Hampshire Harmony perform at the Tower of London in Storm Darragh

Hampshire Harmony, based in Basingstoke, performed at the Tower of London in the middle of Storm Darragh on December 7.

The choir performed at MDBrunch’s Choirs@TheTower, which was supposed to showcase 13,000 singers from across the UK, with choirs surrounding the Tower.

The event was co-founded by their MD Clare Oliver, and while it was their first year performing at the Tower, they are hoping to perform there biennially going forward.

READ MORE: Travel and weather updates as Storm Darragh hits Hampshire

Choir member Gill Barlin said: “There was a huge amount of joy during the day and the constant music thrilled the visitors.”

“It was wonderful to see visitors stop and listen and even record us as we sang, their spontaneous applause really boosted us too.”

MD Clare Oliver leading the choir to their first performance spot  (Image: Hampshire Harmony) Hampshire Harmony’s programme included The Christmas Lullaby by John Jutter, White Christmas by Irving Berlin and arranged by Mac Huff and The Twelve Days After Christmas by Frederick Silver, among others, all accompanied by Jonathan Hedgecock.

The event still went ahead despite the torrential rain of Storm Darragh and many choirs across the UK cancelling their trip due to the weather.

Gill added: “We were very excited to take part in this event, but when the weather warnings came and a lot of events were cancelled and most Christmas markets in London were closed, we thought the worst.”

SEE MORE: Hampshire Harmony celebrates 60 years with Haymarket concert

Adapting to the poor weather, new performance areas were chosen to avoid the wind and the rain, which meant the choir’s performances were cut from three to two.

Choirs met to rehearse before their performances. Gill said: “There was a wonderful atmosphere of camaraderie in the room as well over 100 of us gathered for a warmup, which of course was singing a song about the rain.”

Between performances, the choir met other performers and visited areas of the Tower, including the crown jewels.

Gill said: “It was a wonderful day, which we shall all remember. We made it home in good time and everyone was buzzing about the experience we had.”

Hampshire Harmony, which celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2024, is an upper voice choir, singing in a three-part harmony and they rehearse every Monday at Carnival Hall.

The choir are now preparing for the Basingstoke Festival of Choirs event on March 1st at the Anvil, where choirs from the local area will perform together.

They are holding a free open evening event on January 13th, sopranos, mezzos and altos can apply to attend via their website at www.hampshireharmony.org