High Hopes Choir Analysis

The High Hopes choir is a program that was conceived by David Brophy in 2014. (Focus Ireland, 2017). In this essay I will be discussing the High Hopes Choir program that was set up in Ireland in order to help the growing number of homeless people around the country. The program has branched out and can now be found in various locations around Ireland. The choirs are supported by the staff and contributors of many homeless organisations in Ireland. (Focus Ireland, 2017). I first came across the choir following on from their incredible RTÉ documentary series and was blown away by what they were able to achieve. On joining the UCC Choir last year, I was then introduced to the Cork branch of the choir and was able to witness first-hand the kind …show more content…
One of the events that takes place during the RTÉ documentary series is the joining of the Waterford and Dublin choirs to record this song as a charity single to help the homeless, and then perform it on The Late Late Show. The song has enormous meaning for each member of the choir. Some are currently going through homelessness, some have been housed by homeless charities, and some work with people in the homeless community. According to the lead singer of Kodaline, Stephen Garrigan, the song was written at a time when he believes everything was going badly for him and that he was unsure about what direction his life was going in. It was an attempt at trying to stay positive. (Songfacts, 2017). Garrigan’s reasoning behind writing the song can be heard in the performance of the song by the High Hopes choir. It resonates with them and reminds them, that even in their current state, things will get better. Outlets such as being a part of a choir is certainly a sign of things getting better for these members, even a slight improvement is made to their daily …show more content…
They became a tight knit group that looked out for one another, not just in the choir, but on the streets as well. The woman mentions how if someone who would regularly show up for the rehearsal is absent, that they will go looking for them. She feels that there is now an ‘order’ to her life and a ‘sense of belonging’. (Carbery, 2015). This account by this woman completely solidifies the need for a choir of this kind. Music can be an outlet for all people, of any background, race or religion. The fact that this woman went through such hardship only to come out the other side and to be bettering her life through singing songs with her newly made friends, that itself is an astonishing