Pub choir stars in 'mind-blowing' West End gala
National LotteryA pub choir which originally offered a free bar to attract singers has performed at one of the UK's biggest celebrations of musical theatre.
Infant Hercules, based in Stockton-on-Tees, sang in front of 12,000 people at the Manchester Arena for The National Lottery's Big Night of Musicals, filmed for BBC One.
The Teesside choir was set up in 2013 with the aim of getting men to open up and have conversations about their mental health.
Choir member Lee Bainbridge confessed he had never visited a big arena and feared he would forget the words singing in front of so many people. "It was spellbinding and mind-blowing," he said.
"How does a group of blokes from Stockton end up on stage in front of thousands of people?"
STUART WHINCUP/BBCEnticed by the offer of a free drink, 15 people came to the choir's inaugural rehearsal in 2013 but now it has more than 140 members.
Graeme McIvor joined after his "much loved" son Peter took his own life in 2019.
"It was tough, very tough, and I wouldn't leave the house or see my friends," he said.
"The choir has been everything to me, they're the most lovely people I've ever met."
National LotteryInfant Hercules meets once a week for rehearsals at a pub in Stockton and performs regularly across Teesside, supported by the National Lottery.
Founder Mike McGrother said the Manchester performance will live long in his memory.
"After the dress rehearsal I asked who do we follow, only be told it was Sam Ryder and the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar," he said.
"I just shook my head and wondered how we'd follow such a phenomenal vocalist."
But McGrother said the former Eurovision singer was "kind and incredibly supportive" of the choir and the audience was on their feet waving their phones with their lights on.
"It was a truly magical night," he said.
The performance will be shown on The National Lottery's Big Night of Musicals on BBC One on Saturday night.