'˜I Had A Dream' concert honours memory of Martin Luther King

The concert will feature songs of peace, justice and equality, from the civil rights struggle, from the fight against apartheid, from the quest for women’s suffrage and from the ongoing problems of the unwanted, displaced and oppressed.

Performers will include Wirksworth choir Raise Your Voice, Lester Simpson, Carol Fieldhouse and Nigel Corbett.

Raise Your Voices, under the direction of Lester Simpson, meets on Thursday nights in The Red Lion, Wirksworth and sings songs, old and new, from all

over the world. They mostly perform in the local community but were involved in the 2015 BAFTA winning film ‘Marvellous’.

Lester, Carol and Nigel have come together especially for this concert at St Mary’s Church, Wirksworth, on September 18 at 7.30pm. They will be singing and playing songs accompanied by guitar, violin, accordion and ukulele.

Lester is best known for his work with Coope Boyes and Simpson but is also a renowned songwriter, choir leader, solo performer and broadcaster. He has also worked in stage and film, including time with the RSC at The Barbican, London.

Carol has lectured in choreography and dance history at Derby University and taught Pilates. In 2016 she completed an MA in song-writing and performance and released her debut album, Linen. She is now concentrating on her music whilst also making the very most of her Coach House Studios, a venue to hire for classes and events in central Wirksworth.

Nigel began his musical career playing orchestral music but now has many more strings to his bow. He is a multi-instrumentalist who has worked, amongst others, with Ramox, John Tams, Prego, Some Antics and continues to co-present with Lester, a show about the First World War called ‘Standing In Line’ which will be featured at Wirksworth Town Hall in November 2018.

Tickets for the I had A Dream concert on September 18 are priced at £12, £10, £9, £5 and can be bought from Traid Links, the Market Place, Wirksworth, online at [email protected] or by calling the Wirksworth Festival box office on 01629 824393.

Profits will be donated to Amnesty International.