May 8, 2023

We are delighted to share some exciting news about two of our talented students, Stephanie Horacio and Andrea Minos Menlah, who recently had the incredible opportunity to perform as part of the Reggae Roots choir at the Coronation Concert celebrating the coronation of King Charles III.

As part of the Reggae Roots choir, Andrea joined forces with 18 other choirs from around the UK to form the Coronation Choir. They worked tirelessly in rehearsals to perfect their performance of the song “Brighter Days”, and their hard work paid off as they delivered a stunning performance at Windsor Castle in front of an audience of 20,000.

Reggae Roots is a youth choir in the UK that specialises in reggae music and has featured in on BBC news in the run up to the coronation. The choir, based in Leeds, offers young people an opportunity to be creative, perform, and improve their mental health and wellbeing through music, in a space that is separate from their school environment.

Andrea and Stephanie shared how they felt when they first found out they would be performing for the King:

Stephanie Horacio said: “When I found out I was performing I was excited, but it didn’t feel real until I got to rehearsals. On the day I was tired: the rehearsals the day before were difficult, but it was a sunny day, and it all came together so in the end it was great.”

“At first when I was told that I was going to be part of 300 people in the coronation choir, I could believe it. I thought it was a joke because the news was so unexpected but then the founder of the choir and everybody else were like “why would they lie about it”: that is when I realised that it was true!” said Andrea Minos Menlah.

He continued to say: “Thanks to this opportunity I was able to really understand what it’s like to set up a whole festival. I was able to understand how hardworking, patient, committed you must be in that environment. I was able to improve so many skills which will support me in future.”

“The most exciting thing was seeing the 20,000 people and the Royal Family watching. We weren’t celebrities but they were still cheering us, which made me feel like I belonged there. We were able to meet celebrities like Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, which was very exciting as well.

I’m proud of me and the choir because even through bad weather, challenging conditions, hours of rehearsal and short hours of sleep, we still were able to pull it off.

I’m so grateful to the BBC for giving us this opportunity and to Sheila Howarth, Founder of the Reggae Roots Choir, The Geraldine Connor Foundation and the Music for the support in our adventures. For me and the whole choir it was big step, and we really can’t wait to see what’s next!”

The coronation of King Charles is a momentous occasion for the country, and Elliott Hudson College is proud to be represented by two of its talented students in the celebration.