Choir flash mob spread Christmas cheer at popular garden centre chain – with one upcoming closure in Northampton

Dobbies in Harlestone Heath will be closing its doors for the final time next Tuesday (December 17), and it was the Newport Pagnell Road store that the Hart and Soul Community Choir surprised.

Theresa Smith has been part of the Hanslope-based choir for six years and has been chair for the past two-and-a-half. This long-standing group was first formed back in 2011.

“I just thought I would try and get the choir out of their comfort zone and do something different,” said Theresa, when asked why she decided to organise the flash mob.

“We wanted to spread Christmas cheer to people who were having a nice drink and cake in the restaurant.”

Theresa got in touch with garden centre manager Aaron in early November to get the ball rolling with the top secret plan, and said he thought she was “crackers”.

“He was a little bit blown away by how we were going to pull it off,” she continued. “He was quite delighted.

“I sent all choir members the top secret mission – that at 11am they would see a nutty lady with a pair of maracas going towards a speaker. They were all dotted around the restaurant and got up to follow me.”

The group then performed their rendition of Feliz Navidad, over the top of a previously recorded backing track.

Theresa said: “Everyone was absolutely staggered. They were recording, taking photos and we had a brilliant round of applause. The kitchen staff even came out and decided they were going to join in.”

Having organised a flash mob many years ago in Kettering with a different choir, Theresa decided now was the perfect time to arrange another – particularly at what is a bleak time for the Dobbies garden centre chain.

“We have a choir group chat and afterwards everyone was saying how much they enjoyed it and that they had never done anything like it before,” Theresa concluded. “Even the manager said we can come back next year.”

For more information on the Hart and Soul Community Choir, visit their Facebook page here.