Come and Sing!
That is what it said on the poster and we certainly did – all 65 of us raising the roof in the United Reformed Church in Princes Street, Norwich on September 29th.
This was a combined effort from singers from Norfolk and beyond who put heart and soul in to Haydn’s Nelson Mass. Tribute must be paid not only to the generous singers but also to our superb organist, Jo Richards and the very experienced direction of the conductor, Philip Aldred. A special mention must be made of Anna Cottrell, the driving force behind the event.
Most Come and Sing events are for the sheer joy of massed choral singing of well-loved works but this one had an extra dimension. It was a fund-raiser for the Inclusive School project in Ho, Ghana where children with a disability will not only be accepted but offered a meaningful education alongside children without a disability.
Before we sang, a short video was shown featuring some of the children who will benefit from such a school and also their mothers who are beginning to understand that their children are not devil children. In this way, the purpose of the Come and Sing was made clear to both choir and audience.
As both a Rotarian in the Rotary Club of Norwich and a singer in the Norwich Music Group, organiser Anna Cottrell was able to bring the two seemingly disparate groups together and then invite everyone else along to join the party! The recipe worked and the Come and Sing raised £1650 – a truly astonishing figure.
A big thank you to the many people – musicians, Rotarians and the media who contributed to the success of the day.
That is what it said on the poster and we certainly did – all 65 of us raising the roof in the United Reformed Church in Princes Street, Norwich on September 29th.
This was a combined effort from singers from Norfolk and beyond who put heart and soul in to Haydn’s Nelson Mass. Tribute must be paid not only to the generous singers but also to our superb organist, Jo Richards and the very experienced direction of the conductor, Philip Aldred. A special mention must be made of Anna Cottrell, the driving force behind the event.
Most Come and Sing events are for the sheer joy of massed choral singing of well-loved works but this one had an extra dimension. It was a fund-raiser for the Inclusive School project in Ho, Ghana where children with a disability will not only be accepted but offered a meaningful education alongside children without a disability.
Before we sang, a short video was shown featuring some of the children who will benefit from such a school and also their mothers who are beginning to understand that their children are not devil children. In this way, the purpose of the Come and Sing was made clear to both choir and audience.
As both a Rotarian in the Rotary Club of Norwich and a singer in the Norwich Music Group, organiser Anna Cottrell was able to bring the two seemingly disparate groups together and then invite everyone else along to join the party! The recipe worked and the Come and Sing raised £1650 – a truly astonishing figure.
A big thank you to the many people – musicians, Rotarians and the media who contributed to the success of the day.