It’s full steam ahead for fundraising concert!
By Lisa Ramsden
TWO local students, who set up a community choir to help raise funds and at the same time bring a moment of joy back into the lives of some of those affected by November’s floods in Downpatrick, are encouraging people to attend a further fundraiser which takes place in the town next week.
Kyle Bradshaw and Ellen Taylor, who are nearing the end of sitting their A-levels at Down High School, and where they held the roles of the school’s deputy head boy and girl, are hoping as many people as possible attend the Full Steam Ahead concert, which will be staged at Down Cathedral on Friday, 21 June.
All proceeds from this event will be donated to Downpatrick and County Down Railway, Ireland’s only full-size heritage railway, which sustained serious damage when floods decimated large swathes of the county town.
The concert, tickets for which can be bought on the night at the door, will commence at 7.30pm.
In addition to the Down Community Youth Choir Kyle and Ellen were so central to creating, it will include performances by Downshire Brass, which is one of Northern Ireland’s leading brass bands, in addition to St Patrick’s Choral Society, Ballygowan Concert Flute Band, and the Quoile Area Women’s Institute Choir, who will appear alongside members of Ballyblack WI, from Newtownards.
Kyle, from Kilmore, and Ellen, who lives outside Downpatrick, said they and their fellow choir members are looking forward to taking part in this month’s musical evening.
They hope as much money as possible can be raised for the local heritage railway, which suffered extensive damage and continues to suffer the knock-on effects of last autumn’s floods.
Turning their attention to how and why they set up the youth choir, the 18-year-olds outlined how a lesson with their teacher, Mrs Hilary McGuire, “helped spell out” the scale of the disaster and how it would cause damage in more than just physical ways.
“When Downpatrick was devastated a few months ago by flooding, Ellen and I decided that we wanted to help in some way,” Kyle explained.
“In school, as part of the Making a Difference group, which is a charity enrichment group, and straight after half term in our first lesson back, our teacher Mrs McGuire helped spell out to us the real devastating impacts of the flood, not just on businesses but also on the mental health of the residents within Downpatrick.
“So, we really wanted to put on a show to bring hope and joy to those who are struggling, while also giving a financial donation to those who are struggling most.”
With that in mind, the teenagers reached out to the railway in addition to the LCCL (Life Change Changes Lives) and Good Morning Down charities, with all three delighted to be the beneficiaries of the choir’s first fundraiser, in March, when they performed their song, ‘A Gaelic Blessing’ on BBC Northern Ireland on St Patrick’s Day, leading to £1,020 in donations made online.
“We really wanted to put on a choral performance because we wanted to rekindle the spirit of Downpatrick. We knew that all of us singing together would paint a picture of unity and togetherness and that choral music really brought a human connection.
“The choir consists of young people aged between 14 and 19 from all different choral backgrounds.
“Some of the members have sung on the world’s biggest stage at the coronation, while others have just sung in school.
“The choir really consists of a wide range of experiences. But in the end the choir was all about bringing people together to share a message of inspiration and a positive message,” he continued.
Picking up the story, Ellen explained that the initial idea of establishing Down Community Youth Choir was “to do something which would ultimately give something back to Downpatrick” and that now the group has some 30 members made up of teenagers from several local schools.
Thrilled that the choir has been asked to perform at next week’s concert, Ellen said she hopes although both her and Kyle are completing the end of their studies at the Downpatrick grammar school, they are confident other choir members will help continue to keep it active.
Ellen, who has a background musical theatre, and admits it is her “first love”, slightly ahead of the choir, added that everyone who supported the choir’s fundraiser in March “was so kind” and hopes this is repeated at the Full Steam Ahead concert on 21 June.
Downpatrick and County Down Railway’s Robert Gardiner has thanked everyone who has helped arrange, or is taking part, in next week’s concert.
He said the railway is delighted that the “amount of goodwill and support” from the community continues.
Noting “the amazing line-up” of performers, Robert said news of this fundraiser was a welcome surprise.
“If there is anything good that has come out of the devastation of the floods, it’s the huge groundswell of support there has been from the community.
“Sometimes it’s easy to think we’re sitting alone at the back of a car park slightly separated from the town centre business community, but the amount of goodwill and support we have received from the people of Downpatrick has just been truly humbling and very, very much appreciated,” he added.