With this knowledge, ITV’s production team were interested in getting a large group of young people that Shannan has worked with to surprise Shannan on stage with a live performance at Wembley Arena – the limited number of staff who had knowledge of this jumped at the fantastic opportunity for their members but having the chance to put Youth Work in the spotlight, through Shannan’s amazing work.
An external choir master, sound technician and choreographer were organised to attend specially arranged sessions at Legacy – three 5-hour sessions to be precise, to enable to the choir to learn the song arrangements for Bill Withers’ Lean on Me, record the track, and then learn choreography for the stage. 25 young people aged 8-19 rose to the challenge, and our amateur choir suddenly became professional in a very short time frame – also having to remain tight lipped so Shannan wouldn’t find anything out.
They did have a little pre-show warm up ahead of Wembley, as their last event was performed on Friday 2 December at Stanley Arts Christmas Fair and light switch on – their biggest venue and audience size to date (around 100 people). Fast forward four days, and they were stood on the stage at Wembley Arena for their first rehearsal of the day. It was daunting at first, Oti Mabuse had just walked off stage and was watching in the empty sits below. Thirty minutes later it was time to come off stage and let the next act rehearse, how did the choir feel – anxious, nervous and out of their comfort zone. However, the entrance of Alesha Dixon in the backstage area sent a rush of high-pitched squeals throughout the arena. She told them they’d be amazing, and to remember to keep quiet so Shannan doesn’t find out – her warmth and kindness sent comfort to the now excited and buzzing performers.
Whilst waiting for their second dress rehearsal, the choir had the opportunity to see the majority of the other acts performing – their idols were literally in front of them giving them inspiration and energy to give it their all. One member even got a fist pump from Adam Lambert which made their day.
Following the dress rehearsal it was time for dinner, and to go incognito until it was time for their act. Shannan was in the crowds, not really knowing why she was there, or why she was at a VIP section close to the stage. To see the full surprise and how the choir got on, tune into ITV1 on New Year’s Eve for the National Lottery’s New Year’s Eve Bash, at 8.30pm.
Legacy Youth Zone’s CEO, Barnabas Shelbourne said, “The pandemic was a tricky time for most young people, and it was difficult to initially engage with them. Shannan had built a fantastic rapport with many of our senior members and as soon as they heard there were online music sessions, they jumped at the chance to join. I’ve seen so many inspiring stories come from the music room, from young people expressing their emotions through song writing after being bullied, to learning a new instrument, and just generally having fun singing a karaoke song. The fact that Legacy members have perform at external events and for our key funders has been a proud moment for me and the team – and ultimately a testament to Shannan.”