Martha McLorinan, who sings in a choir at London's oldest surviving Church - Londoner #58

Martha has always had a passion for singing but it was when she joined the National Youth Choir that she realised that singing professionally was her dream. She is now a member of the choir at London's oldest surviving Church, The Church of St. Bartholomew the Great. Each Christmas, the Choir congregate to sing a range of songs dating back centuries that would have been sung at St. Bartholomew back when they were written.

1000 LONDONERS

This film is part of 1000 Londoners, a five-year digital project which aims to create a digital portrait of a city through 1000 of the people who identify themselves with it. The profile contains a 3 minute film that gives an insight into the life of the Londoner, as well as their personal photos of London and some answers to crucial questions about their views on London life. Over the course of the project we aim to reveal as many facets of the capital as possible, seeing city life from 1000 points of view.

Twitter: @1000_londoners

Transcript:

I guess I'd always been into music. I was a string player as a child. It was through the church choir that one of the guys that ran it, accompanied me for an audition for the National Youth Choir and it was there that I realised this is really what I want to do. It's an incredible building dating back to 1123. So at the choir here we sing music from all sorts of different eras, from hundreds and hundreds of years ago up until now. It's lovely to think that some of the really older stuff was being sung here near when it was written and we're still doing it today. It wouldn't feel like Christmas if I wasn't singing carols. Although I will admit I'm a bit of a scrooge about it all when it starts in mid-November but by Christmas day it's definitely allowed. I guess the run up to Christmas for a singer carries mixed emotions really. You know you'll be singing lots of songs you know backwards and love like a few performances of Handel's Messiah or Bach's Christmas Sartorial and all the things that it wouldn't be Christmas without and all the carols. Also a feeling of dread at how busy you're going to be and how little time off you're going to have. But it's a job we do because we love it so it's a great time of year really. Christmas for me will start here with Christmas Eve midnight mass which will carry on till very late. We'll head back to Streatham, get no where near enough sleep, turn around come back here with a car load of presents and stuff, have mass in the morning then finish up with my family in the evening at which point we'll be exhausted and probably have a very early night. Then the 26th will be the only day in December where I haven't done any singing, so I'm quite looking forward to that. I'm really looking forward to getting back to my parents' house and seeing my little brother's face when I arrive. Since I've been singing here at Christmas he's been slightly annoyed that he can't come and jump on me first thing in the morning. He get's very excited about presents. I'll know I'm home when I see him.