Roaring with pride: The Stammering Voices Choir

Image

Caption

Graeme (right) conducting the Stammering Voices choir at the Britain's Got Talent audition

Last October, we shared a request from one of our members on social media. Graeme Pickering wanted to put together a choir and was looking for people who stammer of all ages to join, with the goal of auditioning for Britain's Got Talent earlier this year. So how did it all go? Graeme tells us all about it…

Image

Caption

Graeme

In a powerful celebration of diversity and self-expression, a group of 21 stammerers from across the UK came together to form 'Stammering Voices', a choir dedicated to embracing and showcasing the beauty of stammering through music.

Members of the choir age from 9 to 65 and are geographically located from all pockets of the UK. Founded by me, Graeme Pickering, a theatre creative and stammerer, the choir's mission is to challenge stigma and promote understanding, whilst being true to its ultimate vision: to celebrate stammering — because it's just how we talk. And we're proud of that.

Stammering Voices met centrally in Leicester for the first time last Autumn and began to rehearse a special number. After months of practising, in January we were ready to audition for Britain's Got Talent.

The choir's debut performance was nothing short of spectacular. With a rousing rendition of Katy Perry's 'Roar', we took to the stage in Blackpool and sang to the Britain's Got Talent judges in front of a packed audience. 

Image

Caption

Members of the Stammering Voices choir waiting to perform

The song's lyrics resonated deeply with the choir members, representing our message perfectly. The verse 'I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath, scared to rock the boat and make a mess, so I sat quietly, agreed politely' representing how often stammerers have felt the need to hide how they speak due to public opinion and outdated stigma. The anthemic chorus of 'I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar' became a rallying cry for the group, symbolising the outward pride and confidence in our stammers. We are here to tell our story and to celebrate the beauty of speaking differently to the typical. 

The opportunity to sing and share our stories and experiences of stammering both on and off stage was a powerful moment of self-expression and empowerment.

After the performance, the audience gave us a standing ovation and the judges gave a resounding four yeses! We felt a wholesome sense of elation and community. Overall we had a wonderful day fuelled by a great experience from the production team as they allowed a lot of time for recording interviews about our message with the view to educate the wider audience.

However, being given four yeses from the judges doesn't mean your audition will be televised and unfortunately for us, this was the case. This felt disheartening and disappointing, especially when we had such an important message to share with what we were hopeful would be a wider, national TV audience.

Image

Caption

Members of the Stammering Voices choir with Ant & Dec

Despite this, the experience was wonderful for all the choir members. The opportunity to sing and share our stories and experiences of stammering both on and off stage was a powerful moment of self-expression and empowerment. We might not have been able to reach the audience at home this time but we raised awareness among the 3,000 strong audience and the production team.

Representation

The day highlighted to us too that language is of utmost importance when discussing stammering. People who don't know much about stammering often make comments that are intended to be positive but actually have negative effects, and this is why it is important to keep striving for more media representation to change this narrative.

The real success of Stammering Voices lies not in our Britain's Got Talent performance, but in the community we have created. The choir has become a safe space for stammerers of all ages to come together, share their experiences and support one another. The confidence and pride that has grown from this experience is immeasurable.

The Stammering Voices choir is more than just a group of stammerers who love to sing; it is a symbol of resilience and determination. By using this outlet to celebrate stammering, we are challenging societal norms and promoting greater understanding and acceptance. We will continue to share our message and spread awareness, undoubtedly 'roaring' louder, and inspiring others to do the same. Let's change the stigma.

If you would like to join the Stammering Voices choir, email Graeme at pickering.casting@gmail.com 

See other ways you can get involved with STAMMA and the stammering community.