'We're proud and you can be proud too' - How Chester's LGBTQ+ choir is changing lives
If you have walked through Chester city centre on any given weekend, you have probably seen Proud Marys perform.
What first began as a singing workshop to reduce isolation for older members of the LGBT community across Cheshire, soon snowballed into a group of over 60 people today.
In 2018 they formed as a group of LGBTQ+ men, women and non-binary people of all ages and backgrounds, united by a love of music and pride in who they are. .
Speaking to Chester Nub News late last year, the choir's musical director, Matt Baker, highlighted the importance of having an LGBTQ+ community in Chester, and using it to do good.
He said: "Choirs, just like sport, are a wonderful way for humans to come together. It's the joy of making music together and sharing that joy with other people
"We're a really strong and positive symbol for LGBTQ in those instances. We're just there singing, showing people that it's normal, it's lovely and it's joyous."
Alongside performing at Chester Pride or World Aids Day, Proud Marys often sing at other community or charity events. The highlight of Matt's work is often the impact this has on those who come and listen.
"When that comes together in the room, that's a real high," he told Chester Nub News.
"The next high is when we find ourselves in a place where we've suddenly got a rapturous audience really enjoying what we do."
Arguably the most rewarding element for Matt, is the safe space that the choir provides.
He said: "Knowing that I'm playing a role in giving just that extra little layer of meaning to somebody's life, that they can come and look forward to Mondays is very special.
"It's not just giving a spotlight but for some, it's giving a space where they feel most comfortable."
Stephanie Taylor had pretty much given up on her dream of performing for audiences due to her being in a wheelchair, until she stumbled across Proud Marys performing at Chester Pride and knew she had to give it a go.
"I can hand on heart say they really have changed my life," she said.
Alongside the joy of performing, Steph's journey has been marked by the relationships that have formed over the past year.
Steph added: "A year ago, I didn't have the life I have now. I was depressed, I wasn't going out. I didn't have many friends and I didn't have that social life.
"Just knowing that people were excited to see me, people wondered where I was if I was off, and I've not had that much in my life."
Stephen Sharp has been a member of Proud Marys for nearly six years. He joined soon after realising he had to focus on something other than work for the sake of his own health.
Explaining his decision, the 41-year-old said: "My job is intense all the time. I didn't realise I needed the choir until I was in it.
"It has been an absolute dream for me to join that choir; it is a safe and sacred space for me. I wasn't aware of how much of an LGBTQ+ community there was in Chester.
"I think it's really needed, not just in Chester, but in every part of the world."
Another choir member, Drew Doran, values how the choir's empowers Chester's LGBTQ+ community in a positive way.
The 28-year-old added: "I think because it's 'Proud Marys', the word proud shows our audiences that we're proud to be who we are.
"We're proud and you can be proud too. This is what the LGBT community looks like, there's not two of us that look the same.
"It is really like a family."
You can find out more about Proud Marys and their upcoming events in Chester here.
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