The Royal Choral Society performs at the naming ceremony of Queen Mary 2 at Southampton

Text by Sheila Keen
Photos by Nigel Sagar

The excitement continued to build despite our long day of travel and rehearsal as at 6:30 we were given permission to come aboard. Dragging our suitcases through the myriad of tunnels and dark passageways, we finally came to another security check. Once through there we found our way to the dockside and the ramp which led us onboard. One more security check and then we were off to find our cabins and dress for dinner. The cabins we were assigned range in size and accommodation from inside double to outside junior suite complete with terrace (ask Margaret about that - I had an inside one). They were all sumptuously laid out with an art deco theme and loads of comfortable cushions. The shower was excellent, and all the toiletries were from the Canyon Ranch Spa in Arizona. I was paid a visit by my steward Glenn who very politely turned my bed down for me and offered his services whenever I should have need of them. With that pleasant thought in mind I dressed and went to find my fellow choristers in the dining room.

The decks and lifts were all a bit confusing at first, but everyone finally managed to find the Britannia Room for dinner. Our eyes twinkled as we beheld the huge room filled with tables sparkling with silver and glasses. The waiters were using us to practice for the real thing, so linen napkins were placed in our laps and opened menus were placed in our hands. The three course meal was excellent, and we tried to make it last as long as was possible, but the gift shop was only going to be open until 11:00.

Once again, consulting a map of the decks, we located the shop and hunted it like prey. We were not disappointed as it was filled with souvenirs and goodies for every taste and budget from tea towels to watches, key rings to china. The assistants were very helpful, and I have a feeling that those tills turned over a good amount of trade from us. But once the shop was closed we had to find the one bar available to us, and they would stop serving at 11:30!

The bar/ disco, G32 by name, was one of the hardest rooms to find on the whole boat, but with a series of relays and guides we managed to locate it at last. Loud music and flashing lights greeted us into the only room on the boat that wasn't subdued. I took one look at it, got very tired all of a sudden, and pulled a Cinderella. However, I did hear tell that others enjoyed and imbibed until the lights stopped flashing and the music stopped beating - some time after the "Maccarena," apparently. Two thousand people sat in the seats facing us, and they were ready for the show. The MC, BBC news presenter Michael Buerke, asked us to stand for Her Majesty the Queen. The Royal Marines raised their trumpets, and we began to sing the National Anthem. I have never heard it sung with so much spirit and energy. The rest of the programme followed suit and went exactly to plan. Michael Buerke gave us the history of the "Queens" - Mary, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth 2 - and how they had helped during the wars, and the president of Cunard, Pamela Conover, gave her speech. Heather Small sang her song "Proud" for which we sang the backing vocals, "What have you done today to make you feel proud?"We knew what we'd done, and we sang those lyrics with as much rhythm as we could muster. As the song blasted its last chord, the whole back wall of the auditorium fell away from behind us, revealing the Queen Mary 2. An audible gasp came from the crowd. And then tears started as bagpipes sounded from the ship. The Queen's newly retired piper, Jim Motherwell, played one last time for his monarch. Amazing Grace never sounded as sweet, as it floated from the deck above. Lesley Garrett took up the verses in her beautiful voice, and then we joined in with a huge sounding final verse. As that song came to an end, the audience went wild with applause.

The Queen was asked by the captain of the ship, Commodore Warwick, to join him on the stage. She stood at the podium and spoke the words, "I name this ship the Queen Mary 2. May God bless her and all who sail in her." She then pushed the button releasing the champagne bottle which smashed right on cue against the hull. The spotlights caught champagne glistening down the side of the ship. And then the Queen Mary 2 answered: she blew her horns long and loud, and we all cheered and clapped as long as we could.

The Royal Philharmonic then played the theme from the Harry Potter movies before we sang Beethoven's 9th complete with firework display. The whole program was a resounding success, and we were flushed with pride and sheer happiness at being there and doing a job well.

A week has passed, and we're still excited that we were there. I know we'd all like to thank Anthony Inglis for thinking to use us in the first place. I'm sure his Classic Specs will be equally well attended in March (hint, hint). And thanks also to Richard, Helen and Ray who all worked so hard to keep us coordinated.

It wasn't just a wonderful dream. It was an amazing, once in a lifetime event that happened on the world's stage, and we were a part of it. We will always have a connection with that fabulous ship, and we will be able to tell our grandchildren about her and the night we helped name her.

Morning came very early for some, but everyone managed to make it to breakfast. This was another fantastic meal, but the coffee seemed a little slow to take effect. After breakfast we had to disembark, put our bags back in the shed again, and then come back aboard. We used the morning to explore the rest of the boat by daylight, finding all the decks and salons, the pool and glass lifts. The feeling of security and privilege grew as we watched ferries float by laden with passengers taking pictures and police launches constantly keeping a watch on our perimeter.

At noon, they finally kicked us off the boat, but we had a job to do and were anxious to get to work. Back at the shed we were given lunch and kept warm from the gales which blew outside. The afternoon passed, and we finally got ready for the big event. At 3:55 pm we lined up and left the shed for the auditorium. A quick hairbrush and music check, and we filed on stage.

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