A talented 17-year old singer had the day of a lifetime when she attended the Coronation of TM King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May.
Nefeli Terzopoulou is an AC Academy Scholar with the choir and music charity Armonico Consort. Her scholarship is funded by the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund (PWCF) which was founded by the King (when he was Prince of Wales). PWCF nominated Nefeli to receive the invitation to the momentous occasion.
Speaking about the Coronation, Nefeli said, “I couldn’t believe it when I found out I was invited, I was in total shock and excitement. And then being there, well it was a life-changing experience to say the least. This has been such an inspiration for me to keep pursuing my singing, dreams really can come true! And I actually met Ant and Dec!!”
She also met and spoke with Dame Sharon White – Chair of John Lewis Partnership and Waitrose, and Michael Jary – Chair of Duchy Originals Limited, which provide Waitrose Duchy Organic income for PWCF to support good causes through its grant-making programmes.
Despite moving to Cheltenham, Nefeli continues to sing in the Warwick-based AC Academy after-school choir, making the 100-mile round trip twice a week for rehearsals. As a Scholar, she receives free specialist singing lessons with Elizabeth Atkinson and mentoring from Armonico’s founder director Christopher Monks. She has also had the opportunity to sing alongside Armonico Consort’s professional singers in major concerts including at the Royal Albert Hall.
The PWCF, was founded in 1979 by HM King Charles III, when he was The Prince of Wales, with a mission to transform lives and build sustainable communities. “PWCF was delighted to host Nefeli at our Founder’s coronation service. We are incredibly proud of how our grant award to Armonico Consort has helped to transform Nefeli’s life.”
As well as having fun and making friends, Nefeli says that singing has helped to build her confidence and overcome anxiety, particularly during stressful exam periods: “Armonico and singing have been my rock; it just clicked. I get a real feeling of euphoria when I sing. You can forget your issues and I just love the music, whether it’s Bach or Handel or ‘O Fortuna’ from Carmina Burana. AC Academy Warwick came at just the right moment for me.”
AC Academy is Armonico Consort’s singing education programme, which reaches 15,000 young people a year through its in-school Choir Creation scheme and after school AC Academy choirs, offering life-changing experiences and first-class performance opportunities.
Armonico Consort’s £300K Encore Appeal is raising funds to support more Choir Creations in schools, especially in deprived areas. Donate today.
