We’ve loved getting to know all of you, and we thought it was time you got to know each other!
Introducing…

We have such an incredibly diverse range of talents and skills within our family, and such a variety of people from across the world.
To celebrate that, SAHC is starting a brand new blog series called ‘Homegrown’, to shine the spotlight on our members…
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Jackie Hart
This week’s Stay at Homie star is Jackie Hart.
Jackie joined the Stay At Home Choir to sing O Radiant Dawn with Sir James Macmillan but has stuck around for every subsequent project! A lifelong chorister, Jackie’s first experience of singing was the last verse of Holst’s ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ as a solo at the age of 8 and she hasn’t stopped since then! In 2019, Jackie was awarded the Long Service Medal for 40+ years in church music and the Gold RSCM award. On the same day, her daughter Teigan was awarded the Archdeacon’s Award for loyal service for junior choristers (pictured).
Jackie tells us about her experiences in her own words:
As you can tell, I’ve always had singing and music in my life. No matter what happens I’ve kept singing. Throughout my life, singing has always been a chance to relax and take a step back. Aged 12, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease which has led to lots of operations, and lots of time in hospital or recuperating. I couldn’t have got through the long days without my headphones and a Sony Walkman (ask someone over 30)! and later my laptop. I’ve always found no matter what sort of day I’ve had, a choir practice can put a smile on my face.’
Due to the pandemic I’m classed as clinically extremely vulnerable (shielded) because I’ve been on immunosuppressants since I was 17 and it took many months before I was set up to work from home as I had to wait till it was safe to have my equipment delivered. Online choirs have been a Godsend this year helping me to keep singing and meet new people so I didn’t feel isolated. My first project with the Stay At Home Choir was O Radiant Dawn with Sir James Macmillan and I have loved the different styles of music we’ve worked on and the wonderful opportunities it’s given us to work with composers and singers of such a high calibre. The rehearsals/forums and drop ins are highlights in my week.
It was wonderful to have the chance to sing The Armed Man with the Stay At Home Choir as I’ve loved the chorus numbers for many years and missed a chance to sing it once before. I also became just a little bit obsessed with the beauty of the music and harmonies for Caledonia so I’m really looking forward to the project release. Adiemus continues to make me smile every time I watch it.
Huge thanks to Tori and Jamie for taking what started as a single shared thought, (‘do you think we could do a little online choir project’) and rolling with it big time! And to anyone in the team behind the scenes for all the hard work. I have said this in a drop in; somehow Tori and Jamie have managed to pick all the singing wishes I’ve ever had, and some I never even knew I wanted to sing, and bring them all to fruition.


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Tarren van Ettinger
Having been a musician for over 30 years, dabbling in a variety of instruments ranging from guitar to percussion to ukulele to keyboards, music has always been a part of Tarren’s life.
‘Singing has always been my passion and my strength, often giving me reason to keep going through some of the toughest times of my life’
Currently living in Iowa, United States, life hasn’t always been easy for them as a blind autistic person, fitting into much of normal society has often been a struggle. With the initial dream of becoming a voice instructor, and while excelling in the music courses, the written aspect was far too challenging with their condition. Eventually Tarren, moving to Alaska, tried their hand at Braille transcription and woodworking before being asked to teach Braille and technology at the blindness training center in Anchorage. It was during a period of brief good fortune and general transition they met their partner; a phenomenal dog trainer, artist, and awesome person. But through it all, they have kept singing, and singing has been the driving force to keep them in one piece.
After their local church decided to suspend in-person activities due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Tarren being cut off from a community they cherish, searched for a way to continue their love for singing. In that search they found SAHC which has been a ‘lifeline for me to a passion I feared I’d been cut off from’.
SAHC has been a welcome constant through what has been a challenging time on so many levels for Tarren with a personal highlight of working with Sir. Karl Jenkins on Adiemus stating that they suddenly realised that ‘Adiemus was actually a piece I’d heard countless times and grown to love, but hadn’t ever managed to learn the name of’. Tarren thanks all at Stay at Home Choir for making a beautiful, caring, supportive and amazing community; from the amazing team that keeps all this awesomeness going to all their fellow singers who have shared their knowledge, advice, insight and humour through this amazing journey.
We would also like to thank you Tarren for your continued support in keeping this choir an accessible and diverse community for all to do what they love – sing!
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Rashidah
This week we would like to celebrate Stay at Homie, Rashidah.
Following our Collaboration with Sir Karl Jenkins on the Global Armed Man project, we would like to celebrate someone who has worked with him before; Rashidah. You may recognise her music staircase and treble clef shelf (see photos) from one of our recent Zoom Socials! Rashidah says her ‘best choir experience’ was recording Sir Karl Jenkins’ ‘The Peacemakers’ at Abbey Road Studios in June 2011. (She has reassured us that singing ‘The Armed Man’ with SAHC was a very close contender for the top spot!)
Rashidah who is a ‘legalised drug dealer’ by profession, comes to us all the way from Brunei on the Island of Borneo, meaning she was waking up at 1am for rehearsals and 3am for ‘The Armed Man’s’ final social! Music, however, is a big part of her life; Rashidah has a passion for classical music, especially the baroque era, as well as singing operatic arias. Having been in choirs for 16 years singing all different kinds of music, SAHC has managed to reconnect Rashidah with choral singing during these trying times, even connecting her back to an old fellow choir member- Jo who was previously living in Brunei but now lives in Australia.
‘SAHC meant that I am able to connect with other like minded singers and music enthusiasts, working with different music repertoire even though I am far away in another country. This virtual choir format is a great opportunity to work with celebrated musicians and perform their music. It’s inclusive for everyone no matter what their music ability is. We are all joined together for the love of music making.’
We thank Rashidah for her commitment and dedication to our choir and hope she will continue to wake up early to sing with us on our journey in bringing voices from all of the world together!!


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Rashidah
Following our Collaboration with Sir Karl Jenkins on the Global Armed Man project, we would like to celebrate someone who has worked with him before; Rashidah. You may recognise her music staircase and treble clef shelf (see photos) from one of our recent Zoom Socials! Rashidah says her ‘best choir experience’ was recording Sir Karl Jenkins’ ‘The Peacemakers’ at Abbey Road Studios in June 2011. (She has reassured us that singing ‘The Armed Man’ with SAHC was a very close contender for the top spot!)
Rashidah who is a ‘legalised drug dealer’ by profession, comes to us all the way from Brunei on the Island of Borneo, meaning she was waking up at 1am for rehearsals and 3am for ‘The Armed Man’s’ final social! Music, however, is a big part of her life; Rashidah has a passion for classical music, especially the baroque era, as well as singing operatic arias. Having been in choirs for 16 years singing all different kinds of music, SAHC has managed to reconnect Rashidah with choral singing during these trying times, even connecting her back to an old fellow choir member- Jo who was previously living in Brunei but now lives in Australia.
‘SAHC meant that I am able to connect with other like minded singers and music enthusiasts, working with different music repertoire even though I am far away in another country. This virtual choir format is a great opportunity to work with celebrated musicians and perform their music. It’s inclusive for everyone no matter what their music ability is. We are all joined together for the love of music making.’
We thank Rashidah for her commitment and dedication to our choir and hope she will continue to wake up early to sing with us on our journey in bringing voices from all of the world together!!

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Amelie and Seth
This week we are celebrating two Stay at Homie twins Amelie and Seth.
You may have seen them on the SAHC official twitter page way back in at the start of this journey, as these two young stars started singing with the Stay at Home Choir at the very beginning with the Vivaldi Gloria. Since then, they have fitted rehearsing and recording for the choir around their home/school work.
‘We’ve loved every minute of singing new pieces (at our age we would never normally have got to sing in The Armed Man) and meeting all the thousands of other members in the Zoom rehearsals. We hope that SAHC goes on forever!’
We are 13 year old twins from Sheffield. Before the lockdown, we were both in the Sheffield Cathedral Choir (Seth had been in the choir for almost half his life, starting when he was 6). But we’re really sad that the choir has recently been closed and we will be looking for a new one in the Autumn. Amelie and Seth’s talents do not end there however with both playing other instruments – Amelie playing the French Horn and piano and Seth playing the Cello and piano. They also both sing in the National Youth Girls’ and Boys’ Choir (which is where Amelie first ‘met’ Tori!).
We thank both Amelie and Seth for their dedication to our choir and hope they continue with us on our journey of singing and growing to bring voices of all ages together!!
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Amy
First up to the mic is Stay At Homie Amy.
You might not know her, but you’ve seen her work. She’s the mastermind behind our logo’s colourful new look!
Amy is a graphic designer by trade, working in branding and packaging for some of the world’s most notable brands. Music has always played a major part in her life, having sung in a variety of choirs at school, forming a-cappella choirs of her own and running the Music Society at university.
Amy described the process she went through to develop a more colourful look for the Stay At Home Choir;
‘SAHC is a joyful community, bringing together voices from our different homes to create a memorable sound and experience. The logo is based on sheet music inside a home, the safe space in which we learn, sing and express ourselves knowing that when our parts join together we’ll create something special. The graphics convey these individual voices, from many locations, being brought together and layered up, and the radiating lines represent the music reaching others. Jamie and Tori have been inspirational in creating this community; the graphics reflect both charisma and momentum. Wonderful music, wonderful choir’.
We are so grateful to Amy for the time taken to help develop our brand and delighted with a shiny new look, we hope our members are as excited about it as we are – thank you Amy!!


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Amy
First up to the mic is Stay At Homie Amy.
You might not know her, but you’ve seen her work. She’s the mastermind behind our logo’s colourful new look!
Amy is a graphic designer by trade, working in branding and packaging for some of the world’s most notable brands. Music has always played a major part in her life, having sung in a variety of choirs at school, forming a-cappella choirs of her own and running the Music Society at university.
Amy described the process she went through to develop a more colourful look for the Stay At Home Choir;
‘SAHC is a joyful community, bringing together voices from our different homes to create a memorable sound and experience. The logo is based on sheet music inside a home, the safe space in which we learn, sing and express ourselves knowing that when our parts join together we’ll create something special. The graphics convey these individual voices, from many locations, being brought together and layered up, and the radiating lines represent the music reaching others. Jamie and Tori have been inspirational in creating this community; the graphics reflect both charisma and momentum. Wonderful music, wonderful choir’.
We are so grateful to Amy for the time taken to help develop our brand and delighted with a shiny new look, we hope our members are as excited about it as we are – thank you Amy!!
YOU could be the next Stay at Homie to get celebrated – send us your skills and stories to [email protected], and stay tuned to learn more about our worldwide membership in our ‘Homegrown’ series.