Portadown choir Just Sing hang out with Take That, Katy Perry, Paloma Faith and more during Coronation Concert for King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor

The group of women, who just started singing together since Lockdown, were attending the concert at Windsor Castle, sang their hearts out for the King and Queen as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess George and Charlotte as well as a vast spectrum of pop stars and celebrities.

Tori Hannath, who started the choir from her own own singing with her children during Lockdown, revealed: “It was just unbelievable. The BBC know how to put on a show.

"I can hardly put into words how we all felt … unforgettable."

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Describing the weekend as ‘incredible’ Tori shared the names of the host of starts the choir met during their London visit. “We met Amanda Holden, Gareth Malone, all of Take That, Callum Scott, Katy Perry, Paloma Faith, Hugh Bonneville, James Nesbitt and The Duke & Duchess of Edinburgh….to name a few!”

It was just two years ago that she started singing with her children during Lockdown and now the choir swelled to around 70 members from mostly Portadown but also from Lurgan, Waringstown, Belfast and Carryduff.

Tori said: “We practice at the Rugby Club in Portadown which is a brilliant space. We only started in September 2021. It basically came about through Covid. I have four young children at home. It was fairly stressful at times doing home schooling. But the minute I put on some music to sing, the whole atmosphere in the house completely changed. The children started to sing, we all started to sing and I thought, this is a massive release for what was a very stressful time.”

Tori, who is a teacher, revealed that she used to teach with Heather Burns who was a Musical Director of choirs. “I contacted her and said there is a real need for a community choir for people to just come along and sing without too much pressure.”

Heather was so positive and found them a pianist. “She said ‘let’s do it’ and that is where is started,” said Tori who then got Tracey McLean. “She is the most talented pianist and could play for the King.”

Tori said: “The two of them only met the month before we started the choir and you would think they had worked together forever.

All three are teachers, Tori having worked in Carrickfergus with Heather who now teaches in Moira and Tracey works in Newbridge in Loughbrickland.

“This choir has just taken a life of its own and has become a full time job for me,” said Tori who revealed the choir evolved purely by word of mouth and via a Facebook and Instagram.

"Honestly, the atmosphere and energy within the room every week is incredible. We didn’t do any auditions but my goodness whenever the ladies sing, you would think they had been singing together forever. They are just very very good.” she said

The choir has already had ‘not concerts’, they prefer ‘celebration’ in Craigavon Civic Centre last May and raised almost £1900 for a local charity. And a Christmas celebration in St Mark’s Church in Portadown raised almost £1700 for a local charity. “Everything is going in, we are not taking anything out of this – everything is going back to the local community,” said Tori. The choir will be having their next Celebration on June 1 in Craigavon Civic Centre.

The choir consists of ladies from aged 18 to their 80s. “Last year we had a lady who was 83 and had dementia. It was just her thing every week to come and sing with the young ladies like us who have children at home,” she said.

Tori revealed that some of the women who joined the choir have been through a lot of trauma in their lives who come every Thursday ‘to just sing and let all their emotions go, ladies who have been through cancer, ladies who have lost their husbands. Just the whole stories, since this whole thing with the King has started we have just got to know what some of these ladies have been through.

"I never in my wildest dreams, when I thought in my kitchen I am going to start a choir because I like to sing and feel the benefits of singing – never in my wildest dreams did I think this would be life changing for so many ladies in Portadown,” said Tori.

In the run up to the Concert on Sunday, Tori and the ladies had a starring role on the Lorraine show singing for the Scottish presenter.

More than 700 amateur singing groups applied to be a part of the Coronation Concert. Among those chosen include farmers from NI, NHS workers in Hull, London firefighters and a Welsh male voice choir. Choir director Gareth Malone said previously the Just Sing ladies ‘have an energy and resilience that’s born out of the struggles of their community’.

And ahead of the concert on Sunday evening, Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, TV choirmaster Gareth Malone and Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse helped the ladies with advice as they sing together for the first time.

Back stage, they were mingling with superstars from across the globe including Hugh Bonneville and Lionel Richie.

For more information on the Just Sing choir in Portadown check out their Facebook page