CHESTER'S LGBTQ+ choir has been put on the world stage after taking part in the global launch of Abba's new album.

Abba Voyage has landed nearly 40 years after the Swedish supergroup left the world stage.

Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad have returned with 10 new tracks and a digital concert featuring Abba-tar versions of themselves.

The concert - also named Abba Voyage - will be staged at the purpose-built Abba arena in London next year, with younger versions of the band performing a range of classic Abba tracks accompanied by a live 10-piece band.

Chester and District Standard: Chester's Proud Marys perform as part of the Abba Voyage launch. Photo: Nez KendallChester's Proud Marys perform as part of the Abba Voyage launch. Photo: Nez Kendall

And Chester's Proud Marys LGBTQ+ choir, led by musical director Matt Baker, were selected to represent the UK at the Abba Voyage launch livestream.

They were seen on screen about five minutes into the livestream, performing an excerpt of Abba classic Honey, Honey recorded in the Garden Quarter in Chester.

The choir sang their hearts out and did a choreographed dance under the watchful eye of a socially isolated Matt Baker, who was recovering from Coronavirus at the time. He directed and choreographed the performance from his front garden, with the choir members singing in the road.

Starring role

A clip of the Proud Marys performance was used in the live stream, with a longer clip, featuring Matt Baker playing the accordion and partner Dan and their dog Dotty, available in the longer version, also available online.

Chester and District Standard: Matt Baker with his partner Dan and Dotty the dogMatt Baker with his partner Dan and Dotty the dog

The starring role in this global event came about when a former colleague of choir member Nez Kendall, who was working on the Abba launch, got in touch as they were keen to get the choir involved. The livestream producers were looking for performers from around the world to share their excitement at the Abba news and Proud Marys fitted the bill.

Matt Baker, who is a lifelong Abba fan, said: "A colleague of Nez's from way back contacted him and said he was looking for glimpses of the excitement around the globe and we represented the UK on that little lead up to the launch.

"It was all done within a tight timescale. On the day I was asked to do this, I quickly arranged it and everyone turned up and learnt the harmonies and choreography and then we filmed it.

"Just before the first song was played at the launch, there was a sequence featuring excited fans in places from Sao Paolo to Paris and Hong Kong to Reyjavik and Chester was also featured.

"We were delighted that it was accepted and we were featured alongside these places across the world.

"One of our choir members said 'this is the moment of my life, being involved in this'."

Matt Baker said he had been inspired since to put together some Abba medleys to be performed by both the Proud Marys and the Handbag of Harmonies choirs.

Proud Marys and Handbag of Harmonies can be heard performing at the Wildlife Connection Festival at Chester Zoo's nature reserve this weekend (September 18 and 19). The choirs will be on stage at this free event on Sunday afternoon. For more information, visit https://www.chesterzoo.org/events/wildlife-connections-festival-2/.