Choir from current UK City of Culture host city put on show of support for Paisley 2021

A choir from current UK City of Culture hosts Hull visited Paisley for a special performance to show support for the town’s 2021 bid.

Almost 70 members of Hull’s All For One Choir wowed passers-by with a rousing performance on the town’s High Street.

2017 City of Culture All For One Choir visited Paisley hopefuls on Saturday 23rd September.
They serenaded the locals with an impromptu performance before taking in some Paisley culture

The choir – which features volunteers from Hull’s successful bid for UK City of Culture 2017 – stopped by the town to entertain the crowds following their performance at Glasgow’s City Halls with the Glasgow Philharmonia.

Hull have seen £1 billion of investment since winning the title in 2013, with the city attracting 1.4m visitors in just the first three months of its year in the spotlight.

Paisley was this summer named as the only Scottish location, and only town, on the shortlist for the title of UK City of Culture 2021, alongside Coventry, Stoke, Sunderland and Swansea.

The bid is part of a wider push to use Paisley’s unique heritage and cultural story to transform the future of the whole Renfrewshire area, with the final bid document due to be submitted to the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport at the end of the month.

Hull’s All For One Choir was founded by musical director Helen Garnett, who reached the live semi-finals of television show Britain’s Got Talent 2016 as part of The Garnett Family.

Helen said: “Our choir has performed in locations such as Florence, Dublin and even the Netherlands and it’s lovely to come to Scotland this year.

“I used to live in Bridge of Weir, so I have a soft spot for Paisley and was very aware of the town’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2021. As we were in Glasgow for a show the night before we couldn’t pass on the opportunity to come to Paisley and put on a performance.

“We’re passionate about singing and want to share that with everyone. Coming from Hull – the current UK City of Culture – we wanted to make some ties with Paisley and show our support for the bid.”

“Paisley 2021 bid director Jean Cameron said: “We are delighted to welcome the Hull All For One Choir for a spectacular public performance right in the heart of Paisley town centre.

“Having supported a number of events for Hull’s UK City of Culture year, it is fantastic news that the choir is throwing its support behind Paisley’s bid. This is a great boost as we make our final preparations to submit the town’s final bid for UK City of Culture 2021.”

“Performances like this showcase just what a City of Culture looks like and, should Paisley win, we could have events like this every weekend.”

The winner of the UK City of Culture 2021 bid will be announced in December.