The quiet role of friendship in our success

Have you ever stopped to think about the quiet role friendship plays in our success?

You won’t spot me in the video. I’m a tiny black dot on the left side of the choir at the Royal Albert Hall last week for Rutter’s Christmas Concert!

For the audience, it was uplifting. For me, it was something far more personal: my first concert with the Bach Choir and a moment I’d never dared to imagine possible. I had to hold back the tears with the sheer emotion of it.

There are so many things I could write about—goal-setting, stepping outside your comfort zone, the importance of consistency—but you already know all that. What really struck me on the train home that night was this: success isn’t a solitary journey.

When I reflected on how this “dream” became a reality, I counted no fewer than 23 people who had helped me along the way over nearly 30 years.

These weren’t just kind souls cheering me on from the sidelines. They were individuals whose words, actions, and encouragement nudged me towards my goal, often without even realising their impact.

The first person who came to mind? A teacher who introduced me to the power of visualisation over 30 years ago. It’s a skill that has shaped not just my musical journey but my life as a whole.

Then there was a colleague I used to stand next to during school assemblies. She often told me I sang “beautifully.” And friends who in 1998 took me to my first choral and orchestral concert at the Royal Albert Hall, simply to cheer me up. Little did they know the seed they were planting.

More recently, musician friends and teachers have helped me in countless ways, not least with advice like, “Be the musician you are.” Such empowering words: be yourself, you’re enough.

Then there are the practical heroes:
- my husband, who juggles his own schedule and mine so I can attend rehearsals in London.
- a neighbour who kindly looks after our dog.
- my children, who’ve sorted themselves out more than once when both their parents were otherwise engaged!

And as I reflect on this journey, it strikes me how vital friendship is. It’s a thread running through every success I’ve ever had, quietly but consistently.

As we step into 2025, let’s bring friendship back to the forefront and recognise it for the powerful force it is.