Paul has sung with the Reading Male Voice Choir for 12 years. Ten years ago, a cycling accident left him with a traumatic brain injury. His choir was there through a long recovery and still helps him lead a more normal, fulfilling life.
Below, Paul talks about what that support meant to him, and what he learned about pacing his energy – a small jar that must never reach empty!
If you prefer to watch, here is Paul telling his story on video:
Twelve years in the Reading Male Voice Choir
“I’m Paul and I’ve been singing in the Reading Male Voice choir for 12 or 13 years.
We have around 60 members and are a very social group. That’s absolutely normal. In fact, I’ve yet to meet a male voice choir that isn’t friendly and welcoming.”
A cycling accident and a traumatic brain injury
“Ten years ago I had a serious cycling accident. I fractured several ribs and my skull and had a traumatic brain injury from the impact.
It was then I discovered why being a member of a group is so important.
I had visits from choir members while in hospital and visits and phone calls at home while I was recovering from the worst of my injuries.
My wife was wonderful but the visits and phone calls from choir members cheered me up even more and prevented me from feeling too low.
I was told recovery from my brain injury would not be quick so the continued support of family and friends really mattered. It kept my spirits up, which is something I really needed at the time.”
Adjusting and learning to pace energy
“When I first came home from hospital I could do very little apart from sleep.
Often all I could do was one thing a day, like walking up and down the stairs before needing a rest.
Headway Thames Valley taught me that I only had a small jar of energy and it was important to make sure it never reached empty.
I can do a lot more now, but I still have to pace myself and know when to stop, no matter how inconvenient it might be.
I also have to remember my balance isn’t as good as it was. If I overdo things, I get wobbly.
I need to use a stick to go on longer walks. It greatly reduces the mental effort needed to maintain my balance.
These adjustments weren’t easy, but I got used to them and now feel more normal.
The result is I can still do many of the things I enjoyed doing prior to the accident. So the effort was totally worthwhile for me.”
A group that looks after each other
“My choir experience is far from unique. The choir is almost an extended family for its members.”
Paul singing with the Reading Male Voice Choir in Broad Street Mall
“The choir is a real community and that means a lot to us. We have men who have lost their wives, so having regular meetings means a lot to them.
We have members who are ill or injured, so we phone or visit them to cheer them up, just as they cheered me up when I wasn’t feeling myself.
We’re a group that looks after each other.
Our weekly rehearsals are important for learning material and a lot of fun.
We are a really good choir. We take learning songs seriously, but while doing so we crack jokes and there’s a lot of laughter. This makes spending a few hours a week with friends during a rehearsal a pleasure.
To finish, I’d like to talk about choir concerts. We perform several concerts a year for the pleasure of singing and to raise money for good causes. In a typical year we raise between £10-15 thousand pounds for charities.
It’s great to be on stage with friends, singing and having fun. We have a terrific sound. We can sing all the way from whisper quiet to thunderously loud. Audiences enjoy what we do and donate generously as a result.
I find being a part of this very rewarding.
Since my accident I may have reduced mental stamina, but being part of the choir helps me lead a more normal, fulfilling life and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Don’t forget, come and see us perform for Headway at All Saints Church in Reading on 3rd October. You won’t be disappointed.”
Reading Male Voice Choir, in support of Headway Thames Valley
All Saints Church, Reading
Saturday 3 October 2026
Tickets £12 plus booking fee: https://www.ticketsource.com/readingmalevoicechoir
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