Saturday 20th December has been a date looming over a bunch of us for the last couple of months, ever since I suggested to C90, the singing group I run, that it might be fun to do an end-of-year show, to share our sound with friends and family.

The setlist was... ambitious. Fourteen songs – plus a somewhat presumptuous encore! – most of which consist of two- or three-part harmony. All performed by a bunch of friends, most of whom would not consider themselves "real" singers.

As Saturday rolled around and I started packing for the show, the confidence I'd tried to instil in the group was something I felt keenly, even as my nervous system wanted nothing more than to escape.

But that's the interesting thing about this group: I was always entirely confident the audience would enjoy the show and, more importantly for me, that the members of C90 would too. And that confidence was repaid in spades.

We put on the show in support of the Anawim women's centre, and we managed to raise £368 through presale tickets and people turning up on the door... including members of the public who came in for a quick drink, stayed to watch us perform, and made a donation. Big thanks to Jenny for rattling the bucket.

One thing that did surprise me, however, was the presentation of a card with a bunch of personal, handwritten messages from members of the group. Here's one example, from Kerry, shared with her consent:

What a life-changing experience this group has become, Mark. You have brought us together into this safe + empowering space and helped us to find new friends, confidence and amazing connection. You’ve also genuinely helped ma lo develop my singing skills – though colleagues may disagree! Thank you for everything you have done for us. We’re not always easy to manage – and we never will be! But we love you for trying. Massive respect.

And Kerry wasn't the only one to describe C90 as "life-changing". In fact, the family member of another singer – who'll remain anonymous – told me C90 had changed their loved-one's life.

That's far from what I'd imagined when I first started writing down a list of 90s songs I thought it might be fun to sing.

The show took a lot of work to put together, from me and of course from our performers. I prepared backing tracks and vocal examples for each song – a process which needs a good deal of refinement, as I was being inconsistent between recordings and rehearsals – but maybe that's what happens when you put 15 songs together, each with up to three vocal parts. Mistakes happen, and the group was super gracious through it all.

What I hope it's shown some of our members is that they can do far more than they realise, with the right amount of support... and maybe a gentle prodding between the shoulder blades!

Roll on 2026!

We're back on Friday 9th January, at our new home, Stirchley Baths. We gave the place a trial run a few weeks ago when I ran a workshop to help us get to grips with some of the trickier songs, and I felt it'd give us the space we needed to grow. But the Old Post Office will always be our first home, and the place that helped us get our start.

And while I'm in a thanking mood, I want to give a special shout-out to Sarah, who's been an invaluable source of friendship, support, and teasing. Everyone needs a champion, and I'm lucky to have a fierce one in Sarah. Thanks, bab.