Worthy Cause
| Type of post: | Choir news item |
| Sub-type: | No sub-type |
| Posted By: | Barbara Wood |
| Status: | Current |
| Date Posted: | Wed, 13 Jul 2022 |
From Worthy Farm to a worthy cause and back in a day!
Worthy – 1 29 June 2022
Most people who were fortunate enough to get Glastonbury Festival tickets would probably savour every single minute they had there to scour the fields of Worthy Farm in Somerset for every sound of music they could possibly find or hear!
But, one man, Alan Boxer, and his band -- well orchestra to be precise-- returned home during the Glastonbury festival to Kentisbeare, Mid Devon, in order to conduct the premiere of the “Culm Valley Orchestra” in the local Village Hall last Saturday afternoon, and so raising over £500 for another ‘Medics4Ukraine’ Medical Trauma Box for Ukraine!
Playing some moving pieces after a Chinese rendition of Tu Ning, the Kentisbeare audience including several children, were treated to a wonderful repertoire from Bizet to Beethoven and Walton to Delius.
Alan Boxer, Conductor of Culm Valley Orchestra is also Music Director of VoiceWorx Community Choir. Alan and fellow VoiceWorx choir member Dr Neil Rushton, (known locally as a highly active peace campaigner and part of the Festival Medical Services team for Glastonbury Festival), have sought several opportunities to raise funds for ‘Medics4Ukraine’.
Neil had first introduced Alan to Nich Woolf BEM at the festival over 20 years ago! Nich is also a key player in the Festival Medical Services team and, having been awarded the BEM as a Paramedic for his services in helping people in very dangerous situations such as Haiti, Syria and Afghanistan, as well as Ukraine, the three of them persuaded the various musical groups that Alan leads to make donations to ‘Medics4Ukraine’.
VoiceWorx Community Choir, also based in Kentisbeare held a joint choir concert with Tale Valley Choir and ‘Bel Canto’ choir (also led by Alan) in April raising over £3,500 to help supply another seven Medical Trauma Boxes for Ukraine.
Nich Woolf, who attended the concert, explained the ‘Medics4Ukraine’ mission: “To supply lifesaving trauma supplies to the front line; to train fellow medics to help save lives in extremes, and to supply paediatric medicine.”
Music is said to bring people together, and Barbara Wood, VoiceWorx Chair, who attended the Orchestral Premiere too was delighted to meet Tamara there, a Ukrainian Refugee who is staying with another choir member.
Tamara was visibly touched by the generosity and support she received from fellow choir members attending and, wearing a T-Shirt with a slogan saying, “I was born free”, expressed her grateful thanks on behalf of her fellow Ukrainians for the great support from the UK.
Encouraging Tamara to come along to a rehearsal, Barbara told her that Alan Boxer will no doubt return to VoiceWorx and ‘Bel Canto’ choirs, as well as ‘Activ8’, the local youth theatre, with more wonderful ideas and songs for everyone to try!
“In our choir, we have learned songs that we never thought we could, ranging from the Beatles and Queen, to Elbow and George Ezra, with many classical, folk and all genres along the way of the VoiceWorx journey! Hopefully Tamara will join us too and teach us some Ukrainian songs!”
Worthy – 2
Dr Neil Rushton added: “If music can heal the world, then these acts of selfless determination and collaboration can only be positive in a world of uncertainty that has regressed 60 years in the wake of wanton Soviet aggression.”
Alan Boxer, who returned to his friends at Glastonbury later on Saturday evening to enjoy the live sessions from fantastic Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and many others, said: “There was huge support for the Ukraine at the festival, complete with a live appeal from President Zelenskyy himself.”
The next fund-raising event for ‘Medics4Ukraine’ will be the VoiceWorx Summer Music Festival on the afternoon of Sunday 17th July which will feature VoiceWorx and ‘Bel Canto’ choirs, Castle Town Folk Group from Bradninch, plus other local young musicians and soloists, in The Wyndham Arms Garden in Kentisbeare.
Entrance is free, for a wonderful afternoon of entertainment to help support a worthy cause, and donations can be made direct to ‘Medics4Ukraine’ at: https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/Medical_Boxes_Ukraine
Further information and contact details from Barbara Wood 07815 882523 and www.voiceworx.org.uk
ENDS
Worthy – 1 29 June 2022
Most people who were fortunate enough to get Glastonbury Festival tickets would probably savour every single minute they had there to scour the fields of Worthy Farm in Somerset for every sound of music they could possibly find or hear!
But, one man, Alan Boxer, and his band -- well orchestra to be precise-- returned home during the Glastonbury festival to Kentisbeare, Mid Devon, in order to conduct the premiere of the “Culm Valley Orchestra” in the local Village Hall last Saturday afternoon, and so raising over £500 for another ‘Medics4Ukraine’ Medical Trauma Box for Ukraine!
Playing some moving pieces after a Chinese rendition of Tu Ning, the Kentisbeare audience including several children, were treated to a wonderful repertoire from Bizet to Beethoven and Walton to Delius.
Alan Boxer, Conductor of Culm Valley Orchestra is also Music Director of VoiceWorx Community Choir. Alan and fellow VoiceWorx choir member Dr Neil Rushton, (known locally as a highly active peace campaigner and part of the Festival Medical Services team for Glastonbury Festival), have sought several opportunities to raise funds for ‘Medics4Ukraine’.
Neil had first introduced Alan to Nich Woolf BEM at the festival over 20 years ago! Nich is also a key player in the Festival Medical Services team and, having been awarded the BEM as a Paramedic for his services in helping people in very dangerous situations such as Haiti, Syria and Afghanistan, as well as Ukraine, the three of them persuaded the various musical groups that Alan leads to make donations to ‘Medics4Ukraine’.
VoiceWorx Community Choir, also based in Kentisbeare held a joint choir concert with Tale Valley Choir and ‘Bel Canto’ choir (also led by Alan) in April raising over £3,500 to help supply another seven Medical Trauma Boxes for Ukraine.
Nich Woolf, who attended the concert, explained the ‘Medics4Ukraine’ mission: “To supply lifesaving trauma supplies to the front line; to train fellow medics to help save lives in extremes, and to supply paediatric medicine.”
Music is said to bring people together, and Barbara Wood, VoiceWorx Chair, who attended the Orchestral Premiere too was delighted to meet Tamara there, a Ukrainian Refugee who is staying with another choir member.
Tamara was visibly touched by the generosity and support she received from fellow choir members attending and, wearing a T-Shirt with a slogan saying, “I was born free”, expressed her grateful thanks on behalf of her fellow Ukrainians for the great support from the UK.
Encouraging Tamara to come along to a rehearsal, Barbara told her that Alan Boxer will no doubt return to VoiceWorx and ‘Bel Canto’ choirs, as well as ‘Activ8’, the local youth theatre, with more wonderful ideas and songs for everyone to try!
“In our choir, we have learned songs that we never thought we could, ranging from the Beatles and Queen, to Elbow and George Ezra, with many classical, folk and all genres along the way of the VoiceWorx journey! Hopefully Tamara will join us too and teach us some Ukrainian songs!”
Worthy – 2
Dr Neil Rushton added: “If music can heal the world, then these acts of selfless determination and collaboration can only be positive in a world of uncertainty that has regressed 60 years in the wake of wanton Soviet aggression.”
Alan Boxer, who returned to his friends at Glastonbury later on Saturday evening to enjoy the live sessions from fantastic Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and many others, said: “There was huge support for the Ukraine at the festival, complete with a live appeal from President Zelenskyy himself.”
The next fund-raising event for ‘Medics4Ukraine’ will be the VoiceWorx Summer Music Festival on the afternoon of Sunday 17th July which will feature VoiceWorx and ‘Bel Canto’ choirs, Castle Town Folk Group from Bradninch, plus other local young musicians and soloists, in The Wyndham Arms Garden in Kentisbeare.
Entrance is free, for a wonderful afternoon of entertainment to help support a worthy cause, and donations can be made direct to ‘Medics4Ukraine’ at: https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/Medical_Boxes_Ukraine
Further information and contact details from Barbara Wood 07815 882523 and www.voiceworx.org.uk
ENDS
