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Thea Callaghan leads community singalong

To mark the 75^th Anniversary of VE Day, vocal student Thea Callaghan and her 1940s-inspired close harmony group Company B UK led a socially distanced community singalong of ‘We’ll Meet Again’ on the Isle of Wight, where they’re currently spending lockdown.

The group encouraged local artists from the community to join on Thursday 7 May after the Clap for our Carers, lifting spirits and raising funds for local NHS charities including the island’s Earl Mountbatten Hospice.

Thea explains –

“We were due to perform at the local hospice last week and it’s a charity we all hold dear to our hearts.”

Hundreds of islanders – including Polly Green, Antonia Thwaites and Nathan Stubbings who will be starting at Trinity Laban in September as vocal students – sang the iconic wartime tune on their doorsteps along with Company B UK.

Thea reflects –

“When I sang ‘We’ll Meet Again’ from my driveway on Thursday it was ghostly and extraordinarily. My amp played up to begin with, so I sang acapella – the silence was stunning and when my neighbours began to join me in song, I was overwhelmed with the response.”

The mass singalong was immortalised in a charming montage video shared on BBC news.

Thea comments –

“The response to our video was just so phenomenal, we wanted to share it with as many people as possible.”

To the delight of her neighbours, Thea came back out the following day to give a socially distanced VE Day concert, ending with her singing on her local high street in the back of an American wartime jeep.

And that wasn’t the end – Thea and fellow Company B UK members’ virtual performance of ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’was featured on South Today on Saturday 9 May, accompanying the programme’s VE Day montage.

“I love singing and performing with my Company B girls,” says the singer, “not just because we’re great friends but because of the joy that this genre brings to people.”

Looking ahead, Thea continues –

“We have been recording a lot for our social media and virtual events including the upcoming Amick Productions of Wight Proms – Stay at Home Gala.

“I will definitely keep on singing from my driveway during the rest of lockdown and can’t wait to be able to perform live again!”

To find out more about studying voice, visit our study pages.

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Image: Thea, centre, with the Company B UK trio