With a 17-year reputation of bringing smiles and excitement to school children across the UK as they flock to Wembley Arena, Voice in a Million is a testament to how a community of voices can come together to provide hope to the lives of many.
The concert contains a stage choir of auditionees, a mass choir of six-thousand school children and an audience of over five-thousand members every year. In collaboration with AdoptionUK, they raise money for children in the adoption system, as well as raising awareness for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (or FASD)
Wembley was lit up on Wednesday with choruses from popular songs, like Long Live – Taylor Swift, A Sky Full Of Stars – Coldplay and closing with a powerful rendition of We Are The Champions – Queen.
There were original song performances, too. One member of the stage choir, called Theya, created a song, For The Rescue which was inspired by her own experiences of being adopted. A school in attendance called The Malling School also performed an original song called Forever The Way.
The show utilising both the school children on stage and their stage choir emphasises the idea that every child on the stage holds importance in the show and creates a beautiful atmosphere for all watching.
The show brought audience members loads of joy, and it was apparent that the children, both from the schools and the stage choir, had put in a lot of work for the performance. Harmonic arrangements put together by musical director Niel Shrimpton brought the show to life. The young backing vocalists have the vocal skill to carry the concert to heights beyond the average school choir.
Guest artist Channy also rocked the Wembley stage with her rendition of Golden, supported by her group of young dancers. This filled the young attendees with excitement.
It’s not just the vocals. The show is supported by dancers from the group Dance Shack, led by Lisa Evan-Hughes, for some of the numbers, adding a dynamic and unique spin on the performances, keeping the audience engaged throughout.
How the show came to be
Jo Garofalo, co-founder of Voice in a Million (VIAM), started the company with her Husband Robert Garofalo, following their process of trying to adopt their son, Samuel (Sam), in 2006 from a Moroccan orphanage.
The pair tried to adopt through the UK for five years, but the process was “really, really slow” and they “weren’t getting anywhere very quickly”. They found an orphanage that adopted children to English people from Morocco, and so they began there.
They did the process as it is approved of in Morocco, called Kafalah, a Muslim alternative to the adoption process that is commonly seen in the UK. “We had to really fight” said Garofalo, recounting the process of adoption, having to move to Morocco when Sam was 5 and a half months old. It was a battle with local authorities to assess and approve the couple.
They attempted an emergency review of their case, which they didn’t want to do until the argument was put forward that they had been waiting for years with many delays.
Garofalo had to fly to and from Morocco 17 times for meetings with social workers in England, renting an apartment so that family members could stay with Sam when she was in England. Once the process was over, Garofalo returned to England with her son, feeling “really angry” at how long children have to wait to be adopted. “The sooner the placement can be secured, the better the outcome for the child”, said Garofalo.
This led to the idea of starting a one-time concert to raise money for, at the time, the British Association for Adoption and Fostering.
The initial plan was to do a single with a group of children alongside artist Rick Wakeman. Due to the passing of Michael Jackson prior, the O2 requested that they bring in Wakeman to perform one of his albums in the arena to fill slots. The quick turnaround with Wakeman would have been difficult, but after speaking with the arena, they suggested doing a show with a group of children, as it would make for a good event.
They used their professional experience from working with bands like Yes to put together a successful show. It allowed a crossover for the couple between Jo Garofalo’s love for performing and music and Robert Garofalo’s love for production and design.
What started as a one-time concert later became more, after a positive reaction from the schools in attendance.
At the time, there was a conversation beginning about different types of family structures, allowing the event to “take on a life of its own”, opening space for healthy conversations to take place in schools. Within the stage choir, it gave the children who range from 8 years old to 18 years old, a place to develop their confidence and friendships, which fills Garofalo with joy.
The show evolved and began recognising and showcasing the talent that comes from children with additional needs, with schools saying Voice in a Million became the place where these children could feel accepted. Jo Garofalo is also the leader of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder department of AdoptionUK.
This came about after adopting their second child, Lici Garofalo, at 10 and a half months old. Although in her medical records it had mentioned that she had been exposed to alcohol, it was not fully explained how that would affect her life. Lici did not get her diagnosis until 2020 after a long battle, leading to her parents learning more about FASD from resources in Canada and America due to the lack of resources in the UK.
Garofalo was approached to work for the hub in Scotland, which is managed by AdoptionUK, two years ago. She then became the lead advisor for the project, which now has hubs in all 4 nations; the next step is getting funding to support the project. Garofalo said it is good because it allows her to “make change” for other families, despite how much of a struggle it is to fight for these causes, and people on the ground to affect government policy.
The concert gives a platform to speak to current and future families, spread awareness and give support through the medium of music.
At its core, the show will always have its roots in adoption; however, its branches have expanded to the idea that “every child matters.” In the end, it is about “music, passion, and kids’ wellbeing.” It is one to book tickets for next year.
