Musical director pays tribute to much-loved Britain's Got Talent singer at heart of Northants Sings Out choir
Northants Sings Out’s musical director has paid tribute to choir member Letitia Cuney who sadly died in a car crash.
Sharing their sorrow at the loss of their friend, Gareth Fuller issued a heartfelt statement on behalf of the Northants Sings Out (NSO) ‘family’.
Letitia, 53, from Ecton and her friend Cheryl Pierre, 47, from Northampton both died in Addenbrooke’s Hospital days apart after the collision on the A10 near Chittering on December 28.
On the Northants Sings Out social media page, Mr Fuller said the choir had ‘lost a star’ and ‘part of its heartbeat’, but added that his family had lost a close friend.
He said: “We’ve spent the last few weeks quietly processing the passing of our much-loved Letitia Cuney. As a choir family, we needed time to sit with our own feelings before sharing anything publicly.
“This has hit hard. Writing about Letitia in the past tense makes real the thing we keep refusing to accept — because we want her here with us. The fact that she isn’t simply doesn’t feel right.
“Before Letitia joined the choir, she had already become part of our lives. She was barbecuing at my daughter’s christening, dancing at my birthday party, showing up fully and wholeheartedly. We loved her instantly — who couldn’t? She had a way of drawing people in that only someone with a genuine love for others can.
"We journeyed through highs and lows together, but not loving her was never an option — and she knew she had our hearts. She held a soft spot in our family, and my wife was her biggest protector, often joking, ‘If they come for Letitia, they come for me… I just don’t know how not to always have her back’. And have her back she did.
“Then she joined the choir family. And for years, we watched her shine.
“She became the person people watched on stage. ‘Be more Letitia’ became a phrase we used often — because when she sang and danced, she gave everything.
"With over 200 people on stage at times, Letitia was the centre point for so many audiences. There wasn’t a place we travelled to across the UK where she didn’t make friends, proudly fly the NSO flag, or lift the room with her chant of ‘Let’s go, NSO!’
“She brought her basketball mindset straight into choir life — she wanted to be better, wanted NSO to be better, and was relentless in ensuring everyone around her had the opportunity to grow. She pushed boundaries, raised standards, and did it all with warmth, humour and deep belief in people.
“Now there will be a space on every stage — but not as big as the one in our hearts. Every tour date, coach journey, dressing room and backstage moment will miss her encouraging people to let go, lifting those who needed it, or teaching the Candy Dance with pure joy. The tenor section has lost one of its biggest advocates but all the joy, encouragement and pure love Letitia shared has been left behind and so evident in the unity between them.
“We’ve travelled together. We’ve shared surreal, out-of-this-world moments. NSO has lost a star and part of its heartbeat. And personally, my wife and I have lost a friend, someone we cared and loved deeply.
“We don’t want a world where she isn’t here. We want her with us — singing, dancing, laughing, clapping. We just know that her energy and heart for NSO will remain in every rehearsal and performance.
“Our comfort is knowing how happy she was. Happy in life, in love, in spirit, in choir. My wife said that watching Letitia so happy and so in love meant she could “drop her shoulders a little”.
“Letitia had our hearts — and she still does. We lost a friend but gained a star. We are so proud of her, privileged to have known her, and grateful to have experienced first-hand her heart for others. She impacted people positively for years, long before her choir journey, in various walks of life across the world. “We’re thankful we were given a piece of that magic as her choir family and as her friends.
“Rest well, Letitia. We love you.”