BBC One’s Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together

Rock Choir Featured in BBC One’s Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together

Rock Choir Members from across Northern Ireland came together for a collaborative performance with the Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts Festival at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, filmed as part of the BBC One series Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together.

More than 70 Rock Choir Members and charity volunteers gathered in the grand entrance hall at Stormont to perform Mountain by Sam Ryder, a song chosen for its uplifting message of resilience, encouragement and hope.

A shared performance centred on music, wellbeing and community

Filmed by Big Mountain Productions, the performance brought together Rock Choir Members across Northern Ireland in a powerful shared moment rooted in creativity, wellbeing and participation through music.

Set against the backdrop of Stormont’s historic surroundings, the scale and atmosphere of the performance gave the day a real sense of significance. For many involved, it was an emotional experience, with members from different choirs coming together as one choir in support of an important cause.

Joining voices at Stormont

Partway through the performance, actress and presenter Natalie Cassidy joined the singers, stepping into the choir mid-song at the encouragement of members gathered around her.

Following the performance, Natalie spoke with Rock Choir Leader Clare Galway and Noelle Mc Alinden from the Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts Festival about the role music can play in supporting mental health and wellbeing, and the importance of shared creative experiences within local communities.

The collaboration reflected many of the values that sit at the heart of the Rock Choir experience: connection, encouragement, confidence and the positive impact that singing together can have on people’s lives.

A memorable experience for Rock Choir Members

For those taking part, the filming offered a rare opportunity to contribute to a national television programme while helping highlight the role community participation and creativity can play in supporting wellbeing.

Many Rock Choir Members described the day as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not only because of the BBC filming itself, but because of the atmosphere created by voices coming together in one space.

Part of the wider Rock Choir experience

This performance reflects just one of the many unique opportunities available to Rock Choir Members as part of their membership. Rock Choir is regularly invited to take part in broadcasts, performances and special events nationwide, giving members the chance to sing in remarkable settings while representing their local communities through music.

Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together will be broadcast on BBC One at 1.30pm and 7pm on Bank Holiday Monday, 25 May. Episodes 1–4 will also be available on BBC iPlayer that morning, with Episodes 5–8 available from Monday 1 June.

Rock Choir and the Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts Festival will appear in the series finale, Episode 8.