Choirs combine for charity concert raising over £1,400

Singers from three choirs combined for a fundraising evening described as an “emotional” and “fabulous night” with over £1,400 being raised.

A total of £932 was handed over to the My WiSH Charity, to help fund treatment for Parkinson’s sufferers, with a further £500 going towards the Royal British Legion.

The concert was held at the Apex, in Bury St Edmunds, by the St Edmundsbury Male Voice Choir (SEMVC) and also featured the West Suffolk Hospital’s Lift Choir and the Honington Military Wives.

There was an eclectic mix of music on offer from spirituals to hymns and traditional songs to pop tunes with the three choirs coming together for the finale singing “You Raise Me Up”.

Ivor Thulborn, the concert secretary for SEMVC, said the event held last October, was the first time his choir had been able to perform because of the Covid pandemic since February 2020.

“We had over 50 guys singing for the concert and there was over 300 people in the audience. We have raised money for My WiSH in past and we were also raising money for the RBL as it was close to Remembrance Day.

“At the time of the concert we had one member who suffered from Parkinson’s and now another has been diagnosed with the complaint. But it was a fabulous night and we got a standing ovation at the end of the concert.

“It was the first time we had done a concert since Covid and the other two choirs were just brilliant. There was a lot of work that went into the event but it was very, very special to be back singing again. It was very emotional for a lot of people.”

The money raised for My WiSH, which supports the work at the West Suffolk Hospital, Newmarket Community Hospital and community services in Suffolk, has gone towards purchasing timers for teams treating Parkinson’s sufferers.

Specialist Parkinson’s nurse Sarah-Jayne Moore said: “Timing is so important for patients with Parkinson’s. Having their medication on time is vital to prevent symptoms returning. Even minutes can make a big difference causing untold stress and discomfort to the patient.”

She explained that the timers would be kept by the nurse who was doing the drug round and it would be a reminder that their patient was due their medication.

“As we all know, time runs away on the ward and so much happens making it easy to lose track of time, so having a simple, pocket sized timer will be a big difference,” she added and that the 45 that they purchased, which cost £20 each, were available at the Newmarket Hospital and Glastonbury Court as well as West Suffolk Hospital.

Sally Daniels, the fundraising manager for My WiSH, said: “The generosity from the people attending the concert was outstanding. It was fantastic to see people out, some for the first time in months, enjoying an evening of music and the donations quickly mounted up.”

Meanwhile, the SEMVC is now rehearsing for its next fundraising concert on Saturday, April 2, at the Blackbourne Centre, in Elmswell, at 7pm.

Written by Russell Cook for My WiSH Charity.

Main photo: Ivor Thulborn, concert secretary for St Edmundsbury Male Voice Choir, and Ash Seabourne, with a cheque for £932 for My WiSH.