Castle

---

By Iqra FarooqNewsbeat reporter

From rehearsal rooms in Leeds to The Stage at Windsor Castle - The Coronation marks a big moment for The Reggae Roots choir.

They're among hundreds of singers from different backgrounds performing for King Charles III alongside famous names like Katy Perry , Freya Ridings and Take That .

The Coronation Choir's aim is to represent The diversity of communities across The UK.

Stephanie Horacio, 18, is one of The Young People who Make Up Reggae Roots . She's ready and raring to go.

" I've never been someone to shy away from The spotlight so I'm definitely ready for it, " she says.

Stephanie's honest about The new era of The Monarchy , and says she wants to See a change.

" I just hope everyone has a chance to be heard, loved and cared for, " she says.

" Right now I don't feel like we're 100% there. It doesn't have to be perfect but I Wish we could do more.

" We all have different backgrounds and skin colours but we're all Still Human and deserve to be loved.

" None of That should matter to anyone, especially for The Royal Family who are so public. "

But Stephanie feels The Coronation choir is a step in The Right direction, and says she was " proud to See so many cultures represented on That stage in rehearsal".

" Reggae choirs, Asian choirs, people from different backgrounds, " she says.

" I expected to be The Most prominent black group in The Coronation choir but we weren't and That 's beautiful to See .

" The fact The Royal Family brought us All Together and we created something so beautiful which everyone will get to See - That was mesmerising to me. "

Fredlin Morency is The Assistant Music Director for Reggae Roots - and he says The Moment is " once in a lifetime".

" I'm so excited, I can't believe it's finally time, " The 18-year-old tells BBC Newsbeat.

" My Friends and family are a bit jealous but it's all good, they all feel part of The achievement. "

He's been cramming in rehearsals on top of studying for his A-Level exams too.

" It's been a lot balancing it all but I'm grateful, " he says.

" And actually getting to perform allows me to relieve some of The A-Level stress. "

Fredlin has heritage in The Turks and Caicos Islands and hopes The King will embrace Caribbean communities.

" The whole idea of having a reggae choir and including people like us who wouldn't normally get on a stage like That is a statement in itself, " he says.

" Being able to perform at The King 's Coronation as a Black Man is a statement. "

Andrea Menlah, 17, couldn't believe it when The invite came through.

" When they told me, I wasn't sure if it was real. But it's The King - not Just Anybody . I was very nervous and I still am. "

Nobody outside The Choir will hear their song before The Concert .

But speaking about how he hopes The Audience will feel when The spotlight turns on, Andrea says he " hopes people feel represented".

" When We Sing it together, The communities come together and it's just vibes, so I hope people watching will feel That as well. "

.

Related Topics

Source of news: bbc.com