Hemel woman sings on her driveway to lift morale on her road during lockdown

A woman from Hemel Hempstead has been singing outside the front of her house to lift morale in her street during the coronavirus pandemic.

Singer Elizabeth Kirk, of Glenview Road, was asked by one of her neighbours, who works for the NHS, to sing on Thursday nights, after the residents clap for the carers.

She has sung 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' and 'Songbird' by Eva Cassidy and will be singing 'Ain't Mountain High Enough' by Marvin Gaye.

Elizabeth said: "I was a bit reluctant to sing at first but I did because she asked me, and the response was amazing. I had flowers and cards and people asking me to do it every week.

"We have recorded them and posted them on Facebook and Youtube and people who don't live in our road have asked me to keep singing so they can watch it online.

"So I will carry on singing every Thursday, I sing one song after we do our clap."

Elizabeth said as long as the residents want her to, she will keep on singing outside the front of her house.

One neighbour said: "She began singing a couple of weeks ago and she was great!

"She sang an Eva Cassidy song and it was quite emotional, she is doing it on a Thursday when we show our appreciation for the NHS.

"I thought it was brilliant because we all stand out there and clap and her singing was great entertainment for everyone."

Elizabeth added: "People are telling me that they look forward to it each week, so as long as they want me to do sing, I will keep doing it.

"I have been deeply moved by messages from neighbours and from people further afield who have been following on Facebook. People have said it has become the highlight of their week.

"I had a lovely message from a little boy called Riley, he visited me with his mum a few days ago and have me some flowers, he wanted to know what song I was going to sing this week so he could learn the words and sing along.

"I think music generally is helping people to cope with difficult emotions, with boredom, with loneliness and with grief. My singing touched the heart of a stranger who had heard me sing on the ‘next door‘ app.

"She had just lost her 88 year old mum who loved to sing and dance all her life, in her mum's memory she asked me to sing Vera Lynn songs - they seem particularly relevant right now.

"Social distancing will remain in place but the music and memories will connect us closely."

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