Chapter 27 #2
She smiled widely as she counted in a low whisper to four, just loud enough for the choir to hear her and when she gave the hand signal, Isla and Morag sang the opening lines of their arrangement of ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’.
The audience sat in complete rapt silence and looked on in awe as the rest of the choir joined in, and then a thunderous applause travelled the room before the baritones took over for their first verse.
Each song went so well and was filled with such energy and passion that Angelia felt like she was floating six inches above the stage.
After every single song the audience cheered and whistled their appreciation.
And at the end of their spot the crowd were up on their feet as the choir took their final bow of the evening.
The night went on to be one excellent act after another, with Ruby’s dancers wowing the audience, a young lad playing the bagpipes and bringing a tear to every eye as he played ‘Amazing Grace’, and many more, each person putting their heart and soul into their performances.
At the end of the evening, Ferris took to the stage.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I want to thank you on behalf of all the performers this evening. It’s been a magical concert and I’m sure you will all join me in saying thank you and showing your appreciation once more,’ he said and a round of applause echoed around the crowded room.
When the applause had died down, he smiled.
‘Now, we saved one last performance for you. One you’re not expecting.
But please welcome to the stage Ed Halsall on guitar and the one and only Angelia MacAuley on vocals. ’
The place erupted as Angelia and Ed walked out onto the stage. She couldn’t help the emotion that washed over her as she peered out at the smiling faces. People were up cheering and whistling, and the sound almost beat every stadium she had ever played.
When the audience had calmed down again, Angelia took to the microphone.
‘Thank you all so much. If you’d have told me at the start of this year that I would be directing a choir, I would have laughed and said you were crazy.
But these past few weeks have been some of the best of my life.
You may already know that earlier this year I was diagnosed with an incurable, sometimes quite debilitating condition.
At that point it felt like my life was over.
I was lost, terrified and had no idea where my life was going to go.
But then I came home to Skye, and all these incredible things started to happen.
I met some wonderful new friends who showed me that I still have so much to offer.
That I still have a purpose. They gave me the strength to imagine my life as something other than the lead singer of Angel and the Fallen and now, I’m looking forward to the future.
So, thank you, Ferris, Ed and Glentorrin Village Choir.
This one is for you. It’s called “Only When I Dream”.
’ Another round of applause rang out and then the audience fell silent as Angelia began to sing her own lyrics that had taken on a whole new meaning to her.
As she sang, she saw Ed in her periphery watching her, a serene smile on his face as he plucked the strings of his guitar with mastery. He had written in a new guitar solo to give Angelia a break to rest her voice and as she turned to smile at him her heart flooded with adoration.
She knew it would be easy to dwell on all the time they had wasted but there was no point, because she knew that her future was with Ed and it would happen in Glentorrin and she couldn’t have hoped for anything more perfect.
She would still have music in her life, but it would be on her terms and at her pace.
The song ended and the place erupted once again. Every single person was up on their feet. She glanced at Ed, who gestured to the front of the stage. ‘Take a bow, Angelia.’
She stepped forward and with tears streaming down her face took her bow, knowing it wouldn’t be the last as she had thought not long ago. She gestured for Ed and Ferris to join her, and they both put an arm around her as the three of them bowed again.
She turned to Ed and smiled as he wrapped her in his arms. ‘I’m so proud of you,’ he whispered. ‘And I’d like to ask you a question, but I’m worried it might be too soon.’
She gazed up at him as the applause died down, knowing full well what the question was, and shook her head. ‘We’ve known each other forever, Ed, it’s not too soon.’
As the audience looked on, he took the microphone from its stand and lowered himself to one knee.
A collective gasp of realisation travelled the room as he gazed up at her.
He spoke into the microphone. ‘Angelia, we’ve been friends for so long that I can’t actually remember much about the time before we met.
But I want the rest of our forever to start as soon as possible.
So, Angelia MacAuley, will you run a record shop on Skye with me for as long as we both shall live? ’
She giggled as tears spilled over from her eyes and replied, ‘I will.’
He smiled. ‘Oh, and maybe would you marry me too?’
The room was silent as if every single person was holding their breath. Angelia took the microphone from his hand and said, ‘One hundred million per cent, yes!’
The room erupted with cheers and applause and Ed stood to scoop her up in his arms, literally sweeping her off her feet.
In the space of only a few months, Angelia MacAuley had been broken and built right back up again.
She had thought her career was over, until she realised all she needed was a new career, she had thought she needed love, until she realised it was there all along.
She just had to reach out and let it in.