Buxton Community Choir raises money for Ukraine appeal with online video
and live on Freeview channel 276
Moved by the plight of refugees and those unable to to escape the war, members of the Buxton Community Choir tried to channel their concerns into positive action when they met to rehearse on Friday, March 4.
Chairman Steve Phillips said: “People had been chatting on WhatsApp, expressing their frustration at what was happening and how paralysed and powerless they felt, when someone suggested we hold a cake sale to raise funds.”
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Members of the choir arrived at Buxton Methodist Church with a bakery’s-worth of blue and yellow creations, and raised £230 from their own donations – but there was an even more stirring show of solidarity during the rehearsal itself.
Steve said: “We were trying out the stage for our debut concert at the Buxton Fringe and decided to run through Hallelujah. Some people were completely new to the choir, but everybody knows this song.
“It defied the laws of choir singing that we did it beautifully in just one take. I found a lump coming to my throat thinking of the horrible pictures I’d seen during the week.”
The rendition of the Leonard Cohen classic was captured on camera and afterwards the choir decided to share on Facebook, intercut with footage from the war, alongside a button to donate to the Disasters Emergency Committee humanitarian appeal – and so far it has generated more than £1,300.
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Steve said: “It was a very spur of the moment idea but it’s lovely that more money is coming in. It’s just a drop in the ocean but it’s given a positive vent for those frustrations.”
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The group was formed by its founding six members following the collapse of the Buxton Studio Choir during the pandemic, and currently features around 50 singers of all levels of experience under the guidance of musical director Chris Blackshaw.
It is open to anyone to join, no audition is required, and rehearsals are usually held at the church every Monday.
For details on how to join, or to watch the video and donate, go to https://bit.ly/3I7trt1.