“I was passed a letter as we finished singing. As soon as I spotted the crest on the seal I knew it was something very special. Then I opened it and saw Kensington Palace on the letterhead.”
When Amanda Wrigley launched an intergenerational choir in Chester, she had no idea it would one day capture the attention of the Princess of Wales.
It all started when HRH Princess Catherine saw footage of Amanda’s choir, the Sankofa Songsters, performing at a 2023 carol service. The choir, made up of preschoolers, primary school pupils, care home residents, and members of the community, had come together to sing at All Saints Church in Hoole, Chester.
Soon after, Amanda received a letter from Kensington Palace inviting the group to perform at the Princess’s Together at Christmas service at Westminster Abbey.
“The BBC was actually filming our own carol service rehearsal when I opened the letter,” says Amanda. “It was such an honour. The Princess had seen something magical in the way we were bringing generations together through music.”
The Abbey event, one of HRH’s most high-profile appearances following her cancer treatment, featured a star-studded lineup including Richard E Grant, Gregory Porter, and Paloma Faith. But it was Amanda’s choir who closed the show with Away in a Manger.
“We walked onto the stage in front of a beautiful life-sized nativity,” Amanda recalls. “The children and older singers looked up at me, waiting to start, and I felt really emotional. We sang, and at the end, we actually got a round of applause – which is quite rare at the Abbey. Then I glanced over, and the Princess smiled and waved at us.”
Backstage, Amanda says, were “some really touching moments,” as the youngest and oldest choir members connected naturally and joyfully. “We all just had such a wonderful time together.”
A former teacher, Amanda is no stranger to the power of music. In 2020, after noticing how much her young daughter and 75-year-old father enjoyed singing together at her Little Beats sessions, she founded Live the Beat. The initiative brings together generations through stay-and-play music sessions and inclusive choirs in 16 Chester-area care settings.
“I was interviewed on the Lorraine show with one of our residents, Ian, who spoke so openly about losing his wife after 60 years of marriage. He said the choir gave him something to look forward to — that he really needed it. That’s when you know it’s making a difference.”
Amanda’s most well-known work is based at Belong Chester, home to the UK’s first fully integrated nursery and care village. In partnership with national charity Ready Generations, Amanda’s choirs have received widespread attention, with features in The Guardian and on The One Show. She’s even hosted what she believes to be the UK’s largest intergenerational singalong.
“I’ve been incredibly lucky with the support I’ve had – from friends, family, and especially Sue Egersdorff and Liz Tapner at Ready Generations. Sue calls me her ‘creative lead’, which I love.”
And just when Amanda thought the Westminster performance couldn’t be topped, another royal invitation arrived: a place at the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 14th 2025.
Themed Education and Skills, the event honours those dedicated to learning and community development. Amanda will attend alongside long-time choir pianist Pete (who missed the Abbey due to illness), care home resident Doreen, and social prescriber Hollie, who helps fund the choir’s work across Cheshire.
“We were chuffed to pieces,” Amanda says. “It means so much that educators – and intergenerational projects like ours – are being recognised at the highest level.”
