.

“I’ve always kept myself busy. My husband died when he was 50 and I made my mind up then that I wasn’t going to sit back. I was going to do what I could,” Eileen reflects.

“But I was feeling a bit lonely. I said to my daughter I don’t know who to ring up now after I lost my brother last year - he had been brilliant after I lost my husband. I just felt lost and all of a sudden I’ve all these lovely people in my life.”

Tili-etta Fawcett, one of the choir’s youngest members, is one of them. Performing a duet with Eileen at Bradford City’s promotion parade was one of the highlights of the year. “It was one of those moments I’ll keep close to my heart always,” the 19-year-old says.

Tili-etta holds many childhood memories of going to Bradford City games with her granny. The day she performed on the pitch with the choir, to mark 40 years since a deadly fire swept through the club’s home ground, was the first time that her granny had been back to support the team in person after suffering a stroke. “That was such a big moment too,” Tili-etta says. “There’s been so many. Being part of the choir has given me more confidence to go out and sing. I get this feeling of pride in my stomach.”

Fellow choir member Matthew Robinson also speaks of a boost in confidence. The 23-year-old, who has Down’s Syndrome has been undertaking a performance course with Mind The Gap theatre company and says being part of the choir has opened up a door of opportunity.

He’s been taking part with his dad, 63-year-old Steve, who was keen to get involved in a project for Bradford’s City of Culture year.

“He can’t sing but he makes a lot of noise at the football,” jokes Matthew, who for years has played for Bradford City Disability FC and enjoys watching musicals at Bradford’s Alhambra theatre.

Steve admits he was a singing novice before. “I don’t know if my singing has improved or if people have just got more tolerant of it,” he laughs.

For a choir that didn’t even exist a year ago, it’s been a pretty momentous few months.

Members have been supported along the way by the BBC Singers, with Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Yorkshire-born opera singer Lesley Garrett, and sports commentator and TV presenter Chris Kamara as ambassadors for the campaign.

Kamara, who was diagnosed with the speech condition apraxia in 2022, previously said he had used singing to help him with his speech, wellbeing and mental health.

Kennedy Rawlings can relate. The 33-year-old applied to join the choir after seeing Kamara launch an appeal for members. “I resonate a lot with him because I have a speech impediment,” she says. “I have a stammer which affects my everyday life. I felt that it was important for me to raise awareness of people that have speech impediments and show people that just because you have one, it doesn’t mean that you can’t do things.

“I didn’t expect things to happen the way that they have. If you’d have told me months ago that I’d be singing on the pitch and singing for the King, I’d be like what really? It’s been an experience I will never forget and I have made some friends for life.”

Kennedy, a third generation City fan, says she was low in confidence because of her speech.

“When I am singing, there is no speech impediment. There’s no stammer. I’m just like a regular speaking person,” she says.

“This is something I wouldn’t have thought that I’d ever do. At first, I was thinking what have I got myself into? I’m not very good at meeting new people - I worry that other people aren’t accepting of me because of my speech. Everyone here has been amazing and has supported me throughout. They see me and not the speech impediment.”

Fellow choir member James Sharp also joined with the hope of raising awareness and inspiring others.

The 41-year-old has Bell’s Palsy, a weakness of the muscles in his face, and says he wanted to show that despite health challenges, you can “give things a go and show a positive attitude towards life”.

In doing so, he has also inspired his two daughters, aged ten and seven. The youngest has now found the confidence to join a choir and learn a musical instrument. “She absolutely loves it and if you ask her why she does it, she says because my dad does, which makes me thrilled,” he says.

Another singer, Vito Cilenti was also feeling inspired to take hold of new opportunities when he heard about the choir. He had only finished treatment months earlier after being diagnosed with blood cancer early in 2024.

“I would have never considered applying for anything like this, but going through cancer has made me think that opportunities have to be taken in life,” he wrote in his application.

Now he reflects, “I didn’t know where life was going to take me last year. Fortunately the treatment went well. It put a different mindset into me that I should always take an opportunity when it arises…Coming through a life-changing diagnosis, it does alter your mindset, it does affect you physically and mentally.”

The 65-year-old says that joining the choir and meeting others has been transformative, helping in particular to strengthen and project his voice, which was altered by cancer close to his diaphragm.

“It’s helped me enormously with my rehabilitation,” he says. “It’s got my voice stronger, it’s given me more confidence and I’ve also met some amazing people who I’m proud to call friends. It’s been a very uplifting experience.

“They’ve thrown so many unexpected performances at us, from a flashmob at Broadway shopping centre…to serenading King Charles. Who would have thought that a group of Bradford City fans would ever get to meet the King, let alone sing to him? He came down and mingled with us and engaged in conversation with us about football. It was a memorable experience none of us will ever forget…The choir generally has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.”

The Bantam of the Opera choir will perform a moving orchestral adaptation of the Bradford City anthem Midland Road at the Sports Personality of the Year awards on December 18. The choir will also be featuring in a film to be broadcast on BBC One. Titled Sing When You’re Winning, the 30-minute programme, presented by Bradford-born Kimberley Walsh, will chart the choir’s journey over the past year - a tale of friendship, pride and finding harmony, both on and off the pitch.