A CINNAMON Brow woman has spoken of how an award-winning singing group helped her come to terms with the death of her mum.

Milltown Sound Chorus has just come home from Gateshead Sage Theatre with a gold medal after representing Warrington in the Sweet Adelines women’s barbershop competition.

Pauline Parr joined Milltown about four years ago with her granddaughter Emily, 19, and daughter-in-law Cathy and it is her second gold medal win in that time.

The 65-year-old told Weekend why joining the group meant so much to her after the death of her mum Betty Lomax, who was a professional organist in the Warrington area.

She said: “I’d just lost my mum and I was pretty down at the time.

“It was such a shock. She was rushed into the hospital because she was being sick. That was the Friday and they were going to let her out on the Monday.

“But I knew something was badly wrong and they ended up doing a scan and telling us she had cancer on the Tuesday. She then died on Saturday.

“She was in her 80s. She had health problems but nothing like that

“It knocked me for six as I spent every day looking after her as she had dementia.

“It was a big hole in my life when mum went.

“Cathy told me about Milltown so I joined and asked Emily to come with me.

“She’s well into her music and won Warrington’s Got Talent when she was 14.

“Joining the group did pull me out of it. They’re such a great bunch of ladies. They really are so friendly. We’re more like a family. We call ourselves the Millies.

“There are a lot of family members who go together and the current age range goes from 14 to 74.

“We all get on so well. We have such a good time both on and off the stage.

“A lot of the ladies there have had similar things where they’ve lost loved ones.

“Kim Potter, who is our director, lost her mum to cancer shortly before I started.

“That’s why we do a lot of work to raise money for Macmillan and for the hospices.

The Sweet Adelines competition saw 17 choral groups from the UK and Holland were competing and Milltown won the gold medal in the category for a small chorus with under 30 women.

Pauline, who attended Orford Secondary Modern, added: “It’s absolutely brilliant. It’s my second gold since joining the group four years ago.

“Last year we got a silver but we improved by 31 points this year.

“There were new songs we’d learned and new choreography which is quite difficult to do so I’m over the moon that we got the gold.

“We practice week in week out and it all comes together on the day.

“There were more than 1,000 in the auditorium as well so it was a great experience.

“I did sing many years ago. I was a professional singer when I was younger.

“I started singing when I was 15. I did all the clubs and I was in the Guardian many times but then I brought up my kids and grandkids and joining Milltown and being back on stage was like starting all over again

“I’d sang with groups and bands but I’d never done the four part harmony before. I absolutely love it.

“We’re always there for each other, helping each other and doing things together and having the support is really nice.

“Singing is very therapeutic. It’s one of the best things you can do especially if you feel down or depressed.

“It’s good for the heart and soul as well as your health as it helps with your breathing.”

Highlights for the Millies have so far included competing in Texas, singing on the cobbles of Coronation Street at Christmas and performing a flash mob in the foyer of the cinema in Bolton on the opening night of Pitch Perfect 2 .

The group’s next competition is at The Eistedfodd in Llangollen and they will be in Spain next year for the Spanish Association of Barbershop Singers.

Milltown Sound Chorus rehearse at Parkside Sports and Community Club in Golborne on Wednesday nights from 8pm to 10pm.

Visitors are welcome to pop in and see what it is all about

DAVID MORGAN