Hydebank Wood Women’s Choir win at Holywood Music Festival
The Hydebank Wood Women’s Choir recently won the Adult Community Choir Award at the Holywood Music Festival. They performed ‘Remember Me’ by Kristen and Robert Lopez, The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel and Irish Blessing by Philip Stopford.
Northern Ireland Opera was awarded funding for 2025 to 2026 by the National Lottery Community Fund ‘Awards for All’ to manage and develop the Hydebank Wood Women’s Choir as part of our extensive outreach and education programme.
Led by India Chapman-Webb since 2022, this choir has already achieved remarkable success and was highlighted in the November 2024 Inspection Report of Hydebank Women’s Prison by the Department of Justice as an example of notable positive practice:
”The choir fostered a sense of community for the women who took part and an opportunity to demonstrate their talents and abilities. They were able to practise together, perform solos and enter community competitions.”
The choir meets weekly and comprises female residents and staff from the Northern Ireland Prison Service. They perform at events in HMP Hydebank as well as entering local choir competitions where possible remotely, and previously won Best Adult Community Choir in November 2023 at the Holywood Music Festival Choir Award. We’re delighted to see them recognised again this year.
A huge thank you to the National Lottery Community Fund ‘Awards for All’ whose funding supports our work with the choir.