Wetley Rocks male voice choir may not be the biggest choir, but they definitely have the biggest hearts! This September the 25 strong group are organising a concert for Shine, the charity supporting everyone living with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus, after hearing how much the organisation has supported Musical Director Ian Jones’s grandson, Harry.( and also gandson of Vic and Pauline Smith) Harry was born in 2008 and it was apparent from birth that he wasn’t well; it took a further two years of Harry’s parents tirelessly pursuing doctors to get the diagnosis that Harry had spina bifida and major spinal deformities, however still no help or support was forthcoming. It wasn’t until a relative suggested contacting Shine that a glimmer of light began to appear. Harry is now five years old and despite having major surgery, with the possibility of more to come, he is a bright and vibrant child who has coped remarkably well with all the challenges he has faced. Throughout this time Shine has maintained regular contact with the family, who say they will be “eternally grateful” to Shine. During this difficult time for the family the choir would ask Ian each week how his grandson was, and on many occasions Ian would mention the support received from Shine. Last November they surprised to Ian and told him they had arranged a concert in aid of Shine, as an acknowledgement of what they have done for Ian’s family and to allow them to continue their vital work. The choir of 25 then dropped the bombshell that they had decided to ‘go big’ by booking a venue to seat an audience of 800! Ian says that he was “overcome with emotion and humbled” that the choir had made such a commitment. The evening will also feature a choral first as the choir will be performing ‘Stronger as one’, a song written for the Queen’s Jubilee. After hearing the lyrics of the song Ian “felt it fitted perfectly with Shine’s ethos”, the original arrangement is for a solo performer, so a unique alternative has been specially written by Welsh choral genius Alwyn Humphries, a service which would normally cost £800 and he has done this free of charge for the benefit of the charity. The choir will also be joined by the Audley Brass Band, who were approached by one of the choir members, and they jumped at the chance to support Shine. This demonstrates the generosity and passion the choir has evoked from the musical community. The concert is booked for the 28th September at 7.30pm and will be held at The Methodist Church Central Hall Building,Longton tickets are £10. Please contact Ian (07557944647/ ij0511@hotmail) or John (07866901218/ giddings.j@sky) for tickets and information. If you’re interested in joining the choir, they are always looking for members, contact Ian on the number above
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 07:55:41 +0000
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