Bournemouth Choir Releases Single to Promote Mental Health Awareness

Annabelle Underwood recounted a profoundly difficult experience, stating, “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.” Eight years ago, on New Year’s Day, she learned that her ex-husband and the father of her son had died by suicide. She described the harrowing task of informing her son, saying, “I had to walk up the stairs to tell him something which would change his life and hurt him horrifically,” adding that “It was heartbreaking.” Ms. Underwood is a member of the Resonate choir, based in Bournemouth, and features on the recording of the charity single, “Find the Light.” This song was launched with the aim of increasing public awareness of mental health support services available to individuals experiencing a crisis. The composition was penned by Lorna Hackett, a human rights barrister from Hampshire and a trustee for the charity Silence of Suicide (SOS). The SOS service has seen a threefold increase in call volumes over the past three months. Ms. Hackett expressed satisfaction that individuals are seeking help, indicating that the stigma surrounding mental health is “diminishing.” She further noted, “This time of year, it’s very dark and there are lots of people struggling.” She elaborated on the song’s objective, stating, “What we wanted to do was write a song which gave people hope and light in the dark months of the year.” Ms. Underwood shared that she and her son have discussed mental health, and she observes that people often face heightened pressure and stress around Christmas. She acknowledged that singing lyrics about darkness and light resonated deeply with her. She offered a reflection, stating, “We all have dark periods in life.” Ms. Underwood continued, “We have times where everything seems difficult, where we are depressed or we think, ‘this is awful’.” She concluded with an encouraging message: “But you will come through it and I just would urge anyone feeling in crisis to talk to someone.” For updates, BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight can be followed on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.