Cancer survivor’s Choir of Year bid
Brave May to make her TV debut with Gaelic group
A Fauldhouse singer will make her TV debut next week as she bids to become part of the‘Gospel Choir of the Year’.
May Logan, 59, will have her journey as part of Gaelic gospel choir Còisir Shoisgeulach, documented by BBC Alba on Monday, October 31.
The Lothian Gaelic Choir singer beat 80 other performers to get into Còisir Shoisgeulach and have a chance of entering the BBC’s Songs of Praise Gospel Choir of the Year competition.
And - remarkably - she achieved it all while battling breast cancer.
Speaking to the Courier this week, May revealed that singing in the choir helped her cope with courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
She said: “When you’re singing everything else in your life gets forgotten because you’re so focused on performing.
“All your woes disappear when you’re doing that.
“Last year Nick Lowe, a producer from the BBC had approached Mary Ann Kennedy asking her if she’d be interested in creating a choir to compete for the Gospel Choir of the Year competition.
“An email was then sent out to every Gaelic choir asking whether singers wanted to take part in a new Gaelic Gospel Choir.
“Because of the competition rules there could only be a maximum of 40 performers in the choir, so 120 people auditioned but only a lucky few, including myself, made it into the choir.”
May, who retired as a teacher in August last year, was devastated to learn that she had breast cancer just a month later.
But she remained positive and was thrilled to be given the chance to perform in Scotland’s first Gaelic gospel choir despite being a novice Gaelic speaker.
She said: “I was diagnosed with having breast cancer in September last year and then in October the chance came for me to audition.
“In the first audition I went all the way to Inverness and for the first time since starting treatment I didn’t wear my wig.
“It was good to have music through that period in my life. Having something to look forward to got me through some of the more difficult days.
“Music is relaxing and uplifting.
“The first time I went to sing with the Gaelic gospel choir they were such an amazing group of people.
“Thankfully I’m fine now and as healthy as ever.”
She added: “Gaelic gospel singing is different to anything I’ve done before.
“Everyone in the choir is really excited to see the documentary but we can’t give away anything about how we got on in the competition.”
You can find out whether May and the choir made it to the final of the Gospel Choir of the Year competition next week.
Còisir Shoisgeulach (Gaelic Gospel Choir), will be broadcast on BBC Alba on Monday 31 October at 8.30pm to 9.00pm. It will also be available to view on BBC iPlayer.
Having something to look forward to got me through the difficult days . . .