Chris Kamara on Bantam of the Opera, Bradford City, Valley Parade fire 40 years on and how singing helps his apraxia

The Middlesbrough native, who lives in Wakefield, has always enjoyed busting out a tune and has even released a couple of Christmas albums.

Since his diagnosis in 2022 of apraxia of speech, a rare neurological disorder which affects how he talks, he can’t commit to singing in the same way – but enjoys the benefits of doing so even if it’s just in the shower, to the animals or with his family.

“Singing is good for your mental health,” he says. “Everybody can sing, whether they're tone-deaf or not. And trying to get the fluency back in my voice, singing has been a good way to do it. I sing with my grandson, Justin Fletcher songs, so that helps as well. Singing is the perfect vehicle if you're having difficulties with speech and stuff. Even if you absolutely can't hear yourself and think you're singing great, the actual going through with it makes it feel better.”

And his tones will be put to good use again as he backs Bantam of the Opera, which will usher Bradford City FC fans from terrace songs to crooning of a more lofty persuasion.

BBC Radio Leeds will be taking a group of supporters, who are known as the Bantams, to see if they can be taught to sing opera as part of the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture celebrations.

It will follow participants’ journeys as they go from stadium chants to performing as a choir in the lead up to a big finale at the end of the year.

The world-renowned BBC Singers and Orchestra will help the choir during their development and distinguished names such as Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber – who wrote The Phantom of the Opera – and opera singer Lesley Garrett have also pledged their support to the campaign alongside Kammy, who hopes to join in with the other singers too.

English soprano Garrett will also be involved in key moments throughout the year.

She says: “Wherever there is football, there is singing. The two go together like fish and chips, like Yorkshire pudding and gravy!

“Community singing is the way we bind together to express powerful shared passions and opera is the most passionate form of singing there is. I am so excited to see and hear what the Bantams can achieve musically, but even more excited to see the joyous and uplifting effect that music-making will have on their lives.”

As a player, Kamara, 67, had spells at numerous clubs including Leeds United and Sheffield United, and signed for Bradford in 1994 as a player-coach before becoming manager.

While manager from 1995 to 1998, Kamara took Bradford City to a euphoric 1996 play-off final win, beating Notts County 2–0 to secure a place in the old First Division, after overcoming a two-goal deficit to beat Blackpool 3-2 in the semi-finals.

When he left the club in 1998, he went on to briefly manage Stoke but after that ended within a few months, he moved into presenting and worked with Sky Sports for more than two decades before stepping back in 2022.

Bradford, however, still holds a special place in Kamara’s heart.

“I wouldn't be where I am today without Bradford,” he says. "Managing to get the manager’s job at Bradford after Lennie Lawrence signed me as a player and taking the club to Wembley – the old Wembley – for the first time in their history, is something I'll always cherish. My two sons were mascots that day. I just never felt for one second we would lose that game. We dominated from the off.”

The choir project also comes during a commemorative year for the football club, as it marks 40 years since the Valley Parade stadium fire that claimed the lives of 56 fans and injured many more.

"I can remember seeing those harrowing pictures on the television,” says Kamara. “I was playing for Brentford at the time and we went in the player’s lounge after the game and saw the footage, which was horrendous. I always remember John Helm, who was the commentator/narrator at the time. And 10 years on, I was a Bradford player, for the 10th anniversary. And then I met people who were in the stands that day and fortunately survived, family members of the people that died, and people who lost friends, players who played in the game - Stuart McCall, Peter Jackson, John Hendrie - so from that day on I attended every anniversary of the Bradford fire. Obviously being the manager, the first year felt like a sense of responsibility. Then after that, I felt as if I should go and pay my respects.

“It's the disaster that football has forgotten, as far as I'm concerned. You know, not just 56 died in that fire (but) 265 people were severely injured. So it'd be nice, alongside this thing, to raise money for the burns unit (Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit at the University of Bradford). It's the most advanced burns unit in the UK and donations are vital for them.”

Kamara was delighted to see Bradford named UK City of Culture 2025.

“I just thought it's perfect for Bradford because it's an enormous city, it’s absolutely massive. And the way the people of Bradford have reacted and are rejoicing in the fact that they are the City of Culture is amazing.”

Bradford City FC is supporting the call out for singers with two community outreach events at Valley Parade. The first will be their home game against League Two leaders Walsall tomorrow and the second on Tuesday, January 28, when they take on Morecambe.

Meanwhile, Bantam of the Opera will be available to hear on BBC Sounds from April.

To apply to be involved, go to bbc.co.uk/cityofculture.